Review Date
November 4, 2004

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 1 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 1 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: mlahm ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
I'm from Columbus, and it's only fair to say that there is a little off-concrete trail riding here. I don't want to upset the guys in town that do such a good job trying to upgrade the trail system in the area, but it's very little. It isn't a "wow", but it gets you off the paved bike path. It is a beginner trail with a few log bridges, a packed dirt surface, and a short mile-or-so system. You can also get on a flat dirt track and circle the lakes to extend the paved bike trail to about a 4-mile (?) circuit.

Recommended Route:
From the bike trail bridge that crosses the Loup Canal at the southeast end of the paved bike trail, turn east for 40 yards or so, turn south through a gate, and onto a dirt track. The trail turns east for about a quarter mile (?) then south again. Less than 100 yards after this south turn, a trail to the east enters "Boy Scout Island", a little peninsula into the lake. Here you'll find a short flat system of trails through timber with some log bridges. When you come out of the peninsula, you can turn south, circle the lakes on dirt, and connect with the beginning of the paved trail on the northeast corner of the lakes again. Not too technical and no climbing, but a way to get off concrete.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Platte River State Park, Ponca State Park, Indian Caves State Park, Lewis and Clark Monument