rockclimberguy
08-17-2004, 02:49 AM
I don't know if anybody cares since not many people like to ride at Elm Creek, but I finally figured out how to ride the course while staying all on legit trails. It seems they expanded the trails accessible to moutain biking because the printed maps for 2004 summer has more mtb trail than the big map at the visitor center or the metal signs along the paved path. I've met a number of people who go to ride there and have heard most of the path is paved, but it's really not paved for the most part it's just hard to follow the right path because of lack of signs and intersections not marked on the map. So hear are the general directions I can lend anybody who might want to bike there:
1.) I recommend parking at the visitor center because it's the closest parking to the trail entrance. This is the first building with a parking lot you come to on your left.
2.) Ride to the end of the parking lot and take a right onto the paved trail. Follow this down for maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a mile then you'll see the entrance to the mtb trail which splits off to the left.
3.) From this point until about half way through it works to follow the blue diamond signs since they are more present and let you know whether your on the right trail.
4.) At one point you come to the paved path but the mtb trail actually curves around sharply to the left so make sure to look all directions not just get on the the paved path.
5.) The second time you intersect the paved path you should go across it, not on it, there are light blue signs that direct you to the mountain bike trail off to your left but I've found it's better to actually go the other direction and up the gravel path which goes up a hill and parallel to the paved path for a short distance. When you get to the top of the hill you'll see another entrance for the mtb trail on your left marked by the little bike sign.
6.) Once you ride down a steep hill and through some forest you'll come to an intersection with no signs, left goes off into the woods and right seems to skirt the woods. Go left into the woods as that will take you up a hill via a few switchbacks.
7.) At the top of the hill you come to another T intersection, there is a sign here which says to go right which is correct. Now you can follow that path for quite a while but just know that many hiking paths and maintence roads intersect it. Make sure to stay on the path because at some point the park people just decided to stop putting up signs apparently.
8.) At the end of this stretch you'll go through the edge of another forested area and come to what looks like a Y interesection where one path splits off right and another goes straight into what looks like marshy area. DON'T GO STRAIGHT. You should realize rather quickly that the hiking path there isn't maintained anymore because the weeds have grown in and while there is a boardwalk that must curve throught he marsh there it's all slanted into the water and very covered in weeds. However, if you split off right at the this intersection you'll join the paved path for a short distance.
9.)After going over a concrete bridge about 10-20 feet there is a trail the splits off right again and goes up hill. It's not marked at all but matches the new mtb trail on the printed maps available in the visitor center and online. This takes you up a hill, at the top of the hill is another T, turn left to go back downhill. You'll go rather fast down the hill and it's fun to get going really fast so you can hit the paved trail at a high speed but I almost broadsided a rollerblader the other day doing that so I would recommend slowing way down at the bottom of the hill.
10.) After the hill, you joing the paved path and go over the large wooden bridge over the marsh. Right after the marsh is a trail the splits off left and goes up a small hill. This appears to be also new mtb trail but again is not marked. It basically follows the paved path only with more hills. As your on this path you end up going toward the visitor center. Towards the end you'll go down a rather steep decline only to quickly come upon a steep incline. At the top of this incline rejoin the paved trail and ride back to the visitor center.
As best I can tell this is the extent of the mtb trail in Elm Creek. If anybody wants to ride it with me I'd be happy to have the company, I'm still a newbie but I try to ride the trail 2-3 times/week. If anybody finds that I'm wrong I'd be glad to know. You can send me a private message or an email if you have any other questions or would like clarification.
1.) I recommend parking at the visitor center because it's the closest parking to the trail entrance. This is the first building with a parking lot you come to on your left.
2.) Ride to the end of the parking lot and take a right onto the paved trail. Follow this down for maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a mile then you'll see the entrance to the mtb trail which splits off to the left.
3.) From this point until about half way through it works to follow the blue diamond signs since they are more present and let you know whether your on the right trail.
4.) At one point you come to the paved path but the mtb trail actually curves around sharply to the left so make sure to look all directions not just get on the the paved path.
5.) The second time you intersect the paved path you should go across it, not on it, there are light blue signs that direct you to the mountain bike trail off to your left but I've found it's better to actually go the other direction and up the gravel path which goes up a hill and parallel to the paved path for a short distance. When you get to the top of the hill you'll see another entrance for the mtb trail on your left marked by the little bike sign.
6.) Once you ride down a steep hill and through some forest you'll come to an intersection with no signs, left goes off into the woods and right seems to skirt the woods. Go left into the woods as that will take you up a hill via a few switchbacks.
7.) At the top of the hill you come to another T intersection, there is a sign here which says to go right which is correct. Now you can follow that path for quite a while but just know that many hiking paths and maintence roads intersect it. Make sure to stay on the path because at some point the park people just decided to stop putting up signs apparently.
8.) At the end of this stretch you'll go through the edge of another forested area and come to what looks like a Y interesection where one path splits off right and another goes straight into what looks like marshy area. DON'T GO STRAIGHT. You should realize rather quickly that the hiking path there isn't maintained anymore because the weeds have grown in and while there is a boardwalk that must curve throught he marsh there it's all slanted into the water and very covered in weeds. However, if you split off right at the this intersection you'll join the paved path for a short distance.
9.)After going over a concrete bridge about 10-20 feet there is a trail the splits off right again and goes up hill. It's not marked at all but matches the new mtb trail on the printed maps available in the visitor center and online. This takes you up a hill, at the top of the hill is another T, turn left to go back downhill. You'll go rather fast down the hill and it's fun to get going really fast so you can hit the paved trail at a high speed but I almost broadsided a rollerblader the other day doing that so I would recommend slowing way down at the bottom of the hill.
10.) After the hill, you joing the paved path and go over the large wooden bridge over the marsh. Right after the marsh is a trail the splits off left and goes up a small hill. This appears to be also new mtb trail but again is not marked. It basically follows the paved path only with more hills. As your on this path you end up going toward the visitor center. Towards the end you'll go down a rather steep decline only to quickly come upon a steep incline. At the top of this incline rejoin the paved trail and ride back to the visitor center.
As best I can tell this is the extent of the mtb trail in Elm Creek. If anybody wants to ride it with me I'd be happy to have the company, I'm still a newbie but I try to ride the trail 2-3 times/week. If anybody finds that I'm wrong I'd be glad to know. You can send me a private message or an email if you have any other questions or would like clarification.