how's the trail

[reddevil24]

is this place worth checking out?

[jonbodin]

The trailhead is probably not rideable. They are building a new structure at the Visitor Center (where the trail starts) and it's all torn up. I was out there Friday morning riding my road bike on the paved trails.

Overall, it's mostly grass trails with some single & double track. It has a few hills but's it's nothing like River Bottoms, Leb, Theo or such (nothing technical). It has potential but if you like the berfore mentioned trails you'll probably be disappointed. :hit:

[reddevil24]

I know what you mean now. I went out there on saturday. It can be a workout riding on all that grass, but it wasn't too thrilling. I did manage to find what was probably an illegal trail by some picnic benchs. It was a short downhill path to the paved path. Actually had a tree laying across it that I was able to get over. My buddy quickly realized the importance of a helmet as his melon almost bounced off a standing tree. But I probably won't go back for a long time unless I get some road tires and stay on the paved path. It only took riding theo once to know that that is the kind of trail I want to ride and that was only the south loop. With some work though, Elm Creek could be a lot better.

[JayT]

is this place worth checking out?

I would say no. What EC has to offer is turf trails that are open for mountain bike use. Although it's a beauty of a park, it doesn't offer sweet single-track... yet.

[MHarr]

I'll agree. It's a pretty park, and X-country enthusiasts will probably appreciate it. The technically challenging enthusiasts will be disappointed tho.

[biking_stickman]

This is the review from this year's Best of issue. The first sentence sums it up.
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If your bicycling outfit is festooned with the logos of energy-bar manufacturers; if you paid more for your bike than the per capita income in the Philippines; if you care more about how you look on your bike than what you can see from the saddle, then this trail is not for you. For everyone else, the Elm Creek Park Reserve is a gem hiding in plain sight. It is both the largest park in Hennepin County at some 4,900 acres and foreign terrain to many lifelong Minneapolitans. (Someone must be coming here, however, as the park boasts a new visitor's center, lighted cross-country skiing, snow-tubing, beginner downhill with tow rope, equestrian trails, a manmade swimming pond, and an archery area!) Unlike most of the state's rail-to-trail bike paths, Elm Creek's 18.3-mile bike circuit follows a loop. Two loops, actually: north and south. The southern route snakes through stands of woodland, with light dappling the path. You're not going to find Mont Ventoux in the rural stands of Champlin, but the path ain't flat here. Rather, the topography is like the longest kiddie coaster you've ever seen; you'll end up climbing a few thousand feet despite yourself. Though somewhat flatter, the northern loop offers both lighter traffic and superior views, with every turn revealing another unspoiled stretch of prairie and marshland. The heart-rate-monitor crowd can also spin off at the park's westernmost parking area and head out on Territorial Road for some pastoral road riding in the northwest metro.