This trail Rocks

[Tom]

This is a great trail and worth the 2 hr and 10 min drive.
A fair amount of hills and some fun down hills (cliffhanger was the funnest trail I've ridden in along time) miles of singletrack and great views. We are definatly going back this fall for a day ride. We biked for about 5 hrs and still did not get thru all of the trails, although we did stop and enjoy the views often. All in all this is a great trail,I will be going back.

[Rozzwell]

Agreed. Rode Levis for the first time this weekend and had a blast. A lot of the trails on the Levis side (Toad Road in particular) were pretty badly eroded and extremely difficult to ride. I was there with a friend who grew up in that area and rode Levis about 10 years ago and he was actually surprised at how poor the trail conditions were. I suppose there's only so much you can do when you're working with sandstone over such a large area, or maybe I'm just spoiled by how well Lebanon and Theo are maintained. :shrugs:

Well worth the 2 hour drive, and if you want to camp out (we did), try to avoid the Russell park nearby during peak seasons. As someone else mentioned, it puts KOA to shame and we really had a miserable night camping 5 feet away from people getting plastered until 3am.

Overall, though, epic trails and well worth a day trip or a weekend.

[ryno lite]

Some of the older trails at Levis aren't built to IMBA standards and thus have some sustainability issues. They've even closed and/or rerouted some old trails that they were sick of fixing. The crew out there now builds to IMBA standards so they don't have to fix them all the time. It is a great place for the most part and most of the trail is holding up pretty well.

[martini]

Yep good place to only be an hour from :D Spent 6 hours on my bike there not too long back for a total of 52 miles(during the WEMS race). Never got sick of it! Nice long 10 mile laps. Truely is one of the best of the midwest!

[ZippyZoe]

I was up there a few weeks ago for the 12 Hours of Levis race. Yes, this is a great trail system! There are parts in rough shape, but the trail team up there is taking efforts to fix it up. As a matter of fact, during the race we rode new sections of trail. Mostly on the north end after Yellowjacket I believe. There were new sections along the western edge too. They will definitely be more sustainable. Nothing like a race to break them in. :D

During the race I remember the pounding I took because of how "rooted" it is up there. I'm a hardtailer, so I had my butt off the seat as much as possilbe through that stuff.

One of my favorite sections is Lower Hermosa. Those up and down switchbacks are so cool!

[Fast1]

Yep good place to only be an hour from :D Spent 6 hours on my bike there not too long back for a total of 52 miles(during the WEMS race). Never got sick of it! Nice long 10 mile laps. Truely is one of the best of the midwest!


Could you let me know what route the entire lap consisted of? I'd enjoy riding a few laps at miniumum but a have only been there once previously and would like to ensure I know the best route for laps.

[buzzman]

As one rider here observed, some of the trails have not been kept up to IMBA standards, however, most of our work was spent building Sidewinder all summer, so other projects got pushed back. There are only a few people who work on the trails and build them, and most of the time it's one or two of us. Toad Rd is probably the trail that was referred to, and yep, it's really rocky and tough now. Some riders skirted where the trail had been, and that caused problems. It's first on the list to go back and fix next summer. Because of it's location, it also probably has the most hours building and going back to maintain it, so hopefully by the next time you all ride there, it'll be better.

[bigwheel]

Steve, thanks for the continued work you guys are doing on the trail. I really enjoyed my 2 trips out there this year.

In contrast, we have it much easier here. Trails are easily accessible for evening work crews, and we are closer to population areas where we can get volunteers from.

Thanks again.

[ryno lite]

Steve,

Looking back at my post a few months back, I realize it didn't come out as positive as it should be. I'll be the first to say that I love Levis! I also really respect the enormous amount of work that has been put in by a handful of people (mainly 2) over the past decade! I'm amazed at how much you guys get done and that you continue to cut new trail. I hear the new trail is great (if you're not too scared riding it). I know I'll get out there a couple of times next season. Many of us on the boards here are trailbuilders and we just marvel at how much work has been accomplished by so few. Thanks for the trail! We love it!

P.S. We need to get another big group from MN to come down for another big riding/camping weekend next year and maybe get together with a big bunch of you WI riders and have a huge group to ride and camp with!

[buzzman]

Thanks for the comments here-keep me posted on when the big MN crew comes again!
Been running the singletrack latey (no snow to ski on) and it turns into a trail building scouting mission (old habits die hard) and I do have Toad Rd. on my "hit list" for next spring...maybe this winter if we continue with no snow! The approch to "plummers crack" on TR needs some tweeking and I think we'll leave some of the technical stuff in TR but make it a bit more ridable. Anway, it should be different/better when you all come back.
-steve

[Gus]

where is this trail ...LEVIS ? hope to amke it next year

[ryno lite]

It's about a 2 hour drive east of the Twin Cities on I-94. Kind of near Osseo WI.

[Captain Willard]

A buddy and I rode most of it last Friday and had a blast. This was our third time, so it started to feel familiar. I just wanted to convey a hearty thanks to those who do the trail work here. Congrats on Toad Road, Cliffhanger, Sidewinder, Yellow Jacket and the whole shebang. l owe you a case of beer. Each.

[gopherhockey]

A buddy and I rode most of it last Friday and had a blast. This was our third time, so it started to feel familiar. I just wanted to convey a hearty thanks to those who do the trail work here. Congrats on Toad Road, Cliffhanger, Sidewinder, Yellow Jacket and the whole shebang. l owe you a case of beer. Each.

I assume conditions are good out there?

[JayPee]

I really need to get out there. I grew up around 30 miles from there and would ride there every weekend. I remember having races down Pile Driver riding my fully rigid 1990 Stumpjumper Comp.

[Captain Willard]

I assume conditions are good out there?

We thought conditions were very good. There was significant loose stuff, some sobering off-camber moments, and plenty of roots and exposure, but that's the point. The newest section that we rode was Sidewinder, and that was in great shape. There were just a handful of little puddles or greasy spots in Swamp Cut and Yellow Jacket, and everything we tried was very rideable (or as rideable as it's ever been).

[buzzman]

OHHHH BOYY! We DID race down Pile Driver a couple times...and up! Those were early days of the Buzzard Buster. I always insanely loved taking a new rider on Cliffhanger and then turning down Piledriver and saying "follow me!" and then shoot straight down! Okay, mean but it always amazed me one could actually keep at least one wheel on the ground down that. Anway-we don't ride that anymore, it was a 50 yr old trail not meant for anykind of travel down a fall line!

-Sidewinder is probably the absolute best trail now-not long, but "visually intiminating" as someone put it. It has claimed one known accident-one of our members went off a pretty high edge, we knew she was really hurtin when she didn't ask if her bike was okay!

oh, and Capt. Willard...I'll take you up on that case of beer! Summer starts in a few weeks and I'll be up diggin dirt> finishing off Sidewinder and then tackling a re-hab of Toad Rd and Switchback. Drop me an email if you get this way, my biking legs and grub hoe arms are not there yet, but will be.

[Captain Willard]

Roger that. And Sidewinder is indeed sweet.