Lake Rebecca

From MORC Wiki

Contents 1 Getting There 2 History 3 The Details 4 Land Manager 5 Overall Impression 6 Trail Maps 7 Pictures & Multimedia

[edit] Getting There

To get there from the south Cities, hop on 494 west or north and take it to 55. From the north, get on 94 until 494, take 494 south until 55. Take 55 west for approximately 15 miles. As you enter the town of Rockford look for county road 50 and the brown Lake Rebecca sign pointing you to the left. Turn left (south) on county road 50 and follow it to the park entrance (on your left). Stay to the left as you enter the park and take the second right which leads to the boatlaunch and trailhead parking lot. Park Hours: 5am - Sunset

[edit] History

The rolling hills of Lake Rebecca Park Reserve are part of the Des Moines ground moraine. Most of the trail winds through rapidly succeeding old fields and remnant maple-basswood forest.

[edit] The Details

This trail is located in a Three Rivers Park, parking in the park is now free. Parking outside the park is also possible.

The mountain bike trailhead is signed pretty well and it shares a parking lot with the boat launch. The trail starts out to the right of the boat ramp and is one-way in a clockwise direction. Don't totally zone out though, because the first tenth of a mile is multi-directional and you could have a head on.

Once the trail turns off one-way to the left, it climbs up a hill that overlooks Lake Rebecca. With the leaves fully in, there's not too good a view. In the spring and fall, you get quite a nice view of the lake and surrounding area.

After the trail passes the swan information plaque it turns into a doubletrack roller coaster. I sort of felt like I was out at Murphy Hanrehan with the lack of singletrack and the fast descents and rolling climbs. But the lack of bone-jarring rocks, and lung crushing climbs, reminds you that this is a family course. This is an old school course that was typical back in the late 80's / early 90's. A couple of picnic tables with great scenery along the way.

I rode the trail after things had been dry for a couple days but still noticed a few wet spots. I would imagine that after a good rain they would make for some nasty mud bogs.

Another interesting feature of this trail is that it has stop signs at trail crossings in various spots. This isn't a big deal because it allows the mountain bike trail access to more area, but one of the stops in particular is depressing. You're bombing down the fastest descent in the trail and as the trail levels, you have to jam the brakes to avoid running a stop sign at a trail crossing. Oh well.

But, if you are going to time your laps this is the best spot to start and stop. It is the most southern trail crossing location on the map. Another thing to note -- there are a few spots on the trail where you are carrying speed around a curve. Give a shout-out in case any hikers are present.

[edit] Land Manager

[edit] Overall Impression

If you're looking for singletrack, look somewhere else. If you've got an open mind and are looking for a fun ride that has more than just riding to offer (beach, picnic, swingsets, playground, etc) give Lake Rebecca a try. This would be an ideal place to take the family for an afternoon of picnic, playtime, and riding.

[edit] Trail Maps

Lake Rebecca Summer Map

Lake Rebecca 07 Construction Map

[edit] Pictures & Multimedia

Lake Rebecca Photo Gallery

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MORC Trail Guide Wiki