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Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail
Wilson, Kansas
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:  |
4 trail reviews |
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Status: updated 12/26/10 by rickbreth |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 13 miles | Global Rank: #215 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 11 | Wishlist: 2 |
| Avg. Speed: 5 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 0min |
Directions:
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Description: The trail is all native and will take between 1.5 to 4 hrs to complete if all 13 miles are traveled. The trail is mostly hardpack, but does have some short sandy areas and a bit of slick rock. The majority of the trail is for intermediate riders but a separate loop, "The Rock Garden" is for experts and the "EZ loop" is for beginners. Being in a state park there is a paved road that the track crosses several times and you are never far from a bailout if needed. From the trail head, take a left for a full day of riding the three connected loops, or a right for the short EZ loop where you will eventually return to if you take a left.
Description: The trail is all native and will take between 1.5 to 4 hrs to complete if all 13 miles are traveled. The trail is mostly hardpack, but does have some short sandy areas and a bit of slick rock. The majority of the trail is for intermediate riders but a separate loop, "The Rock Garden" is for experts and the "EZ loop" is for beginners. Being in a state park there is a paved road that the track crosses several times and you are never far from a bailout if needed. From the trail head, take a left for a full day of riding the three connected loops, or a right for the short EZ loop where you will eventually return to if you take a left.
added on July 10, 2009 by 
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by stevethousand on September 6, 2011
Excellent trail with many challenging features. The soil is sandy, crunchy, and rocky, and there are small cactii just off the trail. There are three different loops you can take with multiple bail out points onto the road. There are showers and campsites near the trailhead. The scenery is gorgeous and the trail uses every inch of the Hell's Creek peninsula area at Wilson Lake, doubling back on itself over and over again. Next time I head back, I'm going to go tubeless because of thorns. If you live in Manhattan, the drive is about an hour and forty five minutes. Can't wait til I can go back.
reviewed by Sucio_Sanchez on May 19, 2011
If you are headed across Kansas on I-70 en route to your mountain bike vacation, you've GOT to put this place on your riding agenda. It's out in the middle of no where, but only a few minutes north of I-70. As of 2011, it costs less than $5 to enter the park and you're given access to over 20 miles of the flowiest, fastest and techy singletrack you could desire. The builders of this trail have done an amazing job of creating what mountain bikers crave: flow, tech, scenic beauty and speed. Hats off to them for their hard work, as it looks like they've been quite busy on this trail system. Even better, the trail is very well marked. So the first-time rider can hop on here and enjoy the ride without the worry of a matrix of intersections or the risk of getting lost. A word of caution, this area is exposed. And I don't mean shade is rare. I mean you won't find so much as a single square foot of shade on the entire stretch unless you're under a rock. So ride smart. Don't be afraid to wear some sunblock in the summer. And, obviously, bring at least 50% more fluids than you would normally drink on a 20 mile ride in the trees. I'm sure winter riding can be pretty chilly, too, as the winds out here blow pretty steady all year. Morning & evening rides are probably you're best best. Wilson Lake will entertain you. And if you don't walk away from this trail thinking it was well worth your time, then you will never be impressed with any trail. And even if you live within 4 hours of Wilson Lake, don't be afraid to make an overnight road trip out of this trail with a few buddies. There is plenty of affordable lodging in nearby Russell (about 15 miles west of Wilson) as well as a really cool and fully restored hotel in Wilson called the Midland Railroad Hotel (414 26th Street, Wilson, KS 67490 ). This place beats the run-of-the-mill Super-Econo-Mega-8 type motels by far. And right across the street from the Midland Railroad Hotel is a cozy little grocery store, a liquor store and a diner....what more could you ask for?! The town of Russell will have more of the familiar amenities us city-types are used to but even the Midland Railroad Hotel has Wi-Fi so it isn't like they're living in the dark ages or anything. As for your bike shops, the closest shop you'll find is the Golden Belt Bicycle Company, located in Great Bend about 40 minutes away (1111 Main Street, Great Bend, KS 67530-4431 tel: (620) 793-7060). Whether you're passing thru this area or making it an overnight roadtrip, you gotta check this place out. I came in from Kansas City and it was well worth the drive. Here are some pics I took during a photo-hike: http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj130/AdrenalineImages/Wilson%20Lake%20Kansas%20Spring%202011/?albumview=slideshow
Similar Trail: Well, there isn't much else within several hours of here so not much. ;)
reviewed by KansasMTBer on September 16, 2010
This trail has abit of everything, steep climbs, lots of switchbacks, rock decents, super fast down hills. You would never guess you were in Kansas. Several new sections have been added in the past year. Total length is just over 17 miles. It will take a very good rider 2 hours to ride the full loop. * Review edited 9/16/2010
* Review edited 9/16/2010
Similar Trail: Fancy Creek Horizon
reviewed by markgowan on May 26, 2010
I really enjoyed this trail! Great singletrack, technical climbs, rolling hills, great views, and well kept trails. The camp site is also wonderful. There is an easy loop that was great for my mountain unicycle, and the total loop was a great ride for the mountain bike. I would recommend doing this in May maybe June, but I suspect it would get pretty hot as the trail is not covered. I was the only one on the trail when I rode. The club there does a nice job keeping the trail up. Kudos!
Similar Trail: Council Bluff, Fancy Creek
