Reviewed by: pete ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I rode this with my wife and we had a great time. If you are a stud and want a good hard quick workout, the 5 mile loop will do you well. If you are a beginner, you can always walk if need be. The hills are pretty stout but I would be more concerned with some of the downhill areas. They have a few sharp turns at the bottom. We rode ccw. Have fun, be safe. The rating of 3 is because the skill of the rider will determine the difficulty.

Reviewed by: kkdstoll ,  Cross Country Rider , from North Liberty, IA

Summary:
I ride at Sugar Bottom Recreation area for the most part (great trail system). However when Sugar closed for the season 12/1 I head to Loud Thunder. This also is a great trail system (despite previous reviews) Much more technical than Sugar, with lots of steep hills (ravines), this trail is well worth the 1 1/2 hour drive. The horse@#$! is not a problem in the late fall and winter when I ride, although there are a few spots that are rough (the practice loop) due to horses.

Recommended Route:
The gate is closed after Thanksgiving so park at the lot on HWY 92. Ride in past the closed gate to the horse corral, trailhead is at the south end of the open field past the corral. Clockwise is a little more difficult.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Sugar Bottom Recreation Area (ICORR rules!) Sockum Ridge in Washington, IA

Reviewed by: Ryan , from Gurnee, IL

Summary:
The course was tough. As many other riders have noted, there are a lot of road apples on the course. If the prospect of getting a little smelly bothers you , then stay away. The downhills and uphills are great because of the steepness and all the switchbacks, however the creek crossings are terrible. The horses have left such deep imprints where the creek is at that it is nearly impossible to cross while still on your saddle. Consequently, you get stuck starting a really steep uphill from a dead start. It's not worth the drive to do this trail exclusively, however it is worth the ride if you are in the area.

Reviewed by: Joe , from Muscatine

Summary:
I ride up to 3 times a week. In the spring loud thunder takes a long time to dry out and the horses do mess it up (but hey it'll put some hair on your chest). In late summer and fall if the trails have a long time to dry out, they rule. There is another review from some dipshit who obviously had a bad day here. It happens. There is cobwebs, mud, weeds, horseshit, and lots of critters, it can be a trying trail. But when they are dry and have had time to harden you can really move and the climbs aren't a big deal. I go to sugar bottoms a lot. I end up with a better burn here. The crick crossings are usually mangled from the horses but who wants to master a trail on the first time out? I live 15 minutes away i view it as a godsend. I don't know If i'd drive 2 hours for just this trail but i've been on worse.

Recommended Route:
The loop is easier counter clockwise. The whole trail is barely 4.5 miles one way (excluding the practice loop).

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Sugar bottoms is pretty nice. They are usually in great shape.