Reviewed by: Jim Rickel ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Updated Directions: The New US 31 Bypass is now complete, so you can get off it coming from either direction at the Old US 31 Berrien Springs Exit. Right there at the end of the Exit ramp look south, you will see a car dealership on the right and a church on the left. Go left on the road the church is on and follow it all the way (approx 1/4 mile)until it dead ends in a retirement home parking lot. Go to the very end of the parking lot and you will see a grassy pathway leading into the woods. Follow the Signs, my riding team has just spent the last two weeks (Oct'03) putting up a very thorough series of signs which will guide you through the 7 mile course. Follow the grassy pathway through the wooded clearing(approx 100 yards) until you get to the Start Sign which will be to your right marking the entrance into the woods and the Start of the Trail. This is the Easy side loop which is approximately 1 mile long and has some nice technical areas, this is a great warm up loop. You will exit this Easy side loop back where you first entered the grassy pathway where the first signs are located. As you come out of the woods continue staight on the path, this will take you to the left side of the grassy pathway which is the Difficult 5 to 6 Mile loop. This is where the fun starts. You will almost immediately enter the Half-Pipe which is a gully carved out of the ravine allowing you to manuver a series of up and down moves the same as a snowboarder. At the bottom of the Halfpipe run take a right and follow the old river bed road for approx 1/2 mile until you see the signs to turn and start climbing. Many great Hills to climb, and some very difficult downhills. The course winds around for a mile or so until you reach the Fishbowl, a BMX and MTBers dream. Many radical hills, jumps, ramps, and stunts, Lots of Air, Lots of Fun. Continue on going to the right of the Fishbowl, follow the signs, this will take you to what is known as the Backside. Many long and winding Hill climbs, very technical ravine traverses, and even a couple of narrow Bridges to cross if your into Black Diamond difficulty. After winding back around for approxamtely 3 miles you will come to a very technical section followed by a straight run consisting of ramps and jumps. This brings you back to the Fishbowl.

Reviewed by: Tim , from Grand Rapids, MI

Summary:
Could be a very cool trail with some sense of organization. THERE IS NO DIRECTION and very few signs or arrows (therefore the low rating)! Would be much better if there was a definite loop. The trails just weave in and out all over the place. Some very technical stuff here on the downhills and off camber stuff. As for the soup bowl - cool if you are a BMXer or like stunts. Nothing of interest there to me. Oh yeah, take a full body suit with long sleeves unless you enjoy your flesh being ripped by thorns hanging from the side of the trail in many places.

Recommended Route:
old folks home and to the north

Other recommended trails in the same area:
TK Lawless, Ft. Custer, Yankee Springs

Reviewed by: Dewey , from Kalamazoo, Mi

Summary:
The trail was fun! Well done local riders. The trail starts off as a nice single track to a corkscrew trench. The trail then dumps you out to a service road that leads to the pit. The pit was fun, but ride the trail first then play in the pit (My buddies junked 2 wheels in the pit and ended our day of riding early). The lasso loop from the pit has very nice hills and great veiws of the area. The remainder of hte trail is a great downhill with jumps and other surprizes. Fun trail for all levels!!

Recommended Route:
US 31 to Bus 31. Go toward Berrien Springs. Just east of the overpass is a Church with a sign for a nursing home. Go to the Nursing Home and Park in the North East corner of the lot. Trail is just to the north of that corner.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
The trail was short but full of fun stuff. I just need to follow my own rule next time and ride the trail first, then play in the pit. I will try to make it back to ride it again.

Reviewed by: Igor , from Lansing, MI

Summary:
Good trail to get in shape. Easy to get lost first coupla times but it is worth learning your way around.

Recommended Route:
Take Old US 31 into Berrien Springs, make a left on the Andrews Univeristy property.
Enter the trail from the Andrews University farm.
Go down to the farm, take a left after the bridge on the dirt road (there are two of them....either is fine just go up the hill, but it's better to take the one in the middle...you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it) until the yellow gate on the left. Take the fire road straight up and you'll be up and the platform by the observatory. Stay on your left and eventually you will see the trail in the woods on your left side. Follow the single track, and you'll end up by the playground (BMX pit) There are trails to the left and right....stay right and eventually you'll end up on the left side from the playground and back on it. Begginers, skip that right part....just stay on the left and enjoy the ride.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Dr. Lawless Park, Ft. Custer