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Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge
1 reviews
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Boyer Chute consists of a flat, mown doubletrack 6 mile loop that circumnavigates a restored grassland area used as a wildlife refuge. There is also a few smaller loops which connect to the main loop, and those are ridable as well.
The western half of the loop takes you through the prairie, and once you hit the eastern half you will disappear into a thicket of woods that runs along the banks of the Missouri River.
Aside from a few patches of sand along the river section, and the possibility of deadfall, there is nothing technical about Boyer Chute. The surface can be a bit rough in patches, but the tread is fairly decent.
The park is only open a half hour before sunrise and a half hour past sunset, and the Rangers will come by and lock the gates, so best to plan accordingly.
There is a restroom at the trailhead, but no water that I have ever noticed, so make sure you bring your own.
From Omaha or Blair, take Highway 75 to the southernmost street(Madison Street) within Fort Calhoun city limits. Note sign for Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge. Turn east on Madison Street and proceed to stop sign at "T" intersection. Turn right onto County Road 34 and proceed approximately 3 miles to refuge main gate.Enter main gate and you soon will see the main parking area. Pull in here. A trail head sign will be visible from the parking area. Follow your nose and head across a small bridge. Trail soon forks. It doesn't matter which way you go because it's a loop, but I usually take the left fork, riding the trail clockwise.
Summary: Boyer Chute is a decent trail if you are not looking for an intense riding experience. It's definitely more geared for the weekend warrior and families, as opposed to the dyed-in-the-wool mountain biker. This is mainly due to the fact that there is nothing technical about the trail and will mainly appeal to less experienced riders, or riders looking for a change of pace from their usual trails.
It's a pretty good scenery ride though, with lots of opportunities for wildlife viewing. There is also something cool about six foot tall prairie grasses and wildflowers swaying all around you as you ride.
I usually ride two complete laps around this trail at a moderate pace and that seems to be a good enough ride for me.
There doesn't appear to be alot of riders that use these trails, but I have seen a few others over the few years I have been riding here. Usually when I ride here I might see a couple of people fishing, and that's about it though. It's pretty quiet, which is nice.
Bottom line: If you live within 30 minutes to 1 hour of here, and have never ridden here before, and are looking for a change of pace from the Swanson-Lewis and Clark-Platte-Lake Manawa circuit, this might make a good ride for you. Also a good place to bring less experienced riders and kids.
Don't come here expecting serious mountain biking though because this trail is only slightly more challenging than Wabash Trace.
Final Note: During the winter, Boyer Chute makes for pretty good snow riding.
Recommended Route: As I mentioned above, I usually ride it clockwise and hit the smaller mini-loops along the way.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Wilson Island is just across the river. Cunningham Lake is nearby as well. Then there are all the usual haunts just to the south (Platte, Swanson, Lewis and Clark, etc)
A few hours north is some sweet riding at Stone State Park and Ponca!
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