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Jewell Park
8 reviews
3.88 of 5
Trail starts as gravel double-track winding up the hill and then jumps off into tightly-packed wooded singletrack. Total trail length is about 4.5 miles (though my cycle computer might be off?)laced up and down the hills of 65 acres of city park. Expect a good bit of climbing followed by very fast descents along the contour lines of the hillside. There are a few minor log crossings throughout the trail, but otherwise the trail is not very technical. Just fast.
There is no water or bathroom at the trailhead, so you are on your own here.
Take Hwy 370 towards Old Towne Bellevue. Head north on Main Street. Follow Main Street north. Main Street will begin to curve to the left (northwest) and become Combs Road. As soon as you pass Forestview Circle (on the right side of the street) look immediately to your left for the trailhead. There is a grassy field and small parking area here. Park. Grab your bike and go through the gate, following the doubletrack trail into the park. As soon as you see the gravel doubletrack climbing the hillside, follow it up. You will only be on the doubletrack for about 100 feet. Look to the right side of the doubletrack for a red arrow pointing the way to the singletrack. Jump off here. Trail is signed from here on out. Enjoy.
Summary: This trail has some very fun and fast downhills, as well as some short but challenging climbs. I was very surprised at how much trail was packed into this small area.
I would recommend this trail for intermediate riders. Nice place to get used to transitioning from a fast downhill to a challenging climb.
Not a very long trail, so do it a few times in a row to get a nice workout.
Very fun!
Recommended Route: From the parking lot, follow the cement path and keep a close eye out for the entrance. I believe there was a small sign marking the entrance that was easy to miss.
You will end up exiting in the grass west of the parking lot if you do the entire route.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Tranquility and Lewis and Clark
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Summary: I rode this trail with some buddies for the first time yesterday. This little trail rocks! I just wish it was about twice as long. There are some good (but not too long) climbs, and some really fun downhills. This may not be a good first ride for a new rider, but a great place to hone your skills!
Recommended Route: It's a one way trail, so just follow the T.H.O.R. "DIFFICULT" sign from the parking lot by the dog park.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Swanson, Tranquility, Platte River State Park, Lewis and Clark...
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Summary: Follow the signs since it is a one way trail. Great use of uphill switchbacks and fun twisting descents. Some intense short climbs. Trail is about 4 miles long/lap and it is always fun and interesting. Obviously built for mt. bikers for mt. bikers
Recommended Route: Follow the sign out of the paved parking lot off of Combs road at the doq poop park. I did not find forestview Cr. THOR should be updating their website for directions to the park.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Swanson, Tranquility, Branched Oak area 1 is really good and half of area 7 is good. Platte River is one of the best anywhere. THOR does an amazing job of building and maintaining these true mt. bike trails.
Summary: This trail is a blast, though a short one, for the experienced rider. The park itself consists of one large hill and the valley next to it. There is a gravel road, AKA "cheater's highway" which climbs the hill and splits the park in half. The trail is almost all very tight singletrack with some short segments of gravel road. There are many log crossings, but the only huge one has been severely(too severely, IMO)tamed. The climbs are steep but not long enough to kill anyone. Instead of a severe downhill you get long zigzaggy descents with brief periods of intense speed.
The trail is actually two loops, and inner loop and an outer loop. The outer loop starts on the gravel road leading south from the parking lot. It climbs the southeast side of the hill, gradually working its way to the peak of the hill, where it crosses the aforementioned road. Here begins the rollercoaster which starts heading south along the edge of the valley, then switches back north, zigzagging its way down through the valley back toward the parking lot. There are a couple of nice opportunities for airborne shenanigans in this section, if a person is so inclined.
The inner loop begins where the outer one ends. The trail head is about 20 yards up cheater's highway, on the right. You head back down to the valley floor, then encounter two steep back to back climbs. There's a bit of winding around, then you cross the road again to the north side of the hill. The trail winds down the north side, then it's back up, and the trail slashes across the east side of the hill. The downhills are mostly smooth and fast but contain some vicious switchbacks, so newbies pay attention to what's coming up. It all ends with a flat but bouncy ride north along the bottom edge of the hill, back to the lot area.
Beware of washed out trail in the lower valley after a rainstorm-there are still a couple of crossings that will have to be bridged or rerouted eventually. There is also a lot of dead & dying timber at Jewell so be prepared for logs and branches littering the trail after a heavy storm or winds. We do our best to keep the trail clear but it is a never-ending job.
Recommended Route: There is no signage at all on the trail as of this writing, so newbies check out my trail map here:
I recommend starting on the outer loop. It's a good buildup to the inner loop's back to back steep climbs. The outer loop's climb to the top is long and disjointed, with some short downhill breaks. There are steep climbing areas but they are very short. After you reach the top, near the cemetary shed, it's all sweet payback, as long as you keep your speed up.
As the other reviewers have noted, this is not set up as a beginner trail by any means. That said, I would not discourage less experienced riders from an attempt. Just be very careful on the downhills and try the outer loop climb first, or take the cheater's highway up.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Swanson Park is the closest. It's another Bellevue park with a lot of trail crammed into a small space. It's got a lot of fun stuff, but is much more beginner-friendly.
Also close by are Lewis & Clark, Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs and Tranquility in Omaha.
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Summary: At first I found the trail confusing but after meeting up with a fellow on the trail he explained to me where to start and what direction to go. it is a fun 3.67 mile ride that I do twice for exercise.
Recommended Route: Use the directions shown on MTBR to get to park. The park itself is run down a little and can be hard to spot first time. After the college heights sign there will be a bunch of woods on the left, keep going until you reach a parking area that is gated off. Park there and ride your bike into the park following the tree line and towards the end of the tree line will be a little gravel road heading up into the woods, take that road and you will see the start of the trail on the right about 150 feet up the road. Have fun and be careful.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Swanson Park
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