Review Date
April 16, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: JGalt ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
This trail kicks your ass right from the start if you begin at the Wildcat Mound Trailhead. One left turn onto Norway Pine and you face a couple walls at 15+%. You're quickly rewarded with great views. The Wildcat Loop is constant up and down with some really nice descents that you could take increasingly faster as you got to know them better. You truly get a wilderness feel as you're out in the middle of nowhere and the views, geography and geology of the area give it an almost Western Unites States feel, kind of like Levis.

The Ridge trail on the Smrekar loop was closed, so I didn't get to enjoy it, but the Smrekar Cluster itself seemed a bit more gradual than Wildcat, but still hilly. Combining Smrekar and Wildcat, you could probably put together 25+ miles of hard training in a day and not ride the same loop twice.

Having read some of the previous reviews here, let me state this clearly: If you don't have a good aerobic base, don't even try riding here. You'll be walking up countless faces and you'll be miserable. If you're a member of the "fat tire crowd," and I'm referring to the fat tire hanging over your belt, don't bother. If you're only interested in riding singletrack and chugging a Red Bull at the end, forget it. You'll have a hell of a time texting in one hand while trying to negotiate the descents or ascending any of the climbs with the other.

Recommended Route:
Start with Wildcat.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Levis

Review Date
July 3, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Yamakaze ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
If you are under 25, riding full suspension & live for the hard-core...maybe not your cup of tea. There seems to be a bunch of young riders that think a trail needs to be punishing to be fun. This trail is just fun. Yes, there is abundant wildlife...including ticks, horseflies, a pack of wolves, some red tailed hawks, deer, ect. About the only animals I haven't seen are the resident wolf pack.

As for the trails, Shmreker trail is nice for early season, or riders who don't have strong climbing skills. Same for the South loop at Wildcat. The Ridge Trail is magnificent, with an epic decent. The Wildcat trail is an absolute blast when your in shape and gives a ride similar to that of a rollercoaster.

All of the downhills are unobstructed and able to be run at full speed...if you have the nerve AND if you have the skill to keep the rubber side down in light chop and sometimes sand.

I've riden these trails often from spring to fall. My favorite times to ride here are in June as well as the Fall.

Review Date
August 4, 2006

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 1 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: KBH ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
All I can say is TICKS TICKs TICks TIcks Ticks ticks. It was insane. Yeah it is not intended for mountain biking at all. Stick to visiting this area in the winter.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Eau Claire
Devils Head Resort

Review Date
December 21, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: TCmtbr ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
This is a great area to ride, not very technical but there's a nice variety. I'm used to riding the trails around the Twin Cities. We spent the weekend and the leaves were at their peak. Our group included riders of all skill levels, so this area worked well, and the number of miles of trails was amazing. I wish I could ride here more often.

Recommended Route:
Ride the bluffs with the great views, plus some great climbing.

Review Date
July 31, 2005

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 1 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: gkd ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
all you jokers who are complaining about these trails need to realize that it is intended for XC SKIING. I repeat, THEY ARE FOR XC SKIING. its no fun at all on a bike...

Recommended Route:
drive a bit further north to Levis Mound. Best in the state...

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Levis Mound