Review Date
July 2, 2009

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: TeamGiantEC ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
No good. I rode it when it was first established years ago, and other than lots of wide grassy trails and poor signage, the singletrack was quite fine. This trail system has been neglected and logged "to death." I did however see a bear which led to a little excitement on the ride. Otherwise couldn't wait for the ride to be done. I won't go back. I'll bring the road bike camping with me next time.

Recommended Route:
Just skip it. Stop at McKays and have ice cream instead.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
The notes I have from the last time I rode the Raven indicate I had a good time. Escanaba was good too but is now closed to mountain biking. The Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters has some good family friendly trails. They are good MTB trails but safe for younger riders. Madeline Lake looks good too from my notes but I considered it "tame" at the time. Maybe another good one for the entire family. We hiked the Raven nature trail this June and were excited to see the photos of the raised wooden trails on the bike side. We'll be back to check that out next year.

Review Date
July 28, 2008

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: tomrid ,  Racer

Summary:
I rode this trail in early August of 2006 and found it to be--potentially--one of the best trails systems in the state. Good in every possible way. As the May 2008 reviewer suggest, however, it was devastated by logging. I was pissed that I wasted my time getting to the trails, which are not close to where I live. Not only did I find them not worth riding, but for the non-initiate they were very difficult to navigate due, again, to logging.

I write this in hopes that other riders will post the condition of the trails, since I'm anxious to go back when it's worth the time. (The Local Lion's Club maintains the trails and I'm wondering if anyone knows --and could post--if they have a phone number one can call to check on trail condition.)

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Looks like I'll go back to Neilsville instead--Levis Trow Mound--which is outstanding. I also really like the Lake Washburn trails in Rhinelander, which are close to Highway 8. Most cross country ski/snow mobile trails tend to not make for great mountain bike trails, but the Lake Washburn ski trail is very very fun and has a pretty opening in the middle. Additionally, the single track there is great and challenging. Mile for mile it's among the best trails in the state.

Review Date
May 27, 2008

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 1 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: jim pearce ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Singletrack has been obliterated from logging.Don't waste your time effort,or fuel costs getting there.Alocal says it will be restored in upcomming seasons.Make sure to get reliable info on trail conditions before going

Review Date
October 10, 2005

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: trek98xc ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
what i was riding was a bit on the boring side. there were some climbs and some downhills; but nothing that made the adrenaline flow. it is a nice scenic trail though.

Review Date
October 15, 2004

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: decleater ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
as others indicate, this trail has something for everyone. i estimate ~7 miles of technical sections and they are excellent but you have to know where to look. new maps are more accurate and show much more detail and trails are better marked now (fall, 2004). overall, this is the best singletrack in the area that i know of. not only do you get challenging singletrack but you can put on a lot of miles and get some awesome lake views.

Recommended Route:
if you like technical singletrack don't miss Bad Loop, Blueberry and Whitetail (#24 i think). best singletrack is to the far west of the trail system.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
escanaba lake, raven, shannon lake (short-but-sweet 1.2 mile singletrack loop around the lake - north of St Germain near Found lake)