The Sugar Bottom Recreation Area is located east of North Liberty, Iowa and near the eastern shoreline of Coralville Lake. Directions from I-80: take I-380 N to exit 4 (North Liberty), from the exit ramp turn right onto 250th St, turn left onto N Front St, take the first right turn after crossing Mehaffey Bridge, and turn left into the disc golf/beach parking area. The parking lot is large and free, but donations are appreciated to support trail maintenance. Outdoor recreation on the trails includes hiking, trail running, and mountain biking but not horseback riding. There are two sets of restrooms that are open in warm weather. One of them includes a water fountain and a soda machine. Cell phone service was weak for me. The following Google Map shows the race course for the 2011 Sugar Bottom Scramble with a continuous GPS track that starts and ends at the picnic shelter in the middle of the map. Racers start at the picnic shelter, ride east for a loop around the southern trails, and finish with a loop around the northern trails. Since the race I have started recording the GPS tracks for the other trails.

By my estimate, each loop around the 2011 Scramble race course is about 7 miles with a change in elevation of about 125 feet. The following elevation chart was recorded during one lap of the course.

I moved to Iowa City in July 2011. Before moving to Iowa, I lived in Blacksburg, Virginia and Fort Collins, Colorado, where I enjoyed a diverse set of trails. I first mountain biked at Sugar Bottom on August 24th, 2011 and was immediately impressed with its trails. They are very well maintained, fast, and fun. Before entering and exiting the trail system it is encouraged to gently rinse your bike at the wash station to prevent the spread of Garlic Mustard, a non-native invasive plant.

The race starts at the picnic shelter and rides east on a dirt road to trail 201. The fire road is multidirectional but all of the numbered trails are one-way and clearly marked as so.

The first loop is on trail 201 and includes sub-loops on 202 and 203. The course sequence is 201, 202, 201, 203, 201, and a left onto a fire road that connects to the second part of 201. The following picture was taken on 202 and illustrates how the trails are smooth and narrow. In addition, the trails are very curvy with wide turns. Although there are some blind spots, there are few surprises lurking around them.

The race continues on the second part of 201 and contains a subloop on 205. Up to this point, the trails have been smooth and fast with short climbs. However, on 201 leading up to 205 there are tree roots that may slow you down a little. Unfortunately, I crashed on this part of the course but was lucky to only sustain a hip bruise. The risk of puncturing a tire on this course is low but to be on the safe side I added tire sealantbefore the race. The following shows the right turn off of 201 and onto 205.

201 connects to 301, which includes a sub-loop on 302. The first short loop on 301 takes you close to Coralville Lake and which provided me with a much needed cool breeze.

Continue on 301, do a loop around 302, and then follow 301 back to the main fire road.

Ride west on the fire road past the picnic shelter and hop on 101 for a large loop on the northern half of the trail system. The aforementioned southern set of trails only contain a couple of tricky sections and a few short climbs. On the other hand, the northern half is a faster ride with a few interesting features. The first was an uphill right turn that is partially obstructed by a fallen tree.

The second was a series of bridges, each of which is preceded by a drop and followed by a quick climb, some of which are curvy.

The subsequent picture illustrates what is probably the toughest of the post-bridge climbs.

The third interesting feature was cyclocross hill (trail 101x). It starts with a sharp drop and then finishes with what appears to be an impossibly steep hill. I walked up this hill during the race. On my second visit (August 26th), I spoke with another rider who said he has seen people “catch air” at the top of it, so it can be conquered. This was the only section that was too steep for me on my single speed Niner SIR 9, although I’m not sure I’d be doing it on a multi-speed. It would be fun to hang out here and watch riders fly over the top during the race.

If you’re not riding the race the course you can bypass cyclocross hill and ride across a bridge constructed in October 2011 (seen below).

At the end of 101, the race course connects to 105 just before 101 reaches the main fire road. 105 includes the longest bridge.

The following is an example of the many wide turns in the trail system, albeit this one has more around-the-corner visibility than most.

The race concludes with a grassy ride on trail 105, which ends at the picnic shelter.

In sum, I participated in the one-lap beginner race and had a blast. I have raced a handful of times and this is the most beginner-friendly course I have seen to date. For example, the Rowdy Dawg beginner course in Blacksburg, Virginia includes a few expert sections whereas this course peaks at intermediate difficulty. I hope this blog post helps out-of-town racers visiting the trail system for the first time. The day before the race there was a time trial at Beverly Park in Cedar Rapids. I missed the time trial but have since mountain biked there and it includes some of the coolest human-made obstacles I have ever seen. I recommend checking it out.

Since the race, I have started exploring the other trails. Trail #204, also named “Hell Trail”, is a challenging ride that connects the two segments of 201. As the elevation chart below illustrates, it starts with a descent, ascends, and then levels off.

It includes a wood ramp that is good for people looking for an additional challenge but is not required.

The Hell Trail is more challenging than the others in the southern half of the system because it has tighter turns atop steeper slopes.

I have not ridden on 204x because it is currently undergoing trail maintenance.

Trail 303 is much like 302 but with a couple of tricky sections.

In between some quick dips and climbs is a fast ride through pine trees.

The most interesting section on this trail is the subsequent quick climb followed by a sharp left turn and fast descent.

Trail 304 is a one mile loop that starts near the end of 301 and finishes at the fire road.

Most of it is easy but it is aptly marked most difficult because it has two technical descents. The first has a diagonal divot that makes choosing your line difficult. The following picture does not do it justice.

The second descent bottoms out with a narrow bridge. The challenge for me is to maintain confidence in my steering leading up to the bridge.

After the two descents, the trail is fast and includes one log crossing.

The Novice Loop is short, flat, and smooth. It starts and ends at the fire road and is close to the parking lot.

It was the race course for youth riders in the 2011 Scramble. It seems like a great place to bring kids for their first mountain biking experience. In addition, it offers the best views of the lake.

Trails 102, 103, and 104 are challenging loops that branch off of the northwestern corner of 101. Trail 102 is rated “more difficult” because it includes one rocky section and a moderately challenging s-curve climb. The ride starts and ends on a bed of pine needles and cones. In the middle, the trail is like the others. The following is a backwards look at old foundations that make up the aforementioned rocky section.

Trail 103 is rated “most difficult” because it has two steep drops, two tough climbs, and some tight turns.  The first steep drop is early in the loop and has gnarly tree roots protruding in the middle of it.

Trail 104 is also rated “most difficult”. It feels like the hilliest trail in Sugar Bottom and the following elevation chart affirms that feeling.

It starts with a tricky descent around a tight corner.

Another descent on this loop is made tricky because of a tree in the middle of the trail.