Two Knobby Tires

Cedar Valley Nature Trail – North Liberty, Iowa

twoknobbytires — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:53:51 +0000

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is located within the Sugar Bottom Recreation Area in North Liberty, Iowa. Directions: follow signs leading into Sugar Bottom and then look for one of three marked parking areas on the right side of the road. Parking for this trail is free but does not include water or restrooms, both of which can be found near the disc golf course and beach. Hiking, dog walking, and hunting for mushrooms are popular activities on this trail. Mountain biking and horseback riding are not allowed. Cell phone service can be limited in this area.

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The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is 1.4 miles long with a gradual change in elevation of 80 feet. We started from the north parking lot and hiked to south parking lot.

It is primarily smooth, gently sloping, and well shaded. All three of those characteristics make it an ideal place for people of all ages to visit. We had a three year old and a five year old in our group. They walked almost the entire way and only wanted to be carried on the last uphill stretch. We had an adult walk back to our car and drive it down to the south parking lot because hiking out and back was too far for the kids.

There are very few rocks on the trail but there is one large outcrop that is fun to inspect.

There are several bridges of various sizes. In addition, there are a couple of park benches with which to enjoy a peaceful picnic.

The following Dutchman’s breeches was located on the edge of the trail. It is a common Iowa wildflower that blossoms in the Spring.

The PDF map on the Army Corps of Engineers web site includes a side trail named Butterfly Run that looks like it gets close enough to the shoreline for an unobstructed view of the lake. I did not see it so I’m don’t know if it was closed or if I missed it. In lieu of an unobstructed view, there are a couple of spots in which you can experience an obstructed view of the lake.

Although it has narrow segments, the trail seems like a great place to walk a dog.

In sum, the Cedar Valley Natural Trail is a fun and easy hike for families and dog owners. It offers a peaceful experience with interesting wildflowers. Squire Point and Woodpecker Nature Trail are two other places near Coralville Lake that I recommend hiking.

Willow Creek and Clear Creek Trails – Bike Paths – Iowa City, IA

twoknobbytires — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:24:35 +0000

The Willow Creek and Clear Creek Trails are located on the west side of Iowa City, Iowa. Free parking can be found in two places: east of Kiwanis Park and along the road near the Willow Creek playground. Running, biking, and leashed dog walking are popular recreation activities on these trails. In warm months, the shelter near the Willow Creek playground offers water and restrooms. Cell phone service should be strong throughout.

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The Willow Creek Trail is a 2.0 mile paved path with a change in elevation less than a 100 feet. It starts a little west of Dane’s Dairy. Notably, it connects several neighborhoods and, thus, can be used for both commuting and recreation.

The path connects two playgrounds: Kiwanis Park and Willow Creek Park. Both parks are a lot fun for kids. In addition, the paths between them are ideal for toddlers learning to ride a bike because they are wide, flat, and smooth. In the next picture, the picnic shelter with water and restrooms can be seen in the distance.

The paved path exits the park and crosses the uber-busy intersection of Benton Street and Morman Trek Boulevard. The path ends in the Galway Hills neighborhood. From there, you can get on the Clear Creek trail by riding north through the neighborhood and crossing Melrose Avenue at its intersection with Hawkeye Park Road. The following picture shows it as it passes by Fareway Grocery.

The Clear Creek Trail connects the west side of Iowa City to Coralville. It starts on the southwestern corner of Hawkeye Park Road and ends near 2nd Street. A ride or run from the Galway Hills neighborhood (where Willow Creek Trail ends) to the Coral Ridge Mall (where the North Ridge / North Liberty Trail begins) is a little over 4 miles with less than a 100 feet change in elevation.

It is very wide with both shaded and unshaded areas. You can continue a ride or run by crossing 2nd Street at its intersection with 25th Avenue and then picking up the North Ridge / North Liberty Trail at the intersection with the Coral Ridge Mall Road. The following picture was taken as it approaches Camp Cardinal Boulevard.

In sum, both paths are great for running and biking because they are wide, smooth, and conveniently connected to several neighborhoods. For similar recreation opportunities, I recommend checking out F.W. Kent Park and Devonian Fossil Gorge.

Porcupine Creek Trail – Snowshoeing – Big Sky, MT

twoknobbytires — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:40:21 +0000

Porcupine Creek Trail is in Big Sky, Montana. We stayed at the Big Sky Resort so for us it was a 35 minute drive to the trail. We rented snowshoes from Grizzly Outfitters Ski & Backcountry Sports and from there it is only 15 minutes to the trail. Directions from Grizzly Outfitters: take Lone Mountain Trail down the mountain, turn right onto Gallatin Road, and then after 2.7 miles turn left onto Porcupine Creek Road. Parking is free and includes a restroom. In the winter, snowshoeing and dog walking are the primary activities on the trail. In the summer, it is open to mountain biking and horseback riding. Cell phone service was at a medium strength for us.

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Porcupine Creek Trail

The Google Map above shows the path we hiked in snowshoes and which includes the most popular loop plus an offshoot along First Creek. We hiked counter-clockwise six miles with an elevation gain of 400 hundred feet, from 6,100 to 6,500 feet. We had a difficult time determining when to make a left turn to head back to the parking lot and, thus, the offshoot represents unnecessary hiking. Afterwards, we studied a map at Grizzly Outfitters and determined that there are two loops that can be hiked. The offshoot represents us starting the larger, outer loop known as the Grizzly Loop for mountain biking. We turned around before completing it because the snow was fresh with no footprints to follow and the steeper grade was fatiguing us. I recommend hiking the shorter, inner loop because it should be easily identified by tracks created by others. The inner loop should be around five miles long with an elevation gain of 300 feet.

The scenery was beautiful but it was a cloudy day so my pictures make it feel gloomier than it really was.

The latter part of the loop has an open landscape that is home to Porcupine Creek. We did not see any wildlife despite several people stating that we would. The creek bed seems like a good place to see wildlife but the middle of day is probably not an ideal time. We talked to a hunter who was part of a group hunting wolf, so wildlife couldn’t have been far away.

There were a handful of trail signs scattered along the way but for the most part we followed tracks from other hikers. The next picture shows one of the trail signs.

We got off the path for the inner loop because we saw trail signs off in the distance. In hindsight, they are probably signs for the larger, outer loop. Instead, look for the sharp left turn seen in the next picture. Also, Lone Mountain should never be out of your line sight for more than 10 minutes.

The following video was taken while on the return half of the inner loop. It features the Porcupine Creek drainage buried in snow and Lone Mountain in the distance.

Since we hiked counter-clockwise, the latter half of the inner loop was along a ridge that sits above the creek. It was fun to finish with a clear view of Lone Mountain in the background.

In sum, snowshoeing on this trail was a treat because it was easy to find and fun to hike. In addition, I recommend renting snowshoes from Grizzly Outfitters because their staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Another fun place to visit nearby is Lone Mountain Ranch, where they maintain groomed cross-country ski trails.

F.W. Kent Park – Trails for Biking, Hiking, Running – Iowa City, Iowa

twoknobbytires — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:28:00 +0000

F.W. Kent Park is located west of Iowa City, Iowa. Directions: take US-6 about 4.5 miles west of I-380 and look for the park on the right side of the road. Parking is free with several trailheads and numerous locations with restrooms. In warm weather, activities in the park include walking, hiking, running, biking, and fishing. In cold weather, the trails are open for cross country skiing. Cell phone service was strong for me in the park.

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Walk Around the Lake

On our first visit, my wife ran on the trails while my kids and I played at the playground. Afterwards, we walked 1.5 miles around the lake.

The trail around the lake is gently sloping with smooth gravel. We had our infant in a stroller while our four year walked.

We saw people fishing at the water’s edge. In addition, the trail is wide enough for walkers, runners, and cyclists to comfortably share it.

The southeastern corner of the lake includes a beach, which was closed on our October visit.

Playground

The playground at F.W. Kent Park is really nice. It has several tall and fast slides along with a full swing set. What’s more, it is made from recycled and recyclable materials. It is easy to get lost on the park roads so find the playground by following signs for Blue Bird pavilion.

In sum, F.W. Kent Park is a beautiful place to visit with lots of things to do. Check out my list of hiking trails near Iowa Cityfor more fun places to explore.

Tailwater River Walk Trail & Devonian Fossil Gorge – Iowa City, Iowa

twoknobbytires — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 20:23:00 +0000

The Tailwater West Campground and Devonian Fossil Gorge are north of Iowa City, Iowa. Directions from I-80: take exit 244 for Dubuque St toward Coralville Lake, turn right onto N Dubuque St, turn right onto West Overlook Rd NE, and turn right into the Devonian Fossil Gorge parking lot. Parking is free with water and restrooms at the Tailwater West Campground. Recreation includes walking, dog walking, fishing, camping, and exploring fossils. Cell phone service was strong.

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River Walk Trail

The River Walk Trail is a 0.6 mile out and back stroll along the river. It starts between the Tailwater West Campground and the Devonian Fossil Gorge.

The trail is ideal for families, dog owners, and/or anyone looking for a quick outdoor activity because it is short and flat. Although it is open to runners and cyclists, it by itself is not enough to offer a fulfilling workout.

Devonian Fossil Gorge

The Devonian Fossil Gorge is an explorable area with labeled geological features and fossils.

It is a 375 million year old sea floor exposed by floods in 1993 and 2008. The gorge is very well documented with exhibits and a map of geological features. We had fun looking for fossils using the discovery map. We walked into the gorge and at discovery point #6 looked for horn corals and brachiopods (seen below).

Tailwater West Campground

The campground, gorge, and trail are all walking distance from each other. We didn’t fully explore the campground but did spend some time at its playground which includes a climbing wall, slides, and swings.

In sum, the campground and gorge are fun place for a quick family visit because it includes a hands-on learning opportunity at the gorge, a short walk near the river, and a playground. For more easy hiking, I recommend visiting the Squire Point and Woodpecker Nature trails.