Lapeer Oakdale Trails

[WICCMB]

Lapeer Oakdale Trails.

From Josh McCreedy - the trail is still under construction. Right now, we're at 2.5 miles of Green Circle/beginnerish trail with lots of alternate lines and speed for advanced riders. Local guys are hitting it hard, and I want to get the word out as well as warn people about the usual trail issues--it's mostly clay.

[WICCMB]

Josh - can you provide the location of this trail please?

[Josh McCreedy]

https://www.snapfish.com/photo-gift/sha ... 0/SNAPFISH

I can't link this properly, but...maybe someone could help?
The green is the 2018 summer build, the Cemetery Loop.
The mixed color pic is an overview of Oakdale Trails Farmers Creek area (Demille Blvd to I-69)
The Strava pic is what is done now.


The main trailhead is located in directly behind Chatfield School or Mott Community College buildings in Lapeer, just off Demille Boulevard. There is a trailhead with Kiosk and porta potty (no water) already for a city limestone trail, the Ponds and Prairies park; jump under the railroad bridge and you are on the first .8 mile. This then links under Demille to the Cemetery loop south of Demille.

The best I-69 exit for access from the west is Lake Nepessing Road. The industrial park road (John Conley) actually dead ends at a locked gate. This will be a sanctioned access point in the future.

Sorry for the lack of maps thus far. I'm just the designer and builder on this project. Local advocates (CRAMBA members) are working on maps and info!

[Josh McCreedy]

Cemetery Loop was in great shape Friday night after the rain--a little sticky but draining nicely.

[1Stumpy1]

Any updates on these trails? I've lived nearby and had never even heard of them.

[PK]

Not an update, just a bit more info can be found here:
https://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/lapeer-trails.html

[Josh McCreedy]

The Oakdale Trails are built on what was once a large state facility. At one point, the cottage style asylum/hospital/refuge/? had over 110 buildings with extensive farms, bakeries, icehouses, recreational facilities, etc. It was all razed after sitting dormant for years, a popular makeout and teen fun spot. The trails started with the Demille Bowl, which was first mowed and ridden by my brother and students from Chatfield, a school adjacent to the trails. This led to interest from the city, trail planning/design, and construction in phases over three years, with professional and volunteer labor. The Demille Bowl continues to evolve, as Eagle Scouts added a 70' wood roller set and a series of rollers over large concrete pipes. It will continue to develop as a play area, but it already has several berms, a step up, a rock kicker, a small skinny, a rock garden, and a small roller double. With the Demiille Bowl opened (.8 miles, still in progress), the Cemetery Loop, named for the hospital cemetery on Farmers Creek, came next and measures out close to 1.75 miles with alternate lines and connectors. Cemetery Loop has a few optional technical features, nothing too crazy at all. On the East side of Farmers Creek is a .8 (1 mile soon) loop called Osprey. It's all on the banks of the creek and has some exposure, but is mostly pumpy and fast. There is a little play section on the southern end. Cross the service drive (which is also nice to ride) and access the South Loop, under construction. It's flow lite. Not much elevation, but I'm trying to make it playful--too many little tech things to list, with some progression. It's all meant to be groomed. It's all nondirectional. Most of it is machine built. It's all multi-use. It's all kid-friendly and has become a major community asset in just a few years.

Park behind Mott Community College Lapeer at the Ponds and Prairies trailhead. Follow the linear trail under the railroad and you jump on the Demille Bowl. If you've ever driven Demille, the you look right down on the trails on both sides of the boulevard. There are temporary maps on the main intersections, but you can't get very lost out there. You're hemmed in completely in all four directions.

The South Loop is under construction currently, with more trails coming behind Rolland Warner Middle School in what is called Oakdale Woods. It is the choicest area of the property: mature hardwood canopy and slightly more topography to work with. Strava will show you what the locals are doing...We should have a bit over nine miles by the end of the summer with a pretty good variety of trail. Tilted Axis hosts Wedneday group rides. There's also a facebook page called Friends of Oakdale Trails. They post volunteer days and ride info. I hope this helps.

[DynoDon]

Good job Josh, I haven't made it up there yet but its on my to do list. Happy Trails..

[flamingo]

Saw the post on FB with actual photos. Great Job. Once the trail is 9miles long. I will make a trip there.

[Josh McCreedy]

CRAMBA's map guru, Consumer, is working with local TC/advocates on signage, so things are about to become much more clearer than the temporary signage/maps locals put up. Existing trails are on Open Streets. There has been a ton of traffic, so the tread is really established nicely. Come one, come all, and be sure to flip the bird to the guy on the excavator. Chase some segments, too, but there are some wickedly fast Lapeer folk out there.

[JahkneeFive]

If you haven't ridden this yet you're missing out. Absolutely amazing system of trails. Tech loop is great and I can't wait to see what features get added next. Trails have a well established flow and great technical features ranging from skinnies, to berms, to drops and gaps. Add in that each tech section has a kid safe bypass and you have a winning combination. Great use of the elevation allows for tons of speed without the leg burns of your typical steep climbs. Set your shocks to open and go nuts!

[Josh McCreedy]

Thanks for the feedback! We're building the last (of this phase) mile of blue trail right now in the Oakdale Woods (directly east of Rolland Warner middle school) and will finish with about a half-mile of green to link back to the Mott Community College/Chatfield trailhead. The blue loop under construction now is definitely the most techy and playful part of the system yet, but it's not ready to ride. If you want a VIP tour, join the Tilted Axis Brewery group ride (Wednesdays at 6:30, meet at the brewery). The locals are extremely welcoming and supportive and you can enjoy great hospitality and discounts at the brewery after the ride. Otherwise, it's pretty easy to navigate the nearly 7 mile system pretty easily.