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A special thanks to
the members of West Texas Cycling for providing the trail description
below. LOCATION: From I-27, take 19th Street east approximately 2 miles to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Turn south approximately 1/2 mile to Canyon Lakes Drive. Turn East approximately 3/4 mile. Watch for boat loading ramp/parking lot on right (south of road on north shore of lake). TRAIL DESCRIPTION*: From parking lot, go North across Canyon Lakes Drive. Take a left at 1st junction to go into the west loop. When you reach 2nd junction, a left will take you to approx. 2 3/4 miles of single-track with several challenging climbs. Much of this was cut in June 2001. There's one technical section that begins a steep, loose climb between two trees. At the top of the climb, there's a 9-inch ledge. If you clean the ledge, you're on a table rock with just enough room to make a dropping left turn off the table rock onto a rocky, winding downhill. The trail then winds west through the trees to MLK, then loops north, then east. It drops off the canyon edge and climbs back up several times before running alongside east 19th. It turns south on an old ranch road for about 1/4 mile, then ties back into the original loop due north of the trailhead. This will take you into the main loop in the right direction. There are several Y's throughout the loop, some of which are marked with a sign with a green arrow pointing to the easiest. These green sections tie back in with the harder trail, in most cases within a short distance. When you see the spillway, the kids race takes a right and finishes the front loop. At this point, the trail has been re-routed to avoid crossing the sewer pipe. You bear left at the sewer pipe and onto Stink Hill. (There's a sewer vent at the top, which hasn't been as noticeable lately.) At the top, continue north into a new section to a fence line. The trail makes a 180-degree turn onto a fire road headed south approximately 1/4 mile. Watch for single-track to the left (east) and follow it until it passes an old house with no roof. Continue until it runs into a fire road. The single-track straight ahead (south) is intermediate/expert and has already acquired several nicknames. Cactus Alley is what most call it. The trail is lined with prickly pear cactus. Not recommended for the faint hearted, who can take the fire road right (west). Cactus Alley finishes at a north/south fire road. Look for single-track on the other side of the fire road. It's a new section called the Drop Bridge Trail, cut in 2002. It's technical, with many climbing turns and a platform with a 10" drop onto a downhill wood-armored section. After some more challenging climbing turns, the trail comes out on an abandoned rail bed. Go north about 100 yards and turn right to the fire road, then left headed north. About 1/4 mile, turn left (west) across the rail bed and back onto the single-track headed south. After a screaming descent on a rocky fire road, cross the sewer pipe on the left side of tree where sewer pipe is covered by dirt. Bend slightly left into the first section of Durwood Forest, then along the north side of the creek to Alligator Crossing Bridge. Turn left onto the bridge and left again exiting the bridge into Durwood Forest. This section ends up on the concrete apron east of the spillway. Follow the apron north to dirt and follow the curb line back into the trail. After a short, rocky climb, the trail has be re-routed to add some turns and a fun, drop in and coast out gulley. There are several options in this last section of trail which tie back into each other quickly. About a mile from the starting trailhead there's a new section that's the result of the trail clinic held in Lubbock in June 2003. This section was laid out with a clinometer (incline gauge) and incline levels. It's designed to shed water and be maintenance free (other than occasional raking and pruning). Part of the clinic's focus was on reclaiming old trail when you re-route by transplanting the vegetation from the new trail to the old. Check it out and see if you can find the old trail! This new section ties back into the old trail beside Canyon Lakes Drive where there's an option, a steep headwall climb to the right or the left is alongside the pavement to a climbing upside down S turn. This soon runs into another straight in, straight out gulley plunge that makes many whoop and holler. You'll soon come to a rocky downhill ending in a sweeping right turn into a sandy gulley bottom. If you can carry enough speed, there's a steep, loose headwall straight ahead or a twisty, slight incline trail to the right. After a few sweeping turns, there is another junction. The right is the easy way. The left drops through a rocky section and runs beside Canyon Lakes Drive for about 100 yards, turns right and climbs to another junction. A left turn takes you to the add-in called Shipwrecked. It has a short, steep downhill with a 5" ledge in the middle. It curves right and climbs to another 5" ledge. This add-in ties back into the main trail and after several winding turns, you come to a junction. Right will take you back into the east loop. Straight will bring you to the trailhead by the parking lot. These trails are fun, fast & FREE!! Please wear a helmet while riding these trails. *Note: A radio tower is currently under construction on a portion of the trail. Please follow the detours to go around this site.
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