Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail

Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail Located in the rough breaks of the Saline River Valley of central Kansas in Wilson St Park. Also, a 5 mi novice loop to try out. Not your stereotypical ima

There is more than 22 miles of continuous single track; mostly intermediate; some difficult trails. 25 miles of single track mountain bike trail. Challenging, scenic. Includes optional 5-mi novice loop. Red sandstone rock formations, reminiscent of W. Colo and E. Utah
If you like mountain biking, you'll love this trail. Camping, hiking, swimming, fishing, kayaking, PWC, sailing, etc.

Here is the info for Hell Creek Loop Adopt a Section! I pinned the core info of the Adopt a Section into the featured ar...
04/28/2025

Here is the info for Hell Creek Loop Adopt a Section! I pinned the core info of the Adopt a Section into the featured articles area! Please consider helping us out this summer!!!

Hell Creek Loop Volunteer Maintenance Guidelines:
** Hell Creek Loop handwork sections are mostly all difficult to get to. You do NOT want to wait for the hot part of the day to work in the Hell Creek Loop!!!

**Hell Creek Loop handwork sections are longer and will require the most time commitment. Groups of two are best to tackle HC handwork sections. The buddy system works GREAT to cut the time requirement.

** Volunteering is on your own time schedule.

**Must use your own equipment.

**Annual park pass or daily vehicle permit is still required for volunteers.

**There are 5 sections to choose from.

** Section 1 is SUPER easy to access. Section 1 is the outbound and the inbound leg of Hell Creek Loop. This section starts at the Hell Creek Bridge. About ¾ mile handwork total.

** Section 2 encompasses both sides of the Mile Marker 11. Plan on about a ½ mile hike or bicycle ride in to this section. Plan on about ½ mile worth of hand work.

** Section 3 is what we volunteers lovingly refer to as the “Alley of Hell”. This section sucks you in, eats you alive, grinds you down, and spits you out. It never seems to end! Access to this section is down a very rough, NO Maintenance access road. Even from the road, it is still a 10 minute hike with trimming gear in tow. Its really not a mile long, as we refer to it. But it sure feels like it. Plan on about ¾ mile worth of hand work.

** Section 4 is at the “K” cut off, which is also Mile Marker 13. There are two ways to tackle Section 4. Start at K cut off by parking on the no maintenance road and hiking ¼ mile. Or, park on the main park road (nearest Mile 14) and take a hike up the hill via the trail and scan to the East for the Red post. Plan on about ½ mile of hand work.

** Section 5 is SUPER easy to access. Park on the main park road right by the State Park entrance sign. You will see our Red post from the road! Plan on about ½ mile of hand work.

** Please string trim around Mile Marker rocks and trail signs as you pass by them!

**Handwork sections beginning and ending points ARE MARKED by Red color painted T-Posts. Plus, the mow line up to the posts is the indicator that you are in the right spot!

**Within the handwork sections on the Hell Creek Loop, ALWAYS trim clear to a post! Sometimes, there are a few spots within the handwork sections that we can dive in and out of with the mower. Just because you come across a mowed section, do not stop! Always trim to a post!!! We do our best to help save some labor in the hand sections!

**One group of 4-5 friends could probably have all of the Hell Loop Handwork sections complete in 6-7 hours! This is a ballpark figure! It could be less or it could be a bit more!

**On the map, the handwork section has a number coordinated with it. When you decide what section you would like to commit to, please email us or FB message us what Loop and section number you are taking on!

**Commitment to a trail section is for the entire growing season.
**Share the Trail Love and Adopt A Section today!!

**The more hand work sections that are spoken for, the more energy other KTC volunteers can focus on dirt work and towards spraying chemicals for w**d control (which means less work for all volunteers!!)

**Not interested in manning a string trimmer on these sections?? We would sure accept monetary donations or chemical donations!!! Join Kansas Trails Council and make an extra donation to “Friends of the Trail-Switchgrass Trail” !!

Thanks Everyone!!!

04/28/2025

Hello All!!!
In 2021, I created the “Adopt A Section” volunteer trail maintenance program. I had awesome volunteers in 2021 and 2022!! In 2023 and 2024, for various reasons, I never did get the message out about the need for volunteers (mainly because I don’t have computer or internet and don’t follow social media channels!).

Well, for 2025, the core volunteer group would REALLY like some help so they can shift their focus to mowing, tree cutting, spraying, and doing more dirt work!!!

With Adopt A Section at Switchgrass back in action for 2025, you can rally up your best friends, get a crew from your workplace formed, or encourage your favorite bicycle shop to create a volunteer group for volunteering on a trail maintenance section at Switchgrass!

With this info, I will do my best to outline what will be expected of Section volunteers for the 2025 growing season. I will also, give my best advice on degrees of difficulty for different maintenance sections. Keep in mind that all of these sections are string trimming work.

DC, DP + the farm crew, and I would LOVE to have the majority of these maintenance sections filled before the growing season begins (which has now officially started with the recent rains)! We sure hope you can you find some time in your busy summer to help us out and “own” a piece of the Switchgrass Trail!!

I will post the Hell Creek Loop sections today. I will then post the Marina Loop, followed by the Golden Belt Loop. If you have helped in the past and want a particular section again, shoot me a message or comment on the post!

On another note, please remember:
Our Switchgrass Trail relies 100% on volunteers for all the mowing, spraying, dirt work, signage upkeep and so on.

Switchgrass Trail also relies 100% on private donations to be able to buy supplies for equipment maintenance, to purchase new equipment, fuel, oils, chains, trimmer line, hand saws, chemicals for w**d control, and the list goes on!

To help support Switchgrass Trail, please remember to join or renew your membership to Kansas Trails Council!! When you join/renew, please consider an additional donation to the “Friend of the Trail – Switchgrass Trail”, the funds are put directly into Switchgrass Trail maintenance funds!

Volunteer Guidelines:
**Volunteering for a section(s) of trail will be for the entire growing season of 2025. The number of times that it is necessary for handwork to be completed depends entirely on how much moisture is received thru the growing season. There is years that Switchgrass only needs hand work 3 times. There are years when hand work is necessary 4 or 5 times. It’s a gamble you have to be willing to take.

**It will be necessary to complete the hand work sections on your own time.

**It will be necessary for you to complete the hand work with your own equipment.

**Commitment is necessary. You must be willing to take this as a serious commitment and complete the trimming as needed! If you let the growth get ahead of you, it is only more work to get it knocked down!

**Must be able to read the maps and navigate to your chosen section(s) by foot or bicycle.

**These sections that need volunteer commitment ARE NOT MOWABLE. This is string trimming only.

**Worried about sacrificing your riding time? Well, hate to break it to you, but all of us core volunteers sacrifice riding time to do what it takes to keep Switchgrass as Epic as possible!! The trails we have are only here because of volunteers. And we need you to help us keep Switchgrass awesome!!

Thanks so much for helping keep Switchgrass epic!!!

08/26/2023

Wet but rideable!

07/14/2023

Great toad strangler this afternoon! Sure the trails will need some sunshine to dry.

Big SHOUT OUT to Doug Chambers, Doug P***n and several other volunteers who have donated their time and energy this summ...
07/08/2023

Big SHOUT OUT to Doug Chambers, Doug P***n and several other volunteers who have donated their time and energy this summer to whipping Switchgrass Trails into shape! Switchgrass wouldn’t be the trail system it is without the hard work and dedication of these volunteers!

Thank you for loving Switchgrass!

07/08/2023

Trails are ready to be ridden, few ruts but nothing mountain bikers can’t handle! Enjoy!

07/02/2023

Same song, next verse! More rain yesterday and last night, trails will be soggy!

07/01/2023

Heck of a downpour this evening, trails will be soggy Saturday!

06/21/2023

Same song next verse…….it’s still raining and will be soggy today!

Hello All!!  SKC here!! 6-19-23We are finally getting around to getting the call out for Adopt-A-Section Volunteers!!!Ye...
06/19/2023

Hello All!! SKC here!! 6-19-23

We are finally getting around to getting the call out for Adopt-A-Section Volunteers!!!

Year 1 and Year 2 worked WONDERFUL with an AMAZING group of volunteers!! We are hoping for a very successful Year 3 with another great group of volunteers!!!

I will start out with the Hell Creek Loop! I will have to edit this post later when I find the descriptions of sections! For now, I have the photo here.

The main things to take into account for the volunteering when
Adopting a Section:
*This is a season long effort.
*You can buddy up on a section.
*You trim the sections on your own time.
*You use your own equipment.
*You become a Trail Volunteer ROCKSTAR!!!!!
*You become loved and appreciated by MANY!!!

I will update post later when I find the work descriptions!!
And please have patience for me to respond to comments! I have very little computer time available!!!

06/18/2023

Same song third verse…..more rain last night, soggy this morning!

Address

Switchgrass Bike Trail
Sylvan Grove, KS
67634

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