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River Bends Park

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.4 (83)
  1. Areas
  2. MI
  3. …Eastern Michigan
  4. …Utica
  5. River Bends Park
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“Riding all of River Bends' singletrack, including the swamp loop. ”

Steve Vigneau
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5.4

Miles

8.7

KM

95%

Singletrack

664' 202 m

High

639' 195 m

Low

86' 26 m

Up

84' 26 m

Down

1%

Avg Grade (0°)

6%

Max Grade (3°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Pump Track

Swamp loop may be muddy, if so, avoid it and cut out early.

Overview

This is a full lap of River Bends Park, featuring the main loop (River Bends Park: Yellow Loop), the south end (River Bends Park: Blue Loop), and the swamp loop (River Bends Park: Orange Loop).

Description

The route is relatively flat but flowing, something that beginners can take their time on or experienced riders can push a bit on and have fun. There are a few log piles, the fast Dragstrip section, and a couple of optional more-technical sections to provide a bit of a challenge.

Most of the trail is one way, except for a small two-way section at the northern end of the Blue trail in the south end of the park. This two way section runs along the top of hand-dug tailings from the construction of the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal and generally has good visibility, but keep your eyes open for riders coming from the other direction.

History & Background

This trail system was developed by CRAMBA-IMBA (formerly the Michigan Mountain Biking Association Metro North Chapter) in conjunction with Shelby Township's Parks, Recreation and Maintenance department. Some of the trail was originally old, casually created / bandit trail, but most of it is new, sustainably designed for longevity, safety, and accessibility for users of all types.

Contacts

Local Club: Clinton River Area Mountain Bike Association (CRAMBA)

Land Manager: Shelby Township - Parks, Recreation and Maintenance

Shared By:

Steve Vigneau with improvements by Bryan Peña-Cruz and 1 other
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 83 votes

#1

in River Bends Park

#122

Overall
  4.4 from 83 votes
5 Star
52%
4 Star
36%
3 Star
10%
2 Star
2%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in River Bends Park

#4

in Michigan

#122

Overall
77 Views Last Month
29,347 Since Sep 28, 2014
Intermediate Intermediate
11%
9%
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Photos

Awesome new skinny added!
Aug 31, 2020 near Utica, MI
Brand new five foot tall table top roll in. The other side is steep, and FUN!
Aug 31, 2020 near Utica, MI
Tight climb between some trees.
Sep 28, 2014 near Utica, MI
Looking south at the beginning of the Blue trail along the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal tailings. Note the blue corrugated plastic sign that is used to mark the trail.
Sep 28, 2014 near Utica, MI
Trailhead kiosk. White painted line is for a cross-country running race and leads to the start of the singletrack.
Sep 28, 2014 near Shelby, MI
Heading north on the rollers along the canal tailings after turning left at the intersection with the Blue Loop.
Sep 28, 2014 near Utica, MI

8 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 2 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Oct 24, 2023
J O'Neill
blue and yellow 5.3mi — 32h 36m
Oct 17, 2023
J O'Neill
red, blue, yellow, and spring hill 10mi — 1h 03m
Aug 8, 2023
Rhonda Stewart
Rode the Yellow and green and white trails and the Paved one, had a lot of fun I aim to return and do more ... 18mi — 4h 00m
Jul 17, 2023
Natasha Beste
Muddy but not bad. Good place to practice tech. 5.4mi
Apr 11, 2023
Logan
Oct 1, 2022
Darrin Hosinski
Sep 11, 2022
Matthew Mueller
8mi
Sep 3, 2022
Matthew Mueller
5.4mi

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Stewarded By

Stewarded by Clinton River Area Mountain Bike Association (CRAMBA)
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