The DEFINITIVE Chadron State Park Mountain Bike Post

For once this blog will serve a purpose other than to give data about trails everyone already has ridden 100 times anyways. This blog will actually contain information that is actually not available ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE INTERNET. Go ahead. Search around. I did. I searched for hours and found no useful information on what mountain biking was like at Chadron State Park in Chadron, Nebraska. So if you found this blog while searching Google and are wondering what the riding is like there, look no further, you just lucked out. This is it.

My little brother plays football for the Chadron State Eagles and I wanted to cruise up there to catch a home game. I heard that there was mountain biking in the area at Chadron State Park. Being from Nebraska, I was a little skeptical about the riding there and went to check the internet so see what it might be like. I searched MTBR, Google, and the Nebrasaka State Parks web pages and couldn't even find an up-to-date trail map, let alone any type of riding conditions. I looked everywhere for any pertinent data, but came up with nothing. I even started my own mtbr thread and didn't get any real help about what the trails were like there. I ran into so many information dead-ends that when I went to ride this park, I knew that I would have to serve a crucial role in the history of the world biking community and be the first person to put up any info on what it's like to mountain bike at CSP.

I decided that since it was Nebraska, that I would have more fun riding these trails on my fixie. I figured since I've ridden a decent amount of Colorado trails fixed (18 Road, Lory State Park, etc.) that choosing what bike to ride would be a no brainer. I loaded up my new shred rig (below) and hit the road.
It turns out that an XC rig with a couple of gears is perfect for this park. I was riding fixed rigid and had a bit of a hard time cleaning this loop. I suggest a 29er rigid or XC rig.
Time wise if you plan on riding CSP you can do the loop that I did in about an hour. There's really nothing to it. By most Colorado standards, it's just a short little ripper. If you're a beginner, this will really challenge you, but it's still totally do-able. You're gonna love it.


HERE is what I was looking for. The Holy Grail of Chadron State Park.... A Map. A god damn map. I swear that this information is NOT on the web. Well, it is now! Fuckin A! In pink is the loop that I did and suggested direction (clockwise).


This is what I saw when I started this loop and I almost shit. Their trail is seriously a lawn mower path cut through the grass. I couldn't believe that this was what they called "trail". I just laughed out loud and said "fuck it". Luckily, it got much better after this.


As I continued, the "trail" was still a lawn mower cut path, but it was getting better.


Finally when I started out to Lookout Point some rockier singletrack started to emerge.


Now we're gettin somewhere. This was one of the climbs that was a little too steep for the gearing of my fixie. Starting to get fun though.


The views of the canyons and bluffs were really cool and surprised me when I came up on them. Some of the cliffs were easily 100ft. You can see the trail in the foreground.


This is a view down the canyon from Lookout Point. This is probably the highest vertical point in the park and is enough of a pedal to get the blood flowing.


Another shot of Lookout Point.


Here's a shot of what Black Hills Overlook Trail is mostly like. It follows the flowy ridgeline and dips and curves. A real fast easy ripper and a lot of fun.


I came through at sunset and had a cool view of Fire in the Sky.


Panoramic view of Lookout Point. To the left, you can see the trail flowing off into the distance. Like I said, good times.




Bottom Line: If you are just passing by on Highway 385, stop and do this loop. It's fast, fun, and better than a rest-stop blow job. If you're staying in Chadron for a few days, stop and session these loops for a long afternoon, there's still a few spots that I didn't see and you could probably ride every square inch of this park in about 3 hours (4 if you like to fuck around).
If none of this appeals to you fucking purists out there and you don't think going to Nebraska to mountain bike is fun enough for you, Chadron State Park has you covered. Right at the bottom of the trails, if you think you've got the balls and you wanna get real nasty...
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There's a fuckin TORNADO SLIDE! YEAH!!


There ya go. Nebraska Mountain Biking... Who knew? The camping and shredding at Chadron State Park could totally have potential be as good or better than 18 Road in Fruita with a little bit of thought and bike infrastructure (although that probably will never happen). As for now it's pretty basic.

Side Note: NUs got the Okie State Cowboys for the last time tomorrow and it could be a season deciding game. So...

GBR!

Zness da Pness

OH SHIT!!! I almost forgot the two best stops on my trip through The Panhandle. FUCK!

How could I forget the majestic and historic Chimney Rock, which was a hopeful outpost for many early pioneers of The Great Western Migration of the 1800s and was a part of the Oregon and Mormon Trails???


Also, there is not more mysterious sight than that of Carhenge; just north of Alliance, NE. No one knows for sure how these strange automobiles came to be here and why. Although conservative christians believe that when the Earth was formed over 6000 years ago, the primeval people of that era used their domesticated dinosaurs to move and place these ancient automobiles in some sort of statement against birth control. Or at least that's what the brochure says....