Elm Creek Singletrack Trailhead — Attraction in Champlin

Pros: Long, good for beginners, decent dirt through the woods, some well made jumps on the black section, and a lot of work has clearly gone into this place.

Cons: design choices. It's seldom on the long winding trails of Elm Creek that the design choices are focused around having fun, it's more of a gauntlet of going through the woods, or challenges that are supposed to make you feel accomplished because you didn't fall off a skinny and break your derailleur. The woodwork here is rarely necessary and when it is, it offers little reward for medium risk. A lot of effort goes into this place but I feel like the choices are just not made for the sake of enjoying your modern bike.

Another major part of why this place isn't fun: TREES. WHY do the trail wardens feel the need to FORCE a rider to slow down so much they nearly stop, just to get around a 600mm wide opening on the trail?! It's absolutely maddening. If there was better decision making around paving the trail path, including the overly windy layouts, I would give this place a 4/5 for a metro trail. For now, I'll stick to Leb and Battle Creek. Hell I even prefer Carver lake...

Amazing tral but, Im goin to start with pro and end with cons. P1. It has very clearly marked trails with amazing maintenance and all of the trails are super well kept. P2. It has trails for evearyone that even my 10y/o sister liked. P3 the blue trails that i went on off of loop b (i think) had some nice roolers i was able to jump but my mom didnt have enough energy in her to complete the main blue trail loop (and we got lost trying to find the shortest way back) so i didnt get to complete it. C1. It is obviously a very popular place and there were alot of people there. C2. I would say atleast 80% of the people there were very good/professionals and i would get passed about eveary 30min minimum. C3. When i was looking i was kinda hoping there was a jump trail for how bg the park is but i was mistaken(this is on me and not the park)

In total this is my favorite bike park out of the 6 i have been to, i absolutely loved it and even my exhausted...

August 2022 update: Still a great place to visit. The trail crew does a great job keeping the trail maintained and ready to ride. If you're finishing a ride in the evening look for the fire pit near the parking lot entrance and be sure to hang out with friends, your favorite beverage and a campfire.

Original review: Great set of trails ready for all skill sets. Lots of signage, minor elevation changes and few obstacle make for a fun ride with family. The trails are very well maintained and marked for easy navigation. There are several intersections to shorten your ride if you need to. Parking seems pretty good - weekends might warrant parking just outside the lot on the roadside. Bathrooms are in the parking lot, but don't expect a whole lot. Several visits have seen the porta potty full. There is a repair stand/pump on offer with tools for quick adjustments,...