The Cliffs Insane Terrain Off-Road Park — Attraction in Illinois

Went there with my brother on labor day. We usually go to Rocky Glen in Rockford but we wanted to swith it up a bit and try some place new. Upon arrival it looked pretty busy but not bad at all considering the size of the place. We parked paid got a map and took off for what we expected to be a quick 20 or 30 minute loop. We were wrong.

The trails are insane, i guess thats where they get their name. We left the parking lot around 11:30 am and didn't get back until almost 4:00pm. We didn't think we'd be gone that long so we had no water or food and were dead.

Between the two of us we have about 15 years of (dirtbike) riding experience each. With that being said we're no expert enduro cross riders but we know what we're doing. We've ridden the mountains in Colorado multiple times and this place makes that look easy.

My main issues with the place is that the trails were not marked at all, and there is no such thing as an easy or intermediate trail. This place is for expert riders only in my opinion. If youre gonna ride here i would suggest a few things.

Ride with a budy, if you get hurt seriously there will probably be nobody close enough to hear you call for help. Next, bring food and water, more than you think you need. There is a good chance youll get stuck or lost, like me and my brother, and will want some bad. Next, bring the map with you, most of the trails are not marked and will probably get you more lost but the map can help.

Luckily for me and my brother, we ran into some nice guys in utvs with extra water and were nice enough to let us have some and show us the way out. But just be careful if you decide to go. We were gone 3 or more hours and didn't even see half the park because we were so lost.

All in all we had an alright time. We'll prolly be back again sometime. But we'll be more prepaired next...

This place is amazing! I bought an annual pass this year, i've been there for around 15 full days of riding and I still find new dirt bike lines every time I go.

intermediate/ advanced dirt bikers will love all the different line choices/ trail options. Many creeks, bluffs, and challenging climbs to choose from. The terrain is most suited for slower riding, 1st, 2nd and maybe some 3rd gear. This would be a great hard Enduro training ground.

Beginner Dirt bikers may have a hard time crossing some of the ruts even on the easy trail, but only in 1 or 2 spots. But there's almost always an easy bypass around an obstacle. On a dry day (no rain within the last 2 days) the easy trail is very easy with i think 3 very mild hills in the entire loop around the park.

All dirt bikes / vehicles should have off road tires. 50/ 50 road/ dirt tires will be ok for the easy trails if it has not rained in a couple days in the summer/ fall. If it has rained within the last 2 days and you have 50/50 tires, you will likely struggle to keep traction and stay upright even on the easy trail because it's mostly slick clay when wet.

Spring time is like any other off road place in that the easy/ flat trails hold water and will be muddy on the easy trail. Much of the easy trail is clay so i avoid it at all costs in the spring time. But if mud is your thing, go for it! intermediate/ advanced dirt bikers will be able to enjoy enduro / trials riding in the rocky creek beds and there are still plenty of single track lines and hill climbs that have traction and fun to ride. Dirt trails still have traction, just make sure to avoid the clay! Wet, soggy, saturated clay will get you...

Some of the other reviews here will have you thinking this place is terrible, but we had a great time. The trick is that they have volunteers, not paid by the park, who will take you on about an hour tour of the place for about $50 cash per vehicle. These guys are the guys who helped build the park and they know their way around.

We were total beginners, and this was our first off-road experience. The guides who took us had no problem with that. They started us out with the easiest of the easy, saw we were doing ok, and then asked if we wanted to try something harder. We got into just a little bit harder stuff, and the guide got us through it no problem. All in all, an excellent experience!

To be fair, the park is barely marked, and there are plenty of really nasty trails that you could get on and have yourself a bad time. I really think the guides are probably a must-have for the first visit. After that, you can start to learn...