Anvil Lake Trail State Natural Area — Attraction in Town of Washington

Driving past this unexpected riding-trail jewel, with my hybrid mountain bike on the bike rack (a hybrid is a combo bike fitted w with either a mountain bike's nobby tire or road bike's road-tire with trail riding versatility), I made a quick decision to slam on the brakes and drive up to the parking lot and recon whether the trails would be worth the ride--afterall, I was 7 hours from home, en route to distant lands across the Mississippi and parking up at a random suburban park would be a waste of time for a nature-riding enthusiast like me...best decision of the year!! So many trails, so many birds, so many sights there aren't enough words! Technical riding galore and easy trails too, for sure. Well...

somewhat buggy, but the trails are good. signage at trail intersections, well-used terrain and paths are easy to follow along with if you grab the map at the beginning or take a picture on your phone so you can plan your route. distances seem fairly accurate - we figured 3.8 miles by map, ended up with 3.65, so that's close enough. if you park the lot, there is a $5 daily use fee. not a big deal, we had a good hike on some easy and...

A nice hike through the woods - mature trees along the trail. Terrain has moderate rises and downhills - be careful walking in the fall as the leaves cover roots and ruts on the trail. Good scenery, warming hut for winter time xx-skiing and snowshoeing at the centerpoint of the various trails. $5 daily parking fee or buy a pass at the...