This 52 mile rail-trail really surprised me. I guess given the name, I'd expected to be meandering across open prairie! Obviously doing some research would have helped, but as it was, I showed up with no idea what to expect. Needless to say it didn't bode well for me.
The heatwave I'd encountered in MO and Iowa continued to follow me. And I started my journey at 11:30AM with the day's temperature fluctuating between 103 and 110 degrees. Clearly July was not the time to attempt this trip! Never-the-less I arrived at the trail head in Ottawa and found the parking lot basically empty. There were no restrooms available, though the setting is very park like with trail information posted, benches and picnic tables available. (It definitely skirts a very industrialized commercial area.)
Finding the trail was no problem, but as I stood there with my bike, I had absolutely no idea where direction to head. It was basically just a field with a few commercial buildings and a trail running through it. Again - had I done my homework, it would have helped. But as it was, I took a guess and headed right. Absolutely no idea if that was north, south, east or west... but whatever it was it lead me to a section of the trail that crossed multiple roads as it meandered through a rather sprawling town. It's probably safe to assume this was Ottawa, Kansas, but I wasn't a fan. I hadn't driven all the way to Kansas to ride down a road.
Still hoping to find a stretch of beautiful open prairie, after about 6-8 miles, I turned around to retrace my steps. This time heading past the parking lot in the other direction. For a mile or two it seemed to be working, the trail turned to gravel and went through a field, granted I was going around several large industrial / commercial buildings, but for a minute I had hope. Ultimately, however, I found myself standing on the edge of a major highway interchange. And I was not happy.
Unable to find any signage and not being someone who rides on roads, I basically turned around again and rode back to the van. Clearly I had picked the wrong trailhead!
Word to the wise: Do your homework. Normally I wouldn't have bothered to review this trail as I only rode about 10 or 11 miles of it. But it was definitely a lesson learned. Pick your trailheads carefully. Also remember several rail-trails have sections that are connected by roads. If you aren't someone who's comfortable doing that - don't drive to Kansas on a 110 degree day! :)
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