MoPac Trail

From the Great Plains Trails Network:"Lincoln's longest trail traveling through almost the entire city, connecting the University with local businesses, community neighborhoods and the Lincoln countryside. The concrete city portion presently extends from Peter Pan Park (33rd & Y St.) to the Novartis Trailhead near 84th and Hazelwood. The limestone trail continues east 25 miles through Walton, Eagle, Elmwood and ends near Wabash. Planned extensions include a route to the Platte River Bridge near South Bend and the Huskerlink west to the UNL City Campus."I used this trail very often last summer. You can park in the lot at the trailhead, but be sure to lock your valuables in your trunk - there have been a rash of car thefts there recently. You can also use the restrooms, change clothes, fill up your waterbottle, or rest in the shade there. They also have candy & pop vending machines there, which is kind of ironic...The trail cuts through lots of wooded areas, so even on a hot day, you'll get breaks of shade. But since it's gravel, your bike will get pretty dusty. Nice, scenic prairie route, once you cross the highway. You'll pass horses, cattle, & an Audubon prairie along the way. There are a couple bridges you'll cross over creeks.TIPS:- Wear sunscreen & bug spray.- Wear sunglasses if you bike - I hate a bug in the eye. Blech! - Bring lots of water- Be really careful crossing the country roads, especially if you have headphones on. Drivers aren't expecting you.- Check http://www.gptn.org/mopac.htm for maps & tips from more experienced cyclists.

I'm not even gonna try and write a better review than the first one, so I'll just put in my $0.02.It's a pretty decent trail. I've been on different sections of it countless times. I typically walk or bike the part around the UNL City Campus and then follow it down near Vine Street and that general area. It's mostly concrete all the way down, with plenty of ups and downs that will give you both a workout and a nice relaxing coast. I've also biked down to Wilderness Park, which is pretty nice. Just be sure to wear bug spray if you're heading out that way.In the UNL area, there's plenty of benches and ponds and stuff to sit down at and take a break. The cool thing about this section of the trail is that it also branches out into a number of smaller trails and sidewalks leading all over the city, so you can bike from one area to another pretty quickly.