Fat Tire Biking

More than seven miles of hiking and biking trails were built in Merrill Memorial Forest in 2016. A new, 5.1-mile loop of hiking and trail feature breathtaking views of the Prairie Dells gorge. The one-mile marsh loop offers spectacular views of the Mathei Marsh. A 2.5 trail connects the new trail to existing trails in the Underdown Recreation Area. In contrast to the expert, single-track trails in the Underdown, the new machine-built trails in the Merrill Memorial Forest are for beginning and intermediate bikers.

The Underdown Recreation Area features 12 fat tire and mountain bike trail segments, totaling about 20 miles. Some sections are very challenging and geared for expert riders. Portions of the trail are used for the annual Thunderdown in the Underdown Mountain Bike Race. The marked horse trails are available for beginning bike riders or for family outings. Please yield the right of way to horses when encountering them on the trail.