Family-Friendly Oklahoma City Area Bike Trails

Oklahoma City and the surrounding cities maintain several lakes which feature extensive trail systems for both hiking and biking. It's easy to plan a day-long outdoor adventure at one of these lakes: Lake Hefner, Lake Stanley Draper, Arcadia Lake or Lake Thunderbird. The trails at each lake range from easy to difficult in order to accommodate all biking skill levels.

Lake Hefner

Lake Hefner is located in Oklahoma City at Hefner Road and Highway 74 (aka The Lake Hefner Parkway). The lake office phone number is (405) 499-0005 .This is an urban lake which features several restaurants, sailing, wind surfing and fishing. Hefner offers about 9 miles of paved, 12-foot wide multi-use trails, meaning walkers, joggers and cyclists are sharing the space. On the west side of the lake, the trail temporarily merges with the upper dam road and no bike lane is marked off.

For families with small children, this is the perfect trail system for a family outing. Portable toilets and water fountains are located along the trail. Picnic tables are located on the east and south portions of the trail. A playground is located near the parking area between Britton Road and Wilshire Blvd. Even the family dog can enjoy the outing with a visit to the dog park located just south of Wilshire Blvd.

Lake Stanley Draper

Lake Stanley Draper is located on the southeast edge of Oklahoma City between Douglas and Post roads just off of SE 74^th street. The number for the lake office is (405) 794-5010. Although technically still within Oklahoma City limits, Draper feels like an escape to the country. In addition to the bike trails, the lake features equestrian trails, motorcycle trails, boat rentals and canoe rentals.

Draper's trails are a natural surface with a number of twists and open sections. The mountain bike trails are color-coded so families can choose the degree of difficulty suited for their riders. The green loop is easy. The yellow loop is more difficult and the red loop is the most challenging. All trails combined equal a total length of 12 miles. Families with school age and older children should find the yellow loop with its wooden bridges and drops fun and challenging. The bike trails are mostly single-track, so expect to ride single file most of the time.

The lake also offers picnic tables and portable toilets near the parking area. A small restaurant and store is located in the building near the parking lot.

Arcadia Lake

Arcadia Lake is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, just north and east of Oklahoma City. Visitors should exit east off of I-35 onto 2^nd Street to reach the multi-purpose trail entrance. The lake office number is (405) 216-7470. The bike trail is approximately 6.5 miles one way from the park office or 13 miles round trip. Mountain bikers, hikers and riders on horseback make regular use of the single dirt track trail.

Restrooms are located at the beginning and the end of the trail. Approximately one-third of the way into the trail, Edmond Park offers picnic tables and access to the swim beach. Families might want to create their own mini-triathlon by biking, swimming and walking during their outdoor adventure at Arcadia Lake. Spring Creek Park is at the end of the trail featuring more picnic tables and another swim area. Families with younger children may want to bike one way from the park office and arrange for a friend to pick them up at the Spring Creek parking area.

Lake Thunderbird

Lake Thunderbird is south of Oklahoma City on the east side of Norman, Oklahoma. Visitors should go about 12 miles east of I-35 on Highway 9 to the Clear Bay Area. The entrance to the trails is across the street from the horse stables The phone number for the lake office is (405) 360-3572. The total multi-use, dirt trail length is about 11 miles. However, the trails are divided by difficulty and color-coded so families can choose the most appropriate trails.

The green and yellow trails are marked "novice" and are suitable for families with school age children who ride well. The green trail is about 1.5 miles long and the yellow trail 1 mile long. The red and blue trails are considered intermediate and thus are suitable for families with teens. The red is 2 miles and the blue 2.5 miles. Gold marks the final trail loop which is 4 miles long and rated "expert," making it suitable for experienced mountain bikers. The trail starts at the green loop and continues from easiest to hardest before returning back to the green loop. The gold loop can also be accessed directly at a second trail entrance located off of the Dam Road.

The trail facilities include restrooms and a bike wash at the Clear Bay entrance. No other facilities are located along the trails. Thunderbird Lake does offer swimming beaches, picnic tables, playgrounds and camping areas along Clear Bay Road and at nearby Rose Rock Hill and the South Dam area.

When visiting Oklahoma City area bike trails, remember to wear helmets and bring a first aid kit for minor scrapes and cuts. Visitors should also be wary of poison ivy and poison oak along the trails. Since most of the trails are multi-use, mountain bikers and cyclists should remember to yield to hikers, joggers and walkers.

Resources
http://www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Biking
http://www.touroklahoma.com/parks.asp
http://www.bicycleleague.com/clearbay/
http://edmondok.com/parks/arcadialake/recreation/trails