Getting There

Getting to Terrace Oaks is pretty straight forward. From the Metro, take 35W south until the Burnsville Parkway exit. Hang an east, and go a mile or two. You'll come up to County Road 11 at a stop light. Stay straight on Burnsville Parkway. At the bottom of the hill on your right will be the entrance to the Terrace Oaks park.

The trail mountain bike trail entrance is located on the north east side of the park. There is a hiking parking lot on the west side. However, there is no access from the west lot to the mountain  bike trails. Once you find the parking lot (look for the tennis courts and hockey rink), you're all set. The trail is marked very well, and getting lost is not really possible.   

The Details

This is a really fun trail that consists mainly of intermediate level singletrack. It's fast and rolling with a few tight spots here and there, and some logs and roots thrown in for good measure.

Expect to see lots of people with varying abilities on this trail. It does have a few doubletrack XC ski trails worked into the loop. There is also an expert only spur called Hebel's Hollow. This is a short but fun little bit of nastiness. There are two really tricky spots. One is a hairpin switchback on gravel that leads to a quick uphill and a fallen log crossing. The other is a tight downhill switchback. Both spots are mostly rideable if you're comfortable on your bike.

One complaint would be how short this trail is.  Compared to the likes of Lebanon, many riders may become easily bored with this trail.  If you are even moderately in shape you will find yourself having to do at least 4 laps before you start to feel like you have had a good workout.  There are many sections that are eroding (MORC plans to take care of these soon) and trail maintenance is usually lacking.  Because of the lack of attention, beware of eye pokers as the trail gets overgrown quickly. 

Having said that, Terrace is a nice break from other larger trails.  Riders new to mountain biking will fall in love because you get a little of everything in just a short distance.  Plus, all the traffic these days is over at Lebanon so unlike years past you can find a more casual atmosphere here.  Once you get in the groove, you can crank out laps at the pace of about 4 or 5 an hour.

Keep your eyes open though. It's not uncommon to run up on slower riders, kids on BMX bikes, riders taking breathers, or deer.  Hikers seem to ignore leash laws on this trail more than any other, so beware of dogs on the loose!

If you're looking for a full afternoon of riding fun, park your vehicle in the lot, do a couple laps then ride your bike over to Lebanon Hills for a lap or two. Getting to Lebanon is a snap. Hop on Burnsville Parkway heading east, eventually, the road turns north and runs into Cliff road. At Cliff, take a right, cross 35E and look for Johnny Cake Ridge road. Head south on Johnny Cake Ridge road. Look for the Lebanon Hills parking lot on your right after about a half a mile.