Scales Lake Park Trails

Trails are great--they are beautifully built and well maintained, but the signage and maps are pretty awful. Some local needs to make a current map, make that correlate to Singletracks, MTB Project and Trailforks, and then finish adding signage to all intersections. Some trails are very braided so visitors have NFC what's going on. This place could be an MTB destination, but someone needs to step up.

$2 parking for the day, pay at the guard shack. Park in the gravel lot out front, trail starts immediately behind guard shack (past the baseball fence). There is a kiosk at trail head, but it's useless. Trail map is way outdated. Proceed to the left to start your ride, it takes you to an amazing skills/obstacles course that you can tinker with or ride past. Continue behind this and start having fun with the main trail that begins to circle the lake.

This trail is not beginner friendly. I'm somewhere between a beginner and intermediate rider and found myself in over my head during parts. The first half was fun and flowy, but the back half was way beyond my skill. I ended up on Teddy Bear, which after the ride I found out was an expert level trail.

What made this trail a 3 star versus a 4 or 5 is: Trail markings are utterly confusing. It almost appears as if someone came in and put new markers in but left the old ones. Some trails are marked with arrows (most were pointing in all different directions or falling off the tree), other spots were marked with trail names and difficulty ranking, and some trails split with no markings at all. I found myself dumped out onto a road a few times with no indication on where to go next. I don't mind exploring a bit, as that's part of the fun of mountain biking, but I was on a time crunch as I was just passing through the area, so getting lost or spending extra time finding the next trail was not preferred. And without an adequate, up-to-date map at the trail head, it makes it even more aggravating.

With that being said, don't let my negative undertone deter this ride for others who are looking to check out Scales. There are quite a few positive things that I'd like to share about my experience here: The trails are in pretty good condition, lots of man made features to test your skill on, lots of flow and heart stopping drops, pretty views of the lake and some fun wooden berms!

Park in lot directly left behind gaurdshack. Check kiosk for updates. Arrows point you counterclockwise in a loop. ALL wood features are built in the opposite direction. Check out newly constructed skills park. Nice work out there guys!

Great trail evan wet. I suggest running clockwise. It seemed much faster that way.

just rode this today. and i got to say, after the crew has cleaned up after the recenent storm this track is one of the funnest short tracks we have road. compared to Ben Hawes's fun level its right up there. little more climbing and the wood obstetrical are amazing and need more. i think the tetor tator needs to be greased up so it swings down a bit quicker for inexperienced rider like my self who never get to play on such things in west ky. i got up it and stood there for a sec and flipped over head first. but other then that i love this trail.

I love scales. This is my home trail. I try and ride here at least twice a week. Never gets old. Plenty of Technical areas. There is a 5 mile loop, and a few trails that bump off the loop. Not hard to get a good workout here. Counter Clockwise and Clockwise are both equal fun. Enjoy.

I really like this trail. It's the first trail I ever rode on

It was a fun trial, it is a little difficult to follow as it is not marked well. Lots of up and downs and you will have to pedal hard on the uphills. Really enjoyed the trail and there are some sections for the really advanced rider!

This is a very fast and fun trail but it is rather short. The guys that work on this trail have added some fun sections and technical elements though and keep the trail in great condition. Not worth driving too far to ride due to the length, but definitely a fun ride.

this is a really great trail network. fast & tech.

Fun trail to ride, worth your time if you're passing through Evansville. I pretty much second what the others said. Lots of fun and steep dips that are often followed by flat sections along the tops of small hills or mounds. One last thing to clarify the directions- go into the park past the booth that is usually staffed with a park ranger. I think it was a dollar or two for parking, so bring some cash. I parked in front of the petting zoo (it will be on your right) in a small gravel lot and entered the trail directly across the road from the gravel lot. You can ride either way, but I think this way is best. * Review edited 5/14/2010

One of my all-time favorites, even after going to NC and WV to ride. It's fast, technical, and has an odd tendency to bring you crashing down to earth if you're not riding smart. The steep drops are by far one some of the best around. It's got fast flats, 'goat-path' hillside ledges, steep grades in both directions, and some challenging terrain. You'll never get bored, and it's a great trail to chart your progress as a rider.

Approximate Total Ascent per lap: 350 ft

scales is a local favorite. it has perminantly altered my body. by riding west at the head of the trail it is really fast. go north (race way)and its a better work out and the short climbs are more technical.FUN!

This is an all-around great trail! I would take my bike when visiting IN just to ride this trail. Rolling singletrack like a roller coaster in many spots. The trail used the hills and gullies to a premium which really add to the fun of this trail! Previous post correct about holding water in some spots - but there is a mixture of tread surface from dirt, clay, to a slate rock substrate in areas.
Main trail loops around the lake and there are multiple options off, most reconnecting back with the main. One section where the trail dumps out on the paved park road and you follow the road around...just keep looking off the side (on R if going clockwise) and the trail drops back into the woods off the road. There are some AWESOME high-angle drops of 15-20+ ft high. Plenty of wildlife out there rode past deer on either side of the trail last time there.
You can park outside of park entrance in lot on on L to avoid paying entry fees. The folks in the toll house at the entrance can point the trailhead from there out for you. Swimming, camping, and pavilions available inside the park. I've busted a chainlink there before, so there ARE some decent climbs for Indiana!!