Glendo State Park

Little bit of everything from beginner to advanced cross country riding. Open to tree covered trails, mostly rock or hard clay surfaces. Not for the smooth/ flowy rider types. Most of the rock surfaces have 1-12 inch above trail level to keep your attention. Excellent design and maintenance of all the trails.

This is a great Trail system in WY. It has a little something for everyone from beginner to advanced. There is a lot of technical areas for some great challenges.

My experience has mainly been with touring, but I recently bought a mountain bike and took it out to Lake Glendo for a camping trip. I started from the Two Moon trailhead and had a little trouble finding my way because of the lack of signage. Once across the road on "Reflector Loop" I knew right away that this was not what I had been expecting and that I was in for a difficult time. Don't get me wrong, I understand that there are some skilled MTB riders who seek out thrills like this, but in my opinion a fun bicycle ride involves being able to appreciate the scenery as well, and this was not really possible for the majority of the corridors I took. I somehow missed the turnoff for the "91 Gigawatt" trail (even though I saw the neighboring one for "Buffalo Run") and thus had to take the infamous "Root Canal." Now the adjective you will see in most of these reviews for the trails marked in red is "technical": this however is a euphemism for "threatening to life and limb"! Although most of the scattered rock had been brushed aside, there is almost continuous jutting surface rock (and some tree roots and stumps): These are often sharp and could easily cause damage to a tire or a rim (or a bone)! The way is frequently crooked and narrow, with tree branches at your elbow and cacti at your feet! I repeatedly needed to put my foot down quickly, but even this was dangerous on that irregular and tapering terrain. I suppose this is all part of the challenge for some riders, but I like to ENJOY a bicycle excursion also. It has always been my routine to rest and stretch my legs on the straight-aways and down-hills, but I had to rapidly train myself out of this habit and adopt the new practice of keeping both pedals at "half-mast"; for whenever I left a pedal at the bottom of its stroke it would get caught on a protruding rock, and it is only by the Grace of God that I was never thrown off balance by this, or by the loose sand of the several hairpin turns bordering upon the precipitous slopes of that very difficult descent. I could not afford to take my eyes off the ground for even a second lest I should find myself tumbling head over heels, and there was no soft place to land! Sometimes the trail itself became so steep that I had to be very careful not to use the front brake (or squeeze it too hard) or I might well have been thrown headlong or spilled over my own handlebars! I finally got to a ranger station at the base of the trail, next to a river, where there were restrooms, but no drinkable water. I rode along the "Wetlands" trail for a bit, and this was (for me) the only agreeable part of the course: It was paved with white gravel, and I was able to observe the foliage and fauna while relaxing for a spell (I saw some lovely purple and yellow flowers previously). After the land bridge which took me across the lagoon, I accidentally got onto the "Thunder" trail, where even the most experienced mountain biker would have to hoist his vehicle up the uneven rocks a time or two. In fact, I could just recommend this track (or others like it) to good hikers, but consider it unfit (or grueling) for cyclers. Call me a p*ssy, but I just want to help people, who might think this is going to be like the "Mickelson," get an idea of what they're truly in for. Changing gears is a split-second affair; you'll be suddenly spinning your crankshaft on an unexpected drop, or find yourself in too high a gear for an abrupt incline. It would be madness to take your eyes from the immediate obstacles of the path, but equally foolish not to examine the upcoming treachery as well. Tired of carrying it everywhere, I determined to ride my bike up a number of these sharp rises where I was in real danger of falling over backwards (just as I was earlier of flipping over forwards). Again, I missed a sign and ended up on "Barrel Roll," which took me back down to "Wetlands Trail"! It is frustrating indeed to risk your life along a perilous "mountain bike" track, only to lose all your elevation and wind up back where you started. As it turns out, the sign - a little fenced-in cairn with a post in the middle - was completely obscured by a tree on my original route, and I went right past it. These numbered path markers (with directional signs) are helpful in that they'll show you where you are on the map, but a serious problem with the map itself is that all of the junctions and intersections are completely covered and blocked by these huge squares with the numbers in them! We need to be able to see how the trails meet and traverse one another if we're going to successfully navigate! Sometimes these absurdly placed labels conceal a suspected connection between roads, which is not actually there, or else they hide one which is. Another incidental issue is that the map - particularly the ones posted along the trails themselves - is divided into two parts, and it just so happens that the division occurs at one of the most complex and convoluted path-finding areas of the park (i.e., right beside the dam); so you're lost, and you're having to piece together two critical sections of the map like Indiana Jones in the jungle! After retracing my weary treadmarks on "Barrel Roll" I managed to find "Twenty 15" and rode the ridge out to Glendo Dam, but I was pretty low on water and had to abandon my plan to take "Narrows Bluff" to Sandy Beach (I took the main road instead). Honestly, I don't regret it though, because by then I had had enough rocky footpaths, hazardous switchbacks, frightening cliffs, projecting boulders, ruthless frame-rattling, and shadeless sand to last me quite a while. I'm 51 years old, and in fairly good shape, but I would not advise traveling this route alone if you can avoid it. Except for the folks I met at the waterless rest area, there was not a soul on this trail but me, and I repeat, it was only by God's providence that I escaped unscathed! The Park Service people were very friendly and afforded me some personal attention (answering questions beforehand, etc...). What they cannot do is alter the topography, which is what it is whether one likes it or not. Maybe the terrain north of the dam is nicer, but I wouldn't count on it. As for me, I shall stick to the less "technical" trails and the "road more traveled by."

Daniel R. Friedman

My experience has mainly been with touring, but I recently bought a mountain bike and took it out to Lake Glendo for a camping trip. I started from the Two Moon trailhead and had a little trouble finding my way because of the lack of signage. Once across the road on "Reflector Loop" I knew right away that this was not what I had been expecting and that I was in for a difficult time. Don't get me wrong, I understand that there are some skilled MTB riders who seek out thrills like this, but in my opinion a fun bicycle ride involves being able to appreciate the scenery as well, and this was not really possible for the majority of the corridors I took. I somehow missed the turnoff for the "91 Gigawatt" trail (even though I saw the neighboring one for "Buffalo Run") and thus had to take the infamous "Root Canal." Now the adjective you will see in most of these reviews for the trails marked in red is "technical": this however is a euphemism for "threatening to life and limb"! Although most of the scattered rock had been brushed aside, there is almost continuous jutting surface rock (and some tree roots and stumps): These are often sharp and could easily cause damage to a tire or a rim (or a bone)! The way is frequently crooked and narrow, with tree branches at your elbow and cacti at your feet! I repeatedly needed to put my foot down quickly, but even this was dangerous on that irregular and tapering terrain. I suppose this is all part of the challenge for some riders, but I like to ENJOY a bicycle excursion also. It has always been my routine to rest and stretch my legs on the straight-aways and down-hills, but I had to rapidly train myself out of this habit and adopt the new practice of keeping both pedals at "half-mast"; for whenever I left a pedal at the bottom of its stroke it would get caught on a protruding rock, and it is only by the Grace of God that I was never thrown off balance by this, or by the loose sand of the several hairpin turns bordering upon the precipitous slopes of that very difficult descent. I could not afford to take my eyes off the ground for even a second lest I should find myself tumbling head over heels, and there was no soft place to land! Sometimes the trail itself became so steep that I had to be very careful not to use the front brake (or squeeze it too hard) or I might well have been thrown headlong or spilled over my own handlebars! I finally got to a ranger station at the base of the trail, next to a river, where there were restrooms, but no drinkable water. I rode along the "Wetlands" trail for a bit, and this was (for me) the only agreeable part of the course: It was paved with white gravel, and I was able to observe the foliage and fauna while relaxing for a spell (I saw some lovely purple and yellow flowers previously). After the land bridge which took me across the lagoon, I accidentally got onto the "Thunder" trail, where even the most experienced mountain biker would have to hoist his vehicle up the uneven rocks a time or two. In fact, I could just recommend this track (or others like it) to good hikers, but consider it unfit (or grueling) for cyclers. Call me a p*ssy, but I just want to help people, who might think this is going to be like the "Mickelson," get an idea of what they're truly in for. Changing gears is a split-second affair; you'll be suddenly spinning your crankshaft on an unexpected drop, or find yourself in too high a gear for an abrupt incline. It would be madness to take your eyes from the immediate obstacles of the path, but equally foolish not to examine the upcoming treachery as well. Tired of carrying it everywhere, I determined to ride my bike up a number of these sharp rises where I was in real danger of falling over backwards (just as I was earlier of flipping over forwards). Again, I missed a sign and ended up on "Barrel Roll," which took me back down to "Wetlands Trail"! It is frustrating indeed to risk your life along a perilous "mountain bike" track, only to lose all your elevation and wind up back where you started. As it turns out, the sign - a little fenced-in cairn with a post in the middle - was completely obscured by a tree on my original route, and I went right past it. These numbered path markers (with directional signs) are helpful in that they'll show you where you are on the map, but a serious problem with the map itself is that all of the junctions and intersections are completely covered and blocked by these huge squares with the numbers in them! We need to be able to see how the trails meet and traverse one another if we're going to successfully navigate! Sometimes these absurdly placed labels conceal a suspected connection between roads, which is not actually there, or else they hide one which is. Another incidental issue is that the map - particularly the ones posted along the trails themselves - is divided into two parts, and it just so happens that the division occurs at one of the most complex and convoluted path-finding areas of the park (i.e., right beside the dam); so you're lost, and you're having to piece together two critical sections of the map like Indiana Jones in the jungle! After retracing my weary treadmarks on "Barrel Roll" I managed to find "Twenty 15" and rode the ridge out to Glendo Dam, but I was pretty low on water and had to abandon my plan to take "Narrows Bluff" to Sandy Beach (I took the main road instead). Honestly, I don't regret it though, because by then I had had enough rocky footpaths, hazardous switchbacks, frightening cliffs, projecting boulders, ruthless frame-rattling, and shadeless sand to last me quite a while. I'm 51 years old, and in fairly good shape, but I would not advise traveling this route alone if you can avoid it. Except for the folks I met at the waterless rest area, there was not a soul on this trail but me, and I repeat, it was only by God's providence that I escaped unscathed! The Park Service people were very friendly and afforded me some personal attention (answering questions beforehand, etc...). What they cannot do is alter the topography, which is what it is whether one likes it or not. Maybe the terrain north of the dam is nicer, but I wouldn't count on it. As for me, I shall stick to the less "technical" trails and the "road more traveled by."

Daniel R. Friedman

Finally got here; been to Curt Gowdy a few times, Rode it just before Glendo.
SO, rode the south trails first day (Two moon loop, Buffalo,Gigawatt, Rattlesnake, Porcupine, Turkey Spur, Feather Rim, Slide Hill) Generally, the trails near the edges of drops have lots of surface rocks, so Two Moon and Feather, Rattlesnake. The north section of Feather Rim is particularly rocky, with small steep up/downs. Had to walk much of that section.
Rode the north section on day 2, North Bluff going north, and Toadstool coming back. The southern section of North Bluff also was close to the "edge", and had lots of surface rock, but was rideable. The northern section got into the grassy areas, and really went smooth and flowy north of intersection 16. Coming back from intersection 16, Toadstool really climbed for maybe 1/2 mile to get to the top. Then it was mostly smooth and flowy. Took Arrowhead back to finish, so don't know about the southernmost section of Toadstool.
The reservoir was about 5 feet higher than "full", so many trees were under water. Couldn't go all the way to Sandy Beach TH due to some of the trail being underwater, and a bridge was unusable.
To contrast with Curt Gowdy, CG is much more flowy, with very little surface rock to deal with. Glendo seems to have lost lots of surface dirt, which then exposed lots of rock.
SO, if you like more technical trails, you'll love Glendo. The greens and green/blue trails have very little surface rock.
This area will always be used less than Curt Gowdy, just due to its more remote location. Unless you camp, decent hotels are 30 miles away in Wheaton or Douglas.

This is a real "well, shut my mouth" trail. A 5 star trail 50 miles east of the Mountains in the middle of the prairie--whooda' thunk it? Regardless of location, Wyo State Parks has done a great job setting up an excellent variety of highly entertaining trails on the prairie and bluffs surrounding the reservoir. Whether you want fast and flowy or rocky and techy, or even a few fun man made stunts, it's all here.

Great trail system. I have rode out here about 4 times now and it continues to impress. The Wyoming State Park system spent a lot of money and time on these trails and they show it. It's well marked, trails are well developed, and it's fun. I barely see anyone out riding it though, which is why I wanted to write this review. It's a drive from any proper city but your time traveling here will be well worth your time and money, and will hopefully get the state to do this to more parks. It came from the Curt Gowdy model, which IMBA lists as an EPIC ride. Get out here and check it out!

Will definitely go back as they continue to build out the trails. Beautiful spot and fun, but challenging trails.

I came up to fish and ride some trails for a few days. The trails here are a lot of fun. Bring your A game. I ride by myself most of the time, and a person could easily get themselves in trouble here. On Thursday I didn't see another soul. On Saturday I took a nice long ride from Halls Marina to Sandy Beach. I hit Whiskey - 2 Moon - dropped down into the wetlands via Stump - Rocky - up Barrel Roll - and Narrows Bluff.

On Narrows Bluff there are some sections that can get technical as you're dropping down towards the water. For an intermediate rider like me I thought some of the tight hairpins and loose rock pushed my ability. Just go slow, and walk when unsure.

Overall the place is really a work in progress right now. I met Dusty Humphries and his son on the trail as they were flagging a course for a race. Dusty is a ranger that's put a lot of work into making these trails happen. When the trails get marked more, and ridden out more, the place is only going to get better. I'm looking forward to getting back again, better signage, and maybe a map. Next time with shin/knee gards.

I haven't been here since they were first building these trails in 2012. But, the trails that were open were incredible, not highly populated.

Stopped for a short ride on the way home. Well worth the stop and I can't wait to get back. We only rode Narrows up from Sandy Beach. Super fun and easy from the beach. Gets more rocky and technical but still super fun, about four miles in. Got cooled off in thee reservoir after-nice. The place needs better signage and more riders. (Then it would get a five from me.)

As other reviews have mentioned about this trail system, it is a hidden jewel. I rode for 5 hours and didn't see a single person (albeit on a weekday). Over the last couple of years, these trails have been purpose-built for mountain biking with collaboration from the IMBA. As such, they are suited to all skill levels, and are fun to ride. I rode 18 miles and may have hit just over 50% of the system. Like the other reviewers, my only drawback was proper route finding. There were a couple of places along the trail where an updated map had been posted, and I snapped a photo of them to use for the day, otherwise you can't find updated trail maps. Also, some of the new trails are unmarked, so I found myself going in circles a couple of times. Supposedly, this park is to have 65 miles of MTB trails by 2015.

For day-trippers, the Dam Overlook TH is the best place to park and access all the trails from there. If camping, the Two-Moon CG is my suggestion.

Hidden Treasure...These trails seem like they haven't been touched by much rubber. New trails still being worked on (saw Caution tape on Barrel Roll) Maps on the North side of the main road are decent, but the South side(near power plant) are few and far between. Trails map you get at entrance is NOT updated!! Love to ride up here with all the new trails. Bring water the trees are shorts and the sun seems to beat down on you at all times.

What looks to be a rarely if ever ridden trail system winding through the shorllines of Glendo resivoir will keep on your toes for sure. Great technical lines, switch backs, climbs and and to my surprise log bridges and even a see-saw (Cobblestone trail park at dam overlook). The only complaints I have is the trails are not well marked and from what I can remember the maps on the trail were slightly deceptive. There were a few instances that the map showed a trail that soon led to an unmarked split that was not on the map. All in all well worth the trip. This review reflects cobblestone, barrel roll, side hill loop, tin can, sunset point and sundance.