Fraser River Trail
Activity: BikeDifficulty: Easy/Moderate
Distance: 5 miles (one way)
Location: Winter Park Resort to Fraser
Description:
We parked near the Winter Park Resort at the empty lot near the intersection of Winter Park Dr & Trademark Dr. This is just across the bridge to the begining of the Fraser River Trail. Most of the parking in the area is private property and the lot we were in was for sale. It may be best to find a public lot and bike to the trailhead.
The trail is well marked and has several maps, informational signs, and picnic tables located along the path. From Winter Park Resort the trail is paved and winds down along side the Fraser River and Hwy 40. The trail is surrounded by tall evergreens and makes for a fairly picture-perfect begining to the route. The trail passes through Idlewild Campground. Soon the trail turns to crushed gravel and passes by a few ponds. There are several bridges and boardwalk areas that the kids enjoyed riding over. The end of the trail is near when you reach Mountain Man Park.
We continued past the end of the trail by crossing Hwy 40 and turning onto the paved trail the runs adjacent to the highway towards Fraser. (The official trail end is at Hwy 40, near the large stone Rendezvous sign.) When we got to Wendy's we turned and pedalled up the dirt/gravel road where the Fraser Cemetary is located at the top; this is where we turned around. Mountain Man Park was the perfect location for us to stop for a picnic. It also offered a break for the kids from riding in the bike trailer. A very nice picnic pavillion with stone fireplace, several charcoal grills, and play structure was just the break we needed.
We biked back up the slight incline the entire way back to our parking spot and decided to make an evening in downtown Winter Park. A repeat ride coasting through the forest to get back to Hideaway Park was enjoyable. The kids played at Hideaway Park and enjoyed watching the skateboarding. We ended our evening with dinner at The Peak Brewery. They served delicious pizza and had great beer. The tables near us ordered some yummy looking burgers and fries. It seemed like any food we chose would have been good.
Of course, we had one more short ride back to the parking spot. It was a little more difficult because of our full bellies and the cold that set in after the sun had set. Overall, we biked about 15 miles but spent plenty of time in between playing and eating.
