Riverside Motorcycle Park in Topeka, KS

[troy]

Back to WHERE to ride

This riding area is known as "Oakland" to some, but apparently is officially "Riverside Motorcycle Park"

Satellite Map of Riverside Motorcycle Park

Oakland riding area is a city ran wooded riding area along the Kansas River. Part of the property is where they dump the sludge from the sewer treatment plant, so the area does have a slight sewer smell, but at least its NOT CROWED, and the trails are NOT ATV friendly, so the trails are clean single track stuff. Just past the toll booths on I-70 going towards Topeka, is KS 4. I think they call it like East and West, but I call it NORTH because it goes North until it hits 24 hwy. Anyway, you take KS 4 to the 3rd exit which I believe is Seyer Ave. Seyer parallels with I-70, so take it West until you past a couple of gas stations which you turn Right on Chester and take Chester North until it dead ends at the riding area. You park you vehicle along the gravel/blacktop road.

I emailed the city of Topeka to ask about this riding area. Terry Bertels replied.

This is in fact a motorcycle/atv riding area. It is loosely run by the City of Topeka Parks and Recreation Department. There are no fees, the rules are essentially governed by common sense, same for restrictions.

We are in the process of formalizing a relationship with riders that are interested in improving the site and want to bring some consistency and accountability to the area.

The biggest problem that we have had in the past at the site is people riding on the adjacent streets and wandering off the property to adjacent property including the farmers’ field. There is signage at the site that gives more details.

If you are interested in using the site you will be ok if you stay off the streets, stay on the park property and clean up after yourself. If you want to be part of the group interested in improving the site let me know. Thanks for your interest in Riverside Motorcycle Park.

Humans. We sure know how to shoot ourselves in the foot..so to speak. I hope as many of our people as can will show their interest in this effort. Especially our Topeka-based riders. Riding areas are few and far between. So when a city tries to support one, we need to help!

PM me if you want Terry Bertel's email address.

[iyeager]

I've also got a great dual-sport ride from KC to their front door if anyone is interested. Some curvy highway, some fun gravel, even some hardpacked dirt.

Ian

[ajayhawkfan]

"The biggest problem that we have had in the past at the site is people riding on the adjacent streets and wandering off the property to adjacent property including the farmers’ field. There is signage at the site that gives more details."

That is a shame. The few in any activity gives the whole a bad name.

[ljheptig]

Terry,
Thanks for checking up on this with the city. I'd be willing to volunteer at what ever to help develope or promote it.
Larry

[kchusky]

I use to ride out there quite a bit. You need to watch out for traps and nails. The area use to be a good amount bigger. Till quad Billys started using the place and going out in the fields . But, it was not just quads running up and down the road (parking area) bikes were doing that too. Don't get me wrong it's fun to ride just watch out. There is no trail directions, you can ride going either way. It's a mix of sand, hard pack and poop . If the weather holds out Me and two riding buddies may go out there tomorrow.

[troy]

Terry,
Thanks for checking up on this with the city. I'd be willing to volunteer at what ever to help develope or promote it.

Larry, it was me, Troy, who checked with the city. Terry apparently works for Topeka (he is not a member on this site). I'm glad you are willing to help. I PM'd you with Terry's email address so you can connect with him.

I use to ride out there quite a bit. You need to watch out for traps and nails. The area use to be a good amount bigger. Till quad Billys started using the place and going out in the fields . But, it was not just quads running up and down the road (parking area) bikes were doing that too. Don't get me wrong it's fun to ride just watch out. There is no trail directions, you can ride going either way. It's a mix of sand, hard pack and poop . If the weather holds out Me and two riding buddies may go out there tomorrow.

Traps? You mean like big holes in the ground with spikes at the bottom covered in sticks and leaves? Or perhaps big spring steel bear traps? What the heck is going on out there?! The problems you mention are exactly why the city wants to get riders to COOPERATE and develop a plan for the area. I think this is fantastic! Most cities would just say "shut it down".

[kchusky]

Troy wrote;
Traps? You mean like big holes in the ground with spikes at the bottom covered in sticks and leaves? Or perhaps big spring steel bear traps? What the heck is going on out there?! The problems you mention are exactly why the city wants to get riders to COOPERATE and develop a plan for the area. I think this is fantastic! Most cities would just say "shut it down".

Wire across the trails, nails. This stuff may have died down, I have not heard much about it as of lately. I believe that some of the guys from the Forward Motion race series tried to get a club started a year or two ago. Not sure what happen to that effort?

[Harvey Mushman]

Alot of FMHS guys do in fact ride there. It's kind of been an unwritten rule not to talk about that area much, especially online. The more publicity it gets, it seems the more undesireables show up to ride. It's not the racers or other responsible riders that are doing wheelies and burn outs in the street in front of the locals houses, (most I've seen have been quads), and leaving their trash all over the place. When this happens the neighbors call the cops and rumors about the place being closed begins to circulate. Everyone is obvioulsy welcome to ride, it's a public park, but sometimes the less publicity the better......

-Harvey
#77
FMHS

[troy]

Alot of FMHS guys do in fact ride there. It's kind of been an unwritten rule not to talk about that area much, especially online.

So it's like Fight Club.

The first rule about Fight Club is :" You don't talk about Fight Club". The second rule about Fight Club is :" You don't talk about Fight Club".

The RideForum.NET community is less than 200 people--maybe 50 "active" people. I've done at least one ride with most of you guys. I think I trust you guys with this information! We have a lot of great people here--very responsible riders who do not take the privilege for granted.

What is FMHS? Or do we not talk about that either?

[iyeager]

What is FMHS? Or do we not talk about that either?

Forward Motion Hare Scrambles.

Ian

[Stu]

I'm a member of FMHS. For the most part this is a focused and disciplined bunch of riders that want to improve their riding, not show off. If you find an area that addresses that concern you have a tendency to keep mum about it. It is obvious from looking at the population at Perry why this might be so. Some of the quad riders are not very responsible. Some get air evacuated to the medical center in KC which makes the job managing the site by the rangers much more difficult. I think you can see, given this, why FMHS riders would want to keep the riding area "unannounced."

Stu

[troy]

A new club dedicated to Oakland has formed in the effort to preserve this riding area.
Shawnee County Trail Riders Club (S.C.T.R.C)
http://www.sc-trail.com/

[Talz]

This one is currently closed (supposed to be temporary) while they are working on the levy.

There's a FB group good for current info:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442916949274607/

[troy]

This one is currently closed (supposed to be temporary) while they are working on the levy.

There's a FB group good for current info:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442916949274607/

Thanks for the update.

[troy]

I got a last minute invite from a buddy who was heading to Topeka to ride this area. I had never been. For some reason, based on what I've heard and read, I was not expecting much out of this riding area. In fact, it was a really great place to ride. The trails are totally different than any other KS riding area I've been. It's all soft, loamy dirt and almost no rocks. I was also surprised by the number of trails and options.

I'm pretty sure folks are trying to keep this place a secret, and who can blame them. (Damn Internet ruins everything.) When I unloaded my 500, I noticed the guy prepping next to me gave off the "I know this place like the back of my hand" vibe. Sure enough, he was 57 years old and has been riding here since he was 12. Before quads. Before the Internet. Before it all went to Hell. I asked Dale if he'd show me around. He had a young man, Austin, with him. Austin is 16. I could not keep up with either of them--both very fast riders.

Dale led me to the "secret motocross track" in the woods. He told me "you won't find it on your own". It was really just more trail, but in an area with more aggressive terrain changes that allowed for some great jumps, a double, and some sweet burmed corners. Later in the day after Dale and Austin left, I tried to find it again. I rode around on trails for over an hour and never found it.

The weather was perfect. It was really great to be on the bike in the dirt.

[Savage]

Wait, are you saying your 500 still runs?

[Creekside]

Was out there last Wednesday. Nice place. New big parking lot - at least new to me. A big center area now has been roped off and dug out, but most of the trails are good. Never saw anyone else. Nice to have by yourself without worrying about running into a quad head on in those tight trails in the sand. Bone dry. Not sure I'd want to ride in there on a weekend with other traffic. Tons of really tight corners in sand. Not much elevation change. Fun place.

We went about everywhere in a few hours and never saw traps, wire or nails. It was clean and only a few trees down, most with a go around. Kudos to whoever up keeps the place!

If your taking a big bike in there - Go look at google earth view of it. I would stay up top (near the entrance and the open areas) and not go too far into the woods. It gets more rutted, sandy and tighter in the woods the further you go north. You can go a little ways into the woods but sooner or later your going to get into tight deep rutted turns, and lots of sand. Good luck turning that big pig around in there.

You can head straight west to the river from the top and do some of that area in the woods but soon it will turn into what I mentioned as you go north. The woods in that area is pretty easy, flat and not too sandy. You can ride straight west below the levee, from the entrance and visit the open areas you can do very easily. Go see the river, put around in that area and the woods, and turn around and do that clear area up top without major issues.