OCC Enduro-70.5 |
Self-Supported Cycling in the Driftless Region
With just under 34 miles of gravel, this route starting in La Crescent, Minnesota is harder than you might think -- climbing nearly 4,000 feet with six major hills, this is no ride in the park.
An "enduro" is a long-distance race on rough terrain, and this route certainly qualifies; in the past we offered this as a timed-section event for the old Labor Day bike festival. But you can ride it anytime you want. Newly re-named in honor of Owl City Cycles in Houston, nearly half of the route is on gravel, making this course harder than you might think. Climbing over 4,000 feet with six major hills, this is no ride in the park. But it is a ride through scenic Minnesota backcountry!
We're starting at Veteran's Park in La Crescent, which is a great place to leave a car if you're driving, or easily accessible on the Wagon Wheel Trail from La Crosse if you're riding. There's a nearby Kwik Trip convenience store, as well as a bike repair stand and other useful amenities. Leave the park and carefully cross the busy four lane highway to turn left onto the shoulder and head north, following the bank of the Mississippi.
This is now HWY 14/61 -- certainly the busiest traffic of the whole day, but you'll only be on the six- to eight-foot shoulder for about a mile and a half. Here you'll leave the shoulder for a shared-use off-street path that will safely take you through the complicated I-90 intersection. Stay on the path through the intersection, following the jog as the path crosses the access road down to the visitor's center. (If you want, you can take a break here to pop in to the visitor's center, view Lock and Dam #7, or visit the restroom.)
From here, you've got two restful miles on a multi-use path paralleling the Mississippi River northward -- there's benches, viewing areas, and an occasional bike rack along the way. Just before 4.5 miles into the ride, the path will end and you'll rejoin Riverview Drive just outside of Dresbach. Take it easy here, because the day's gravel climbs are about to begin -- cross under I-90 and take the first sharp left to start climbing Oak Hill Road. It starts out paved, with a grade in the low double digits, but then gets real: halfway up, it's an official "Minumum Maintenace Road," and touches a no-kidding 20% grade before you're done.
Catch your breath at the stop sign and take a picture in front of the "Minimum Maintenance Road" sign to tell people where you've been. From there, it's a brief traverse on pavement before heading back down Lanes Valley Road. It's a gravel descent, and we recommend taking it slow. After the speedy top section, there's a somewhat-surprising left just before mile 8, before rolling out the rest of the way. Congratulations, you're basically back where you started, elevation-wise. Enjoy the quiet and scenic farm valley before turning right onto N. Pine Creek Road at around 9 miles. There's a few rollers before the end of Gravel Section Two, when you join County Highway 6.
There's around a mile and a half of pavement next, including a right turn off HWY 6 onto Forster Road. Gravel section 3 starts just before Climb #2, AKA "The Hill that Never Ends." We call it "The Hill that Never Ends" not because it's a long climb, but because it's got a bunch of false summits -- just when you think you see the top, you'll turn and start a whole new section. We're on top of the ridge for the end of the gravel section, then some paved road through Nodine and the Kwik Trip convenience store rest stop north of Nodine. You're less than a third of the way through the route, but the good news is that two of the three toughest climbs of the day are behind you when you reach the Kwik Trip.
The left turn at the Kwik Trip takes you onto County Highway 104, the frontage road along I-90. Another left onto 125 takes you south, away from the interstate and down a moderate hill to the bottom of the valley. A hard right turn onto 5 at the stop sign takes you into blink-and-you'll-miss-it New Hartford. Another right on pavement before the next left up the gravel Slippery Hill Road takes you back off the beaten path, and up a moderate climb. A right turn onto two miles of pavement on top of the ridge are your reward, before the left turn onto 5.6 miles of Gravel Section 5. There's a nice gravel descent that starts past mile 31.
Past the Looney Valley Church, you'll regain pavement for two miles on Highway 9 before a right turn takes you onto the gravel of Paradise Drive. The smallest hill of the day will keep your attention on this bit, as you head West on Paradise Drive and Doblar to a left turn onto the asphalt of Highway 76 near mile 40. Three and a half quick miles on a paved shoulder take you into the town of Houston, where this route's namesake Owl City Cycles, restrooms and bike repair stands at the Houston Nature Center, Barista's coffee shop and a convenience store will get you fueled back up and ready for more. Don't leave town without full water bottles, because there's more to come!
Heading east out of Houston, you'll turn right on Hwy 76 before you dog-leg on the asphalt section of Swede Bottom Road, where a slight left on Fort Ridgley Road starts a gravel climb just past mile 45. A false summit before the main climb puts you on 468-feet of climbing in less than a mile-and-a-half. Some challenging gravel rollers greet you on top of the ridge, before a long, fun, gradual downhill (with pavement only on the top to lull you into a false sense of security). Taking a left at the bottom of the hill, follow the Crystal Creek valley downhill for two miles of rural gravel before a right turn onto Sanden Road.
Welcome to the final big climb of the day, just before mile 53. Climbing 470 feet in 1.1 miles, it's the fifth big hill of the day, and you'll probably be feeling it by now. Once on top, continue on the largest gravel section of the day (10.5 miles in total) until starting a long downhill near mile 60. The pavement starts just after the descent does, rolling you all the way down onto Main Street Hokah, Minnesota. The convenience store in the northeast corner of town is good for refueling before your final push back into La Crescent on flat, paved roads of the Root and Mississippi River valleys. After you get to La Crescent, a right-hand turn takes you off the highway shoulder and onto a frontage road under the Interstate, then up and over the bike-ped bridge to downtown La Crescent and back to Veteran's Park via North Walnut Street.
The six big climbs total 2,641 ft. or about 66% of the 3,995 ft of total climbing.
The eight gravel sections total 33.1 miles or just under 50% of the total distance of 70.5 miles.
If you're in Houston, you might want to swing by the International Owl Center. It's a hoot.
This is a rural gravel route: remember to bring appropriate water, food, and flat-fixing tools with you, as there are few opportunities along the route.