Loop the Lakes

The Loop the Lakes route begins at Valley Water Mill Park, home to the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. Along with being a beautiful park, the Center serves as an excellent educational resource for understanding the value of watersheds to our ecosystems. From here, cyclists may enjoy some of the finest, low traffic pavement in the area on their way to Fellows and McDaniel Lakes. Both Fellows and McDaniel Lakes are owned by City Utilities and serve as essential reservoirs for Springfield’s drinking water. Fellows lake has a small playground, bathrooms, and a covered pavilion.

One of our favorite parts of this route is the bridge over McDaniel lake, which is no longer open to motorists. You are likely to see families fishing on the bridge on nice days, and the half mile stretch without vehicles is a great section to catch some shade on a hot day.