The Golden Belt Trail Alliance (GBTA), a relatively new 501c3 dedicated to building trails in central Kansas, is hosting a “Lake Barton Trail Family Night” tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Trailhead at U.S. 281 and NW 60 Road. This is in conjunction with the Golden Belt Badgers MTB (mountain bike) racing team. Coaches of the team will be present to provide guided rides and hikes through portions of the trail.

“Lake Barton is really a top-notch trail, and we want the community to come out and enjoy what we’ve built,” said GBTA President Jake Morris. “This is a great way to get acquainted with the trail alongside the folks who know it best, because they’ve helped build and maintain it for years.” 

Badgers Head Coach Brandon Steinert said the team is preparing for the next season, which practices from January through March with races on five weekends in April and May. “We’re really grateful for the hard work put in by the Golden Belt Trail Alliance to continually make substantial improvements and additions to this trail system,” Steinert said. “I hope the community comes out to see what they’ve built and meet a few of the Badgers coaches in the process. We’re about to start recruiting for the next season so now is a great time to come learn what it’s all about!”

AllTrails describes the Barton Lake trail as a 1.8-mile loop that is generally considered an easy route that takes an average of 33 minutes to complete.

“There are several loops that branch off from the main 1.8-mile loop,” Steinert said. If you do all the loops linked together, which you can, it’s about 6 miles. If you just do the original loop, it’s around 2 miles. 

The MTB Project adds: “Most of the trail is winding singletrack (some places have extremely sharp turns) and there are some challenging climbs up the old dam and quite fast descents back down! The area is well maintained and the local trail crew is very motivated to keep improving the trail all the time! There are lots of old growth cottonwoods and cedar trees all around. ... This trail is tucked down in the trees and is well protected from the wind, it’s a favorite place to ride in the winter when it’s too cold to ride Lake Wilson or road ride.”