Paul Altus Lake Trail

Paul Altus Lake Trail

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	Paul Altus Lake Trail
Location:	Tennessee
Nearest Town:	Donelson
Directions to Trailhead:	Take I-40 to the Stewarts Ferry Exit -- turn right as if you were going to Hamilton Creek -- Go one mile and turn left onto Lincoy Bay Drive -- go up hill and turn right at top of hill -- follow until you dead end into The Lakes Apartments -- turn right and circle around until you see a play ground on the right. The trail head is hear.
Trail Description:	Hey, this is a great beginner trail with some fun sections to it. The trail was built by someone who lived in the lakes apartments a few years ago and they hand out maps at the apartment office. I live in Lincoya Bay and say someone riding up out of the woods one day and they told me about it. I don't know what the trail is called, but on the map one section is called the Paul Altus section, so there you go, I'm naming it Paul Altus .. heck my name is Paul, it sounds good to me. You can use the apartment road to make a loop and even go along the bluffs to add some mileage. It's a fun little ride .. you can make about a 3 mile loop and actually has a little bit of climbing to it.
Trail Length:	3 miles
Trail Type:	Unknown
Skill Level:	Trails for all skill levels
Submitted By:	Paul Helters

Bert Simmer from Nashville, Tennessee Date: June 17, 2002 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Start at the playground, the apartment office has a map too! It was very helpful. Other recommended trails in the same area: The Rock at Hamilton Creek
Review: Don't let the last two messages detour your riding this hidden jewell. It's got everything in a short range, climb, singletrack, testers (not the rock - Hamilton Creek) etc .. Try it you might like it as a option ride to have something different on the east side of town. I don't know what garbage they are talking about, but the cliffs have junk there sometimes (pick it up)	Overall Rating:

cristastrophe from atlanta Date: May 29, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: garbage rock Other recommended trails in the same area: the local landfill
Review: After reading the promising reviews of this trail, me and my brother could not help but to explore. I can not speak enough for garbage rock. The beautiful view of the lake explained why it was such a popular hangout for the local rednex. Luckily some of the discarded fishing wire helped me fix my broken toe clip. I wanted to keep exploring, but I think my brother's dog got tangled up in one of those plastic things that hold the six packs together. We rode away and vowed not to let another person ride this trail unprepared. I give this trail one tire because garbage rock helped me fix my bike.	Overall Rating:

Flying Dog and theTirebiter from Nashville Date: February 10, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Don't go here! Other recommended trails in the same area: Your backyard, anywhere else. Stick to Lock 4, Hamilton Creek, Fairview, and look forward to Montgomery Bell(Don't forget to hit "The Perfect Pig" on the way back).
Review: This is the trail that time forgot, but the warm Budweiser slurpin lake rats didn't. It could have potential with a month overhaul. The highlight of this trail is "Garbage Rock", a twenty foot outcropping looking over the lake which was strewn with cheap beer cans and graffitti. The previous reviews rated this a 5.0? No offense to my knobby brethren but they must have submited long ago. Right now this trail is not worthy of the tire. My brotha came in from out of town for a ride, and after I took him to this "5 star" trail, he started talking about becoming a "roady" after 20 minutes, I had to smack him. I give it a four for just barely existing.	Overall Rating:

Mike Belmont from Nashville, TN Date: June 16, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Go in at the playground. Other recommended trails in the same area: I rode Hamilton Creek last year once, its real tough if this is your first time on a mountain bike, but fun too.
Review: Im glad i found this trail, its close to home and i had no idea it was here. I went to the apartment office the day before and yes they do have maps available. Its a short run down to the first fork in the trail, go to the left here and work your way down to the old paved road, a right turn takes you just a short distance right to the waters edge. Turn left and its an easy peddle ot the opposite end of this paved road, take a left turn to go around the cove. This is where there is a big problem. A massive amount of trees are now blocking your way around the cove, and there's no other way around. you will have to turn left and head up the hill to the back side of the lakes apartments, i really wanted to take the long way on this trail, as on the map it looks like a good distance and would bring you out at lincoya bay apartments. Im going to make this my daily trail ride, hope to see some of you out enjoying this trail. I would say this is a fairly easy trail and great for someone just starting to get there legs, it does have some of everything, just watch out for all the roots in one section, take your time and wear your helmet.	Overall Rating:

DirtRagg from nashville Date: September 28, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: just like they main note said Other recommended trails in the same area: what hamilton creek and lock 4 oh fairview those are the ones I am riding
Review: I liked this trail, it was short about 2 miles. I think there are off shoots I didn't take, but it was fun and did three laps, once backwards, boy that hill coming up to the playground kinda kicked me on the third lap. If your not into hills start at the playground and go in there. The hill going down is a lot more fun. By the third lap I was really having fun on the trail. OK, I still would like to see the city of nashville have a MTB club that is active. So email me if I am just missing out. I just moved here. I don't see any evidence of a MTB club.	Overall Rating:

Greg Ruff from Hermitage Date: August 10, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Start at the Playground - or reverse it once you go this way once to learn the route Other recommended trails in the same area: Hidden Hills, Hamilton, fairview, lock 4
Review: I didn't build all the trail, but helped connect the main arteries to make the loop. the previous review does explain it pretty much and I agree with most of the review. This is a fun trail and a great place to take a novice or someone getting their legs. I like to go there to build up if I haven't been to Hamilton Creek in a while .... Of course I will say that I LOVE this Trail, I used to live there and connected the trails up several years ago - (don't tell anyone) NAMING - well - someone named it the Paul Altus TRAIL, that's my brother who helped (incremination) but it should be named the Ruff/Haynes CONNECTOR because Tim Haynes did more work than my brother - They used to have maps (I supplied) at the LAKES apartments .. if you can't get one from them email me and I think I still have it somewhere and will shoot one to you.	Overall Rating:

Johnny Boston from Antioch, TN Date: August 7, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Oh, this is a great little trail ... bust around it and check some alternate routes, reverse it too, it's great both ways ... Starting at the playground is the best Other recommended trails in the same area: hamilton creek
Review: Take the playground entrance, it's a fast down hill continue on and at just under a mile, you'll hit a old paved road, hang a left follow it until you are almost at the end - it runs into the lake (less than a quarter mile) .. hang a left around the cove, and it connects back up with a gravel road on the other side of the cove ... hang a left and go up the hill ... it will turn into a dirt road ... then back to gravel ... once it hit gravel hang a left just past the fenced in power transformer ... follow this to the bluff trail .. once on the bluff trail, you'll have several options, I've been there and here's the best advice .. once on the bluff trail .. go through the hamilton creekish rock section and there will be a place for you to turn up a slight incline to the left (about a 100 feet in) take this ... the riding is tough ahead and dangerous cliffs .. if you do stay on the trail .. there is a fun little section at the end and you'll end up on a gravel road and turn left .. it will head you back towards the transformer ... OK .. if you turn up the slight incline you'll hit the gravel road a few feet up .. turn left .. and head back to the transformer ... you can go straight ahead over the gravel road, but it's not much of a trail ... and short once you get back to the tranformer .. turn right and then up the hill to the back of lincoya bay apartments .. you can ride your way back throug the aparments or around however, many times I"ll turn around and reverse the ride ... or head back to the playground and do it again ... GREAT IDEA is to loop the road in The Lakes Apartments a couple of times for a warm up ... I think two complete laps is a mile ... or close .. fun alternative for beginners to hamilton creek .. some really fun sections .. ride at a moderate speed your first time around, there is usually a surprise or two ... LOGS/TREES fallen HEY - RIDE THIS TRAIL, IT NEEDS SOME TREAD ON IT ... TO MATURE IT .. BUT IT'S A BLAST AND YOU GET EVERY TYPE OF TERRAIN IN SPURTS, SO YOU ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO ADJUST ...	Overall Rating: