I almost missed Opossum Run and since it sounded interesting, I went back to see what I might have missed. The road to this area was closed and, from what I saw there was just an overgrown trail.
Here is the over grown trail in Opossum Run. The name is much more interesting than the place in this particular situation (unless I missed something (like the opossums running!).
There were some pretty steep hills on the west and north side of Lake Defiance. At this point you can see the lake off in the distance through an opening in the trees.
This is looking back towards Lake Defiance from an opening at Whitetail Prairie Junction. This is the northeastern loop of the Moraine Hills trail system and is north of Lake Defiance.
I really liked the way that the trees just became silhouettes in the shadows here. The photo is a little dark but was getting late in the day when I took this and it actually was pretty dark here so I left the picture as it was originally taken from the camera (rather than adjusting the lighting for more detail in a photo editing program).
There is a pavilion with a grill right next to the bike path here (just past Pine Hills Junction). This part of the trail runs alongside the main park road.
This is towards the end of my ride as I was coming up to Pine March Junction where I started my trip.
The sign for Pine Marsh Junction with the setting sun lighting up the tall grasses in the background.
Apparently the loops in the trail are color coded and the Red Loop is to the left. I could not find a color coded version of the maps of the park on the internet though and I lost my hardcopy map that I got when I was there. The next time I go there I'll see if the hardcopy maps are color coded and if so I'll scan a copy to post on the main trail page for this trail.
Just as a point of reference, this is the entrance to the Moraine Hills Path right where I parked. If I would have gotten on to the path here I would have skipped that detour on the River Road Trail. That's OK, though that was a nice part of the ride too.
Here's the photo tour of the Moraine Hills Bike Paths from Pike Marsh, down the River Road Trail, back to the Moraine Hills Trail to the Fox River and the McHenry Dam, north past Yellow Head Marsh through the Northern Woods, around Leatherleaf Bog and then around Lake Defiance and back from July, 2012.
Moraine Hills Paths Photo Page 1 - Pike Marsh to Tunnel
Moraine Hills Paths Photo Page 2 - McHenry Dam to Black Tern Marsh
Moraine Hills Paths Photo Page 3 - Viewing Platform to Northern Woods
Moraine Hills Paths Photo Page 4 - Northern Woods to Lake Defiance
Moraine Hills Paths Photo Page 5 - Opossum Run to Pine Marsh < you are here