Backyard Adventures

BACKYARD ADVENTURES 2016 PIKE PUBLISHING 19 beauty of the location is anyone even in a passenger car can get to the shelterhouse, which is accessed by a smoothly graded rock road. From there people can picnic and watch those with specialized vehicles, bounce, hop, slam and gracefully or some- times not so gracefully try to negotiate the various rock obstacles. The Boonie Riders a club that utilizes the area also designed some of the trails. In recent years they have designed and help build a short beginner trail as well as inter- mediate and expert trails. Reisz said most of their club members have dual purpose vehicles they drive on the road during the week and then off-road on the weekends. A few have specialized vehicles modified for use in the rock crawls and more extreme trails. The Boonie Riders and the Black Coal Riders have had several events at Interlake. The Black Coal Riders host an enduro races and over the years cut new trails for the event that had nearly 200 participants on motorcycles. Evansville Area Jeepers hosted two big charity events at the property last year and is doing so again this year. "Our Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Trail Ride is coming up on May 28. Last year we had between 400 -450 people and raised $17,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation," said Sermersheim. "We also help host the Toys for Tots ride the first Saturday of November. Both have become big events that draw a large crows form throughout the Tri-state area." "We have a lot of trails that go from point A to point B. I'm hoping we can develop more of a meandering system," said Jack- son. She said the DNR has a trail design seminar planned so the riding groups can learn from experts some of the finer points of trail design. "We want to have trail sus- tainability," said Jackson. She explained she wanted the new trails to be routed in a way that they won't constantly be under water or quickly rut out. Jackson said Interlake is unique in this part of the country in that it is open to so many different types of use. "I just keep hearing from different types of off-roaders, 'where else could we go.'" She said she keeps hearing stories of other areas where people rode in the past have been closed to the public. Interlake is one of two public off-road areas in Indiana. The other is Redbird at Dugger. She said Interlake is one of the few anywhere in the United States that allow, motorcycles, AT Vs, trucks and bicycles all on the same trails. Some trails are better for a particular vehicle, but the area is so big they all have plenty of room to enjoy them- selves. Jackson said another great feature is the area is family friendly. "It is a very family friendly area. A family can come here and do five different things the same day," said Jackson. Interlake is open seven days a week and is always buzzing with people ex- periencing the outdoors in an extreme way, mostly extremely fun way. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Left: A shelter house near the entrance of Interlake SR A off of Highway 68 just east of Lynnville. It overlooks an extreme challenge course and has nearby restrooms. Below: One of several large beautiful pits that are visible from several trails at Interlake. Parking Lot Interlake SRA 4x4 & Quad Single Track, Equestrian, & Quad Multiuse - all uses SingleTrack & Equestrian Restoration Area - Foot Traffic Only S Parking Lot Boundary Interlake SRA Trails Updated May 2012 This map is a depiction of the main trails at Interlake SRA. There are many additional trails that connect, bisect and meander around these trails. Trails are subject to change without notice Foot traffic only 0 0.5 Miles ENTRANCE (SR 68) SR 68 I-64 Restrooms & shelter are located in the parking area. OFF-ROAD

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