Touring * Fitness * Artistic *

From State Highway 99, exit north on Interstate Highway 59 (J Street). Across the railroad tracks, turn right on 16th Street, and three blocks down, turn right onto G Street. Follow G north for about a mile to Yosemite Avenue, where you must turn right, and proceed for another mile to the intersection with Lake Road. Turn left and follow Lake Road north for another mile; you'll be able to see the trail on the right. After you enter Lake Yosemite County Park, take the first right and park in the first lot. The trail is by the park entrance. (You may be able to skip paying the entrance fee by parking on the road shoulder near the entrance instead.)

Map: For a free map of the Merced Bike Routes, contact the Merced Conference and Visitors Bureau at the address below.

If you're feeling adventurous and strong, you're ready for the Lake Road trail, a stretch of country asphalt that's seen better days. But the view from here is worth the extra effort, because fields of the Central Valley's agricultural wealth stretch for what seems like forever to the north and south, and the Sierra Nevada peaks make a dramatic and jagged horizon to the east.

The connecting trail leading out of Yosemite to the Lake Road trail is truly awful, with grass growing from the raised cracks; you're better off walking on the lawn from the south parking lot. Two gravel driveways to Lake Road litter the trail with tiny pebbles in the first mile, which also necessitates a bit of roller-hiking, but the pavement quality improves greatly within a quarter-mile of leaving the park. The only other problem is the messy debris that collects under the stand of eucalyptus trees near the trail's end at Yosemite Avenue; watch out for twigs, bark, and acorns! And a final warning to you hardy adventurers: Lake Road may look flat, but you'll notice a gradual increase in your heart rate with the trail's gradual rise. You can definitely get a great cardiovascular workout on this skate.