The F.O.D. volunteers are working wonders with that place. I went over to ride one Sat morning in June/July, and they were out there working on it. The guy showed me the masterplan and whatnot. It will be nicer than it already is when it's done, but for walking and learning as a "nature trail" it will likely NEVER be what it once was. It didn't have nearly the amount of trail it does now, and it wasn't intended for bikes (we rode our bikes there anyway). There was a cool swampy pond that has long-since dried up and silted in. There were concrete "podium" things that had little blue placards on them that identified different trees and grasses and other features around the park. When I first started going out there as a little kid, there was a hermit woman that lived way back in a cabin out there. 2 years ago, I found the place she used as a dump. That or it had been a hobo camp at some point. There was a HUGE wild-strawberry patch that we knew how to get to (it wasn't on the trail, and was barely in the park, and we'd eat 'til we were sick. There was also a big tudor-style house there SW of the dairy barn. It was a nice-looking house and I remember people living there in the eighties. Squatters then crackheads ruined that place, so they had to tear it down. THE thing that saved that trail and that park is the MTB community taking care of it and maintaining it and improving it until TPRD/SNCOPRD/FOD could see the value of having it. The credit really goes to them. I'm sure that's been the story for lots of trails all around this country. For a town this size, and as far away from any sort of "hipness" as it is, SNCO and Topeka have made a commitment to cyclists and cycling that is really pretty impressive. Having a city councilwoman like Karen Hiller, who rides often, has been good too. Terry Bertels had a great deal to do w/ the Landon/Shunga trails system. I don't mean to leave anyone out, but I know what those 2 have done.
There are plenty of "nice and normal" people that use that park, and it's about like anywhere in this town: there are good and bad folks everywhere. I NEVER keep to myself out there. I talk to everyone I see: 1) I used to live in that part of town so it doesn't scare me - at all and 2) I'd like to think that if I needed one of those people's help, that my kindness would work in my favor.
About riding to Clinton, my friend says to take the "little gravel" left, then to the right. He said the trail picks back up on the front edge of somebody's property and to get back on it there and that it will go on from there. He says it's rough for approx a mile, but that it will get nice again after that. He's been over the Wakarusa and into the preserve past Greene road. I've walked and fished that many, many times, but I've never ridden it, nor looked to until recently. He offered to go out there with me some time, so I plan to take him up on it if I/we don't go out to get it figured out ourselves.
I'll keep you posted. If I get this Ti bike sorted, and if the weather stays decent, I will be out there this week (like Mon or Tues).