Sunday Evening Wichita Falls Circle Trail Bike Exploration Ends With Log Jam

Yester Sunday morning a thunderstorm downpour nixed my plan to roll my wheels on the section of the Wichita Falls Circle Trail I had not previously seen, and thus did not know the route by which the Circle Trail made its way from my abode to the Wichita River.

By yester Sunday evening the sky had returned to being mostly blue and the morning moat which had surrounded my abode had drained, thus allowing access to the Circle Trail and the aforementioned rolling of my wheels where they had not rolled before.

Previous to yesterday's revealing rolling I erroneously assumed the Circle Trail somehow made its way north through the massive maze of highways intersecting at the southeast side of downtown Wichita Falls.

Instead of going under that maze of highways the Circle Trail heads much further east than I figured it did, continuing to follow Holliday Creek and the Holliday Creek Gorge, in the same manner as the Circle Trail follows Holliday Creek as it passes my abode.

The only major highway the Circle Trail goes under is Highway 287, just a short distance west of the Castaway Cove Waterpark.

Continuing north from Castaway Cove the Circle Trail passes under Scott Avenue, which was the main drag through Wichita Falls prior to freeways coming to town. I knew I was coming up on Scott Avenue because I saw the abandoned motel eyesores I had previously been appalled by, gone out of business due to the traffic diversion onto the freeways.

A mile or two after passing under Scott Avenue I came to the scene you see at the top. A gazebo overlooking an incoming creek joining Holliday Creek on its journey to the Wichita River. This gazebo has a bike repair/tire pump station. There are several of these located on the Circle Trail. The incoming creek is to the left in the picture, a bridge takes the Circle Trail over that creek with the Circle Trail then beginning a long descent on its way under a railroad bridge.

Soon after passing under the railroad bridge I realized I was nearing Williams Park.

Last Thursday after doing some after hours art walking in downtown Wichita Falls I biked to Williams Park from the MPEC (Multi-Purpose Event Center). Prior to reaching Williams Park I made the surprising discovery of the site of the original Wichita Falls.

Last night I pedaled through Williams Park, then past where I had turned around on Thursday, but I did not pedal all the way to the location of the original Wichita Falls. The sun's light was beginning to slightly dim, so I stopped at the location you see below, then turned around to start the roll back to my abode.

The rocking bench you see above overlooks a big log jam on the Wichita River. I have no way of knowing if this log jam is a permanent feature, or something which was the result of a recent high water event. Log jams such as this have been known to go from jam to dam.

I have greatly enjoyed my newly expanded look at the Circle Trail. It would be nice, however, if the Circle Trail actually made a circle, with its missing sections filled in, so that one could make a round the town trip rather than having to backtrack from whence one came.

That and it would also be a good thing if some other paved trails were added, providing additional ways to roll around town, in addition to the Circle Trail which will eventually, literally, actually roll all the way around town...