The Cedar Lake Trail has everything you could want from a mountain bike trail: fast flowing singletrack, semi-technical rocks, numerous creek crossings, a slickrock spillway, and doubletrack (love it or hate it).  The western side of the Cedar Lake trail is primarily singletrack with minor ups and downs.  The eastern half of the Cedar Lake trail has steep uphills and very fast downhills.  The trail is an out-and-back and can be combined with the Cove Hollow trail.  The trail is about 7 miles from Rt. 51 to Boat Dock road, which makes for a 14 mile out and back.  Advanced riders can do it in about 1.5 hours (or less), intermediate in about 2 hours, and beginners should allow about 3 hours.  

If you feel ambitious, you might attempt the Cove Hollow trail which will add an additional 8 miles round trip.  The Cove Hollow trail is very technical with bolder fields and steep rocky decents.  The views on the Cove Hollow trail are spectacular to say the least.  Travel to the top of the bluffs to ride on slickrock with rewarding panoramic views of Cedar Lake.  Be very careful on the downhills; this trail is really a rugged hiking trail, but us crazy fools frequently take our bikes out on it.  Ride at the foot of the bluffs and enjoy the awesome formations of 100' bluffs with natural amphitheaters and crevasses. 

To start the Cedar Lake trail from the Old Rt. 51 side, travel south from Carbondale on Rt. 51 and keep your eye out for the Old Rt. 51 crossroad (about two miles south of SIUC). Turn right at the old Rt. 51 crossroad and continue for about 5 miles to McGuire Road. There will be a "river to river trail crossing" sign, but it is easy to miss. Turn right at McGuire road, and then take the first left, which is Rowen road. Travel down Rowen until you see the trailhead on the right.

To start at the Boat Dock road trailhead, travel west on Old Rt. 13 from Carbondale until it intersects Rt. 127, take a left. Continue on Rt. 127 for about 9 miles until you see Boat Dock road to your left. There will be a sign for Cedar Lake and Pomona. Pomona road is to the right and Boat Dock road is to the left. Travel down Boat Dock road for about 1 mile and look for the trail head to the right. There is a wide shoulder for parking. The Cove Hollow trail is on the left side of the road.

To start at the Cove Hollow trailhead from Dutch Ridge road, travel down Rt. 127 from Murphysboro until you find Dutch Ridge road on the left. Travel down Dutch Ridge road for about 2 miles until you find Cove Hollow road on your right. Drive down Cove Hollow road until it dead ends at the trail head and parking lot. Be very careful when starting this trail because it is real rocky, steep, and dangerous. Also, you will start on top of the bluffs, some of which are 100' tall.