Hikes

Suggested hikes from the Route 31 parking lot, in order of distance:

To the Pure Oil silo. Take the path at the back of the groomed park area to the track surface and turn right. The silo and an old barn foundation are right there. The crumbled pavement under your feet is the track. It was originally about 30 feet wide here. The twisted I-beam post next to the silo held a guard rail just a couple of feet from the concrete silo.

Up the Little Monza (called Greg's Corkscrew on some maps). Continue north (the direction you're heading) from the silo. There is a soggy section. There may be drier ground on either side of the "track". Hike up the hill. You are going opposite race traffic direction. Once to the top of the turn, there is a short-cut trail back down the hill on your left. It avoids the soggy section. You can continue up the main straight if you wish, but the climb down into and out of the wash-out is daunting. It's easier to go down the hill and continue your journey.

Up the Uphill. Going south (left from the parking lot) on the track will take you across a small washout. Be careful. You are traveling in the proper race traffic direction. Continue up the hill. The first turn-off on your right is the 1.1 mile "club course" cut-off added in 1968. It curves up and around to join the main straight. You can either go back down the hill or continue to...

The Paddock Tour. If you go up the 1.1 mile cut-off and then left on the main straight (counter race traffic), you approach the paddock area. Looking right and left, you get a feel for the great length of the main straight. Walking toward the paddock, you'll see the downhill cut-off for the 2.2 mile "short course" on your left. Notice the steel tube underpass going under the track. It has filled in now, but you used to be able to drive a truck through it. You can either walk counter-race to the head of the straight and around the curve where the Monza Wall used to be, or you can cut across the paddock to Doane's Corner. This area was skinned clean in 1958. You may see a paved paddock road and a concrete gas pump pad, but that's about all that is left in the paddock. There are no traces of the various towers.

A Lap of the Whole Track. Instead of taking a cut-off at the top of the Uphill, follow the main course. Continue along the track until you come to the concrete and steel remains of the vehicle overpass. Immediately beyond the old bridge the track has been covered by fill. The trail that goes straight ahead does not follow the pavement. Bear slightly left for about 75 yards and you will see the pavement emerge again. Press on. Obviously, the houses on your left were built long after the cars departed. (Any questions about why we can't race here again?)

The paving re-appears as you start to sweep uphill toward The Jump. You can still see the lip that launched cars just before the track levels out, but the underpass that formed The Jump and the heavy walls that made it interesting are long gone. Following the straight down toward Doane's Corner, the pavement disintegrates again.

As you go a little further, you reach the area where the straights into and out of Doane's were directly next to each other, separated only by Armco on either side of the same posts. A few of the posts remain. Continue up the straight and follow the trail around the turn. The paving is completely gone here. As you emerge from the brush at the end of the turn, you may want to climb the hill in the center of the turn. The large post there was a corner post for one of the elevated flag stations.

Continue back down the same straight you came up and realize how close the opposing cars were to each other. Some pavement appears as you get to the area where the Monza Wall once was. The famous Wall was bulldozed at the start of 1968, to be replaced by this dumb flat turn. Follow the paving around and you'll come to a large square pad. This was the staging and starting area when drag races were held here in 1968. Off to your left is the start of the main straight. Once onto the main straight, the pits were on your left, the main grandstands on your right. The tower and start finish line were about 100 yards down the straight.

Continue down the main straight and take one of the cut-offs to the top of the Uphill and return downhill to the parking area. If you still have some steam left and want to make the whole 3.27 mile tour, continue down the main straight to the wash out. Slip and slide down the steep slope into the wash and be amazed at the tiny stream that wreaked havoc on the main straight. Clamber back up the other side and continue toward the Little Monza. There is no paving here- I am told it has been covered. Visualize the cars that once thundered through here at 180+MPH! Once you reach the Little Monza, the paving begins again.

At the end of the Little Monza, the ground gets pretty mushy, but if you've made it this far, this will present no problem. Continue along the track until you pass the Pure Oil silo and then go left into the parking area.

Congratulations. You've completed a lap that race cars used to do in about 2 minutes!

Suggested hikes from the Huntley Road parking lot, in order of distance:

The white stone path from the parking lot leads up to the track surface. The pavement at the top of the grade is the race track, shortly after The Jump. Race traffic came from your right down toward Doane's Corner on your left. Across the track you can see the paddock area. This was all skinned clean forty years ago. An ongoing project is to pull out all the invasive plants and trees that have grown up since then and replace them with natural prarie plants and bushes that grew here before the track was built.

To The Jump. Hike right from the white stone path and you'll shortly come to The Jump. You can still see the lip that launched cars as they came up the hill, but the underpass that formed The Jump and the heavy walls that made it interesting are long gone. If you go down the hill (counter-race) you will see the portion of the track behind the Monza Wall called Steffen's Straight. It was completely choked with brush and trees growing right up through the paving! Obviously the race cars were long gone before the houses on your right were built. (This should answer any questions about whether we'll be able to race here again.)

To the Paddock. From the end of the white stone path, follow the footpath across the track. The second paving is the track as it enters the area of the old Monza Wall. That steeply banked 180 degree turn was the hallmark of Meadowdale Raceway. The wall was bulldozed before the 1968 season in preparation for the Trans-Am race. If you follow the course to your right you will see the start of the 4,000 foot front straight.

To Doane's Corner. If you hike left at the top of the white stone path, you will be on the straight leading to Doane's Corner. As you go a little further, you reach the area where the straights into and out of Doane's were directly next to each other, separated only by Armco on either side of the same posts. A few of the posts remain. Continue up the straight and follow the trail around the turn. The paving is completely gone here. As you emerge from the brush at the end of the turn, you may want to climb the hill in the center of the turn. The large post there was a corner post for one of the elevated flag stations. Continue back down the same straight you came up and realize how close the opposing cars were to each other.

The 2.2 mile "short course" Continue the Doane's Corner hike above. Some pavement appears as you get to the area where the Monza Wall once was. The famous Wall was bulldozed at the start of 1968, replaced by this dumb flat turn. Follow the paving around and you'll come to a large square pad. This was the staging and starting area when drag races were held here in 1968.

Continue around to the start of the main straight. Once onto the main straight, the pits/drag strip return road were on your left, the main grandstands on your right. The five-story tower and start finish line were about 100 yards down the straight. Continue down the main straight and take the first paved cut-off to the right.

Follow the track until you come to the concrete and steel remains of the vehicle overpass. Immediately beyond the old bridge the track has been covered with fill. Bear slightly left for about 75 yards and you will see pavement again. Press on.

The low part of the track was almost completely blocked by trees and underbrush that had grown up right through the paving! There was a pond to your right that wet the track from time to time.This wrecked most of the pavement back here behind the Monza Wall. Obviously, the houses on your left were built long after the race cars departed.

Continue around the curve and the paving returns. Going uphill you are approaching The Jump. You can still see the lip that launched most cars, but the underpass that formed The Jump and the heavy walls that made it interesting are long gone. After The Jump you are on the straight leading to Doane's Corner. Left on the white stone path to the parking lot.

Tackling the entire 3.27 mile course. If you're after some real exercise, rather than taking the 2.2 mile cut-off from the main straight, continue down the main straight. You will come to the barricaded wash-out where The Dip used to be. Slip and slide down the steep slope into the wash and be amazed at the tiny stream that wreaked havoc on the main straight.

Clamber back up the other side and continue toward the Little Monza. There is no paving here.- I am told the original paving is under the dirt. It's neat to realize that cars once thundered through here at 180+MPH! Once you reach the Little Monza, the paving begins again.

At the end of the Little Monza, the ground gets mushy, but if you've made it this far, this will present no problem. There is usually dry ground to the sides of the trail. Continue along the track until you see the Pure oil silo and an old barn foundation. The twisted I-beam post next to the silo held a guard rail just a couple of feet from the concrete silo. The Route 31 parking area is on your left. (There is a modular toilet there.)

Continuing on you will cross a small washout with stepping stones. Continue on and up The Uphill. The first turn-off on your right forms the 1.1 mile "club course" added in 1968. It curves up and around to join the main straight. If you're running out of steam, take either of the cut-offs up to the main straight. Turn left and there are several paths that cut across the paddock back to the Huntley Road parking lot.

But you want to stay on the main track and pick up the description from the 2.2 mile hike description above and follow it from the second paragraph on.

When you reach the white stone path again, congratulate yourself. You've completed a lap that race cars used to do in about 2 minutes!