The orchard ride of autumn

Pumpkin Spice & Cider Donuts

follow the old railroad to the barn, and back

When the oaks turn gold, the old railroad the Stone Bridge rides on becomes an orchard run. Follow it east onto the Long Prairie Trail and a short country spur drops you at the original Edwards Apple Orchard in Poplar Grove. Cider donuts taste measurably better after twenty miles. This is settled science.

The big one

🍩 The full KD Line orchard run

~30 mi round trip from Roscoe · Stone Bridge + Long Prairie + a short spur

The whole promise of the Stone Bridge, in one autumn day. Ride east off the bridge, roll straight onto the Long Prairie Trail at the county line, and follow the old railbed to Poplar Grove, where a short country spur reaches the original Edwards Apple Orchard. Load the panniers and let the tailwind carry the sugar home.

  1. Start on the Stone Bridge Trail in Roscoe and ride east to the Boone County line.
  2. Roll straight onto the Long Prairie Trail and stay on it to Poplar Grove.
  3. Head south on the Centerville Road line about 1.7 miles to the orchard.
  4. Donuts, cider, the pumpkin patch. Then retrace the railbed home.

The spur roads and orchard hours are approximate; confirm the lowest-traffic line and the season, roughly late August into December, before you go.

The short & sweet

🍎 Straight to the barn from Poplar Grove

~4 mi round trip from Poplar Grove · Long Prairie + spur

No time for the full railbed? Park in Poplar Grove, ride a few minutes of Long Prairie and the short spur, and you are eating a warm donut inside half an hour. The family-friendly way in, and an easy first bike ride for the little ones.

  1. Park in Poplar Grove near the Long Prairie Trail.
  2. Take the Centerville Road spur south about 1.7 miles.
  3. The original Edwards: the barn, the donuts, the cider slushes.
  4. Back the way you came, jersey pockets full.

Orchard pin and spur line are approximate; scout the quietest road and check the orchard's hours.

🧾 What to order

Apple cider donuts

The reason the ride exists. A warm dozen, or nothing.

Hot spiced cider

Thermos-compatible. The pumpkin-spice quota, honored.

Honeycrisp seconds

Pannier ballast that only improves the ride home.

Cider slush

For the freak-warm October Saturday.

📅 When to go

  • Season: roughly mid-August into early December; peak color and peak donuts land from late September to late October. Dates shift each year, so check ahead.
  • Crowds: weekends are a scene. A weekday or a nine-o'clock Saturday arrival is the rider's window.
  • Weather: October swings twenty degrees in a day. Bring layers you can stuff in a jersey pocket.
  • Surface: the crushed limestone softens after rain, so give it a dry day to firm up.

🍁 Make more of the day

  • Keep going east: Long Prairie carries you all the way to Capron and Harvard if the legs are willing, with prairie grasses gold the whole way.
  • The bridge in fall: the oak-and-hickory canopy over the Stone Bridge itself is the best color on the route. Walk down into the gorge while you are there.
  • A short drive away: Rock Cut State Park's paved loops peak in mid-October, and its dirt trails close for the season soon after, so grab the last laps.
The Stone Bridge Trail → Long Prairie Trail → All trails