Trail Flow is a roundup of all the mountain bike trail related news of the week including new trail builds, advocacy, and planning. Do you have trail news? Email [email protected] for possible inclusion.
$4.1M grant for trails in Tenterfield, New South Wales, AU
The town of Tenterfield in New South Wales, Australia has plans to develop the largest, year-round mountain bike destination in Australia, and recently received a massive grant from the government to do so. Backers say, “ultimately, Angry Bull Trails will build 174km of MTB trails all within 15km of Tenterfield. The project will be developed in a staged manner and initially the destination will include the development of 157km of MTB trails catering for all skill levels including trails for adaptive riders in three zones both close to town and further afield.”
8.5km build underway at Uki Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tweed Valley, Scotland
Construction has begun on a 8.5km trail network in the Tweed Valley, with opening day slated for sometime in mid-2023, according to a release. Plans call for two climbing trails and six downhills, with difficulty ratings ranging from beginner to advanced. A pump track and skills park are planned as well.
Support IMBA and mountain bike-related bills due for passage at the end of the year
This week, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act (BSTAA) passed the House of Representatives. Earlier this year, the Biking on Long Distance Trails Act (BOLT Act) passed too and America’s Outdoor Recreation Act (AORA) also passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. All three are now waiting for a full vote in the Senate.
With support, IMBA hopes to get all three passed before 2022 is over. The BOLT Act identifies at least 10 existing long-distance trails and 10 areas where there is opportunity to complete these trails. The BSTAA would help Utah’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail and when complete, run almost 300 miles, from Nephi, Utah to the Idaho/Utah border. AORA includes other IMBA bills and would streamline the process for permitting guides and outfitters and increase recreation opportunities on federal lands for service members and veterans.
Voice your support here.
MTB trail officially opens in Greenville, South Carolina
The trails at Lakeside Park in Piedmont, South Carolina officially opened last week, though we first wrote about the development in the summer of 2021. The project, which features 6 miles of trails, was spearheaded by the Upstate Grenways and Trails Alliance (UGTA) in partnership with the city of Greenville.
Major addition to the Arkansas Hills trail system
Salida Mountain Trails is planning to create a trail linking the Panorama Trail to the F Street trailhead. According to the group, “the project will bring a popular non-system trail into the SMT network, making it more sustainable and user-friendly through minor reroutes, the addition of stone steps, and more. We’ll also build about 1,000 feet of fresh trail, and rehab 500 feet of redundant and/or unsustainable trail. Once completed, this will create a mile-long route, open only to foot traffic, from our busiest trailhead to a panoramic viewpoint.”
Silver City trails open in Tasmania
The Silver City MTB Trails at Zeehan opened on December 10. The network holds 35km total and include everything from beginner to expert trails. Many of the trails pay homage to the area’s history of mining through the trail names.
Trail coming to former site of alpine slide in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
A new trail in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado will take the place of a former alpine slide trail, according to the Post Independent.
“There’s going to be a lot of sculpting and features,” Mike Pritchard, the executive director for the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA), told the Post Independent. “We want to get the flow of the trail right, and we want to ensure that those features are built really safely.”
Earlier this year, the club built the climbing portion of the trail. In the spring, they’ll have a contractor layout the downhill.
Michigan winter fat bike trail in development
Michigan’s Edge Mountain Biking Association is planning to groom a 3-5 mile fat bike trail this winter near Muskegon. The trail at Pioneer County Park will be singletrack and “mostly flat” according to MLive.
New DH trail approved for Emerald Mountain in Steamboat
The Routt County Riders recently received approval for a new downhill trail to be constructed within the Emerald Mountain trail network according to the Steamboat Pilot. The trail is slated to be advanced/expert rated and when complete will be one of two directional trails available to riders.
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