Mason City is a small Iowa community of 27,000 surrounded by cornfields and bisected by rivers, which lend some modest topography to the landscape. Located just off I-35 and almost equidistant from Iowa City and Minneapolis, there is little else around — so Mason City has taken it upon itself to invest in its local biking and recreation infrastructure to the tune of $13 million.
This recent investment in recreational infrastructure began in 2021, and the final touches are expected to wrap up in late 2025. A grant from the State of Iowa has “covered approximately 40% of the cost, and the city covered the remaining 60%,” according to Aaron Burnett, City Administrator for Mason City. The focal point of this recreational infrastructure consists of singletrack trails for mountain biking, a fully-paved bike park, and two pump tracks. That said, the total $13M cost also includes paved trails used to connect small parks within the city.
5 miles of brand-new singletrack in the heart of Mason City.
In 2024, Rock Solid Trails completed five miles of brand-new singletrack in Mason City. This new trail system is, like most professionally-designed trail systems, built for riders of all abilities. “It features a dedicated pump track for kids, as well as beginner-friendly features to help riders progress toward more advanced skills, including larger jumps,” said Burnett. “For more experienced riders, we have five black-diamond/expert-level lines, offering challenging terrain that will push even the most skilled riders to their limits. Whether you’re just starting out or an expert seeking a challenge, this system has something for everyone.”
The singletrack has been intentionally constructed in four different locations throughout Mason City, which will “turn their town into a ‘little Bentonville,'” according to Adam Munich, Digital Marketing Coordinator for Rock Solid Trail Contracting.
These disparate parks — most notably Evans Preserve and City Side — are connected using the aforementioned paved greenways, which “seamlessly connect key community spaces,” according to Burnett. “Each trail has been strategically placed to showcase different areas of Mason City, helping to highlight the area’s natural beauty while supporting our goal of making Mason City a premier destination for outdoor recreation.”
While there’s undoubtedly natural beauty to be found, some sections of land were repurposed from other, more intensive uses, and retrofitted for recreational trails. “Constructing sustainable trails through old mine pits and dump sites filled with concrete rubble, ponds left by draglines, etc., was a fun challenge that required some outside-the-box trail design and construction techniques!” said Munich.
Some new trails have even been built adjacent to the local public schools. The schools have been “stocked with donated Trek Bikes to be used in PE class,” according to Munich. “This system is changing the community at the roots! Imagine having a pump track, bikes, and helmets all ready to go on-site for sunny days in gym class?”
Coming in 2025: a paved bike park.
According to Burnett, the mountain biking highlight will be “a fully paved jump park featuring wall rides, berms, jumps, and rollers designed to challenge riders of every ability.” This park is currently planned for construction by Rock Solid in 2025.
On a recent road trip through Iowa, I had the opportunity to sample another Rock Solid project in the state — Cone Park in Sioux City, which opened earlier this year. While I was personally focused on exploring the expertly crafted singletrack, which makes the most of the tallest hill for miles around, I paused at the paved bike park to watch riders on all types of bikes session the hits. While I felt like getting sendy on paved jumps was a little too high-consequence, I was in awe of the expertly-crafted features and beautiful lips and landings. The largest hits were definitely expert-only! If Mason City’s bike park is anything like the new park in Sioux City, it will be an instant hit.
Two pump tracks are also planned for construction — one beginner-friendly, and one for advanced riders.
Mason City isn’t stopping there…
A $13 million recreational investment in a city of 27,000 is already substantial, but Mason City isn’t stopping there. Burnett noted that the city is “actively seeking funding to complete four additional projects. In addition, our county is working on connecting another 11 miles of singletrack trails to the city’s existing network, which will expand the total trail system to 16 miles of accessible trails right from our community.”
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