WHAT IS THE MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK?
The Blacksburg Rotary Mountain Bike Park is a community effort, spearheaded by the Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Department. The primary purpose of this project is to establish an off-road experience in a structured setting that provides various riding opportunities and experiences to the public. The use of two key areas (Gateway and Huckleberry properties) maximizes the prospects for skill development, offering an experience that will appeal to a range of skill levels—from beginners to experts alike.
HISTORY
The current site of the Blacksburg Rotary Mountain Bike Park has a long history of providing one of the only access points to the Jefferson National Forest for the town of Blacksburg. Three decades ago the Gateway Trail began as a private property horse trail that has now developed into an extremely active multi-use trail visited regularly by many stakeholders. As part of the scope of the area to be considered in the Blacksburg Rotary Mountain Bike Park, the Friends of Huckleberry property that is situated to the south of the Gateway Park location has been identified for development in the Bike Park Concept Plan.
This area has been subject to previous informal construction of cycling specific features and minor trail development, as the terrain layout/topography are particularly suited and attractive for such opportunities. In 2015, the Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Department took the project under their wing and made it an official town initiative. The overall goal of the park is to provide a diverse landscape of mountain biking terrain, and a conduit between existing bike paths and trails.
PLANS
There are several phases to this project, the first of which was the groundbreaking on the park and creating a few trails of different skill levels. Eventually, natural terrain will be merged with man made obstacles, providing a unique and exciting riding experience and help develop riding skill. Fundraising efforts are currently underway, relying on generous sponsor donations, grants and help from the community.
