As the young and young-at-heart took turns riding loops at the newly opened bike skills park – dubbed The Yard – onlookers cheered. It wasn’t just the gravity-defying feats they celebrated, but also the addition of a new outdoor recreation amenity that will offer year-round enjoyment for all.
On May 5th at 5:30 pm, The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District (CCRD), Fremont Adventure Recreation (FAR), and the City of Cañon City held the ribbon cutting for the skills park, located at the Eagle Wing Trailhead at South Canon Trails. About 80 people, including children as young as 3 years old, attended the event and took turns riding the 13 new manmade features and two independent trails that make up the park. Local riders are excited about park, which offers opportunity for skills progression and a great counterpart to the adjacent flow trail – Smooth Criminal – and moderate trails at South Cañon.
“The Yard Bike Park is fantastic,” says Cañon City resident Tenille Lenard. Lenard’s son, Mason, was part of the planning process for the project. Her two children, ages 12 and 9, enjoy the park and its proximity to both the Riverwalk and Centennial Park. “You can enjoy both trail riding, as a family, and then sit and watch your kids jump and play at the park. You can also head straight downtown to enjoy some food, too.”
With trails designed and cut by local trail builders at Terra Firma Trails and features built by Progressive Bike Ramps, the park is now ready to open to mountain bike and BMX riders.
“For me, the overall community involvement is the best part,” says trail designer Steve Thomas of Terra Firma Trails. “The community helped in every way possible.” Community members assisted with post hole digging, trail finishing, sign design, safety videos, and more. “I’m also proud of our team that pulled off the project in a short amount of time. I was excited to see everyone out there and hope everyone stays safe and has fun!”
The most important safety points for using a skills park are:
The park is open to bicycle traffic only and is not open to motorized riders. Land managers ask that the community please respect this rule as well as closures when trails are muddy. All users of the bike park should exercise caution when participating in any recreation activities.
The Yard and the Eagle Wing parking area are closed from dusk to dawn every night. This has greatly reduced vandalism in the area and the facility is adjacent to a neighborhood. Users are asked to be respectful of the surrounding neighbors.
On May 5th at 5:30 pm, The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District (CCRD), Fremont Adventure Recreation (FAR), and the City of Cañon City held the ribbon cutting for the skills park, located at the Eagle Wing Trailhead at South Canon Trails. About 80 people, including children as young as 3 years old, attended the event and took turns riding the 13 new manmade features and two independent trails that make up the park. Local riders are excited about park, which offers opportunity for skills progression and a great counterpart to the adjacent flow trail – Smooth Criminal – and moderate trails at South Cañon.
“The Yard Bike Park is fantastic,” says Cañon City resident Tenille Lenard. Lenard’s son, Mason, was part of the planning process for the project. Her two children, ages 12 and 9, enjoy the park and its proximity to both the Riverwalk and Centennial Park. “You can enjoy both trail riding, as a family, and then sit and watch your kids jump and play at the park. You can also head straight downtown to enjoy some food, too.”
With trails designed and cut by local trail builders at Terra Firma Trails and features built by Progressive Bike Ramps, the park is now ready to open to mountain bike and BMX riders.
“For me, the overall community involvement is the best part,” says trail designer Steve Thomas of Terra Firma Trails. “The community helped in every way possible.” Community members assisted with post hole digging, trail finishing, sign design, safety videos, and more. “I’m also proud of our team that pulled off the project in a short amount of time. I was excited to see everyone out there and hope everyone stays safe and has fun!”
The most important safety points for using a skills park are:
- Always wear a helmet.
- Ride within your abilities.
- Check that your bike is in good working order.
- Go SLOW your first few times. Pre-ride, re-ride, then free-ride.
The park is open to bicycle traffic only and is not open to motorized riders. Land managers ask that the community please respect this rule as well as closures when trails are muddy. All users of the bike park should exercise caution when participating in any recreation activities.
The Yard and the Eagle Wing parking area are closed from dusk to dawn every night. This has greatly reduced vandalism in the area and the facility is adjacent to a neighborhood. Users are asked to be respectful of the surrounding neighbors.
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