A guide to Californiaโ€™s community bike parks

Compiledย andย editedย byย Micheleย Lamelin

Beloved and belated Aptos Post Office Jumps community bike park (Bogdan Marian).

Beloved and belated Aptos Post Office Jumps community bike park (Bogdan Marian).

As mountain biking continues to grow in popularity, bike parks are cropping up everywhere. Just as healthy, sustainable bicycling trail systems benefit communities, bike parks similarly do so. Cycling promotes physical, mental and emotional health, and bike parks โ€“ which are designed to accommodate riders of all abilities and ages โ€“ make it convenient for individuals, families, friends, clubs and other groups to get outside for some clean, healthy fun. Bike parks also draw visitors to their communities, which in turn lends support to local restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, hotels, bike shops and other businesses. Read on to learn about the thriving bike parks located in communities throughout California.


Bijou Bike Park
South Lake Tahoe

Bijou Bike Park (contributed).

Bijou Bike Park (contributed).

The Bijou Bike Park consists of three slopestyle jump lines, a BMX track flanked by two pump tracks and a perimeter loop trail located on five acres of land within an existing City of South Lake Tahoe park. The start hill for the jump lines allow local kids to rub elbows with some of the best riders in the world like Cam Zink and Martin Soderstrom.

Led by the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA), the community support and use of the bike park has been huge since its opening in September of 2015, and the City has received much praise for its forward thinking use of park land.

The park is free and open to the public sunrise to sunset, weather permitting.

Learn more at bijoubikepark.org.


Stafford Lake Bike Park
Novato

Stafford Lake Bike Park (Ken Viale Photography).

Stafford Lake Bike Park (Ken Viale Photography).

The 17-acre Stafford Lake Bike Park is located within Stafford Lake County Park in Novato.

The full spectrum bike park provides progressive opportunities and experiences for riders of all ages and skill levels to participate in positive, healthy, and active outdoor recreation.

The Friends of Stafford Lake Bike Park, in conjunction with Marin County Parks, raised approximately $800,000 for the project from local companies, families, bicycle oriented corporations and generous foundations.

The facility opened to great fanfare in 2015 and serves a population of approximately 1.3 million people โ€“ of all ages and skill levels โ€“ and attracts visitors from Sonoma, Napa, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo as well as its home base in Marin County.

Learn more at staffordlakebikepark.com.


Truckee Bike Park
Truckee

Truckee Bike Park (contributed).

Truckee Bike Park (contributed).

A cycling destination that includes a pump track, dirt jumps, flow lines, drop zone and dual-slalom, this park builds bike skills for all abilities, and is fun for the entire family.

The park is the product of a non-profit, volunteer-supported effort to build a world-class destination for locals and tourists.

This recreational asset for the Truckee community offers many benefits for its community. Privately funded, with three more phases of development already approved, donations are welcome.

Learn more at truckeebikepark.org.


Woodward Bike Park
Fresno

Woodward Bike Park (contributed).

Woodward Bike Park (contributed).

One of the most dynamic mountain bike parks in the country, this 10-acre progressive facililty serves its community by offering youth a healthy outlet and by attracting people from the surrounding area to visit Fresno.

Beginner, intermediate and expert level riders alike enjoy the trails and features of this park. The Air DH Trail boasts 40 progressive table top jumps in a row; the Fish Loop Short Track XC is a one mile single track time trial course; and the North Shore trail features over a quarter mile of technical balance lines. Additional features include The World Cup Observed Trials Zones, Pump Track and the South Shore Drop Zone.

Learn more at woodwardmtbpark.com.


Morro Bay Bike Park
Morro Bay

Morro Bay Bike Park (contributed).

Morro Bay Bike Park (contributed).

The Morro Bay Bike Park is dedicated to accommodating riders of all ages, skill levels and riding disciplines, and has brought the Morro Bay community together in many ways.

The local gardening club took on the landscaping as their community project, parents enjoy the activity with their children, and kids take a proactive part in the park maintenance giving them a sense of ownership and a healthy physical outlet. The bike park also benefits the community by bringing in out-of-town visitors which in turn supports the local businesses and restaurants.

Learn more at cccmb.org.


River Bend Bike Park
Lompoc

BP-RiverBend1

River Bend Bike Park (contributed).

This five acre multi-skill level facility boasts four pump tracks, ten wood features and eight jump lines. Features vary in complexity to challenge all riders from beginner to expert, and include narrow bridges, balance beams, a 20-foot tall wall ride and more. The park was built FOR the community BY the community and is free to ride during normal daylight hours, weather permitting.

Learn more at riverbendbikepark.com.


IN THE WORKS

Velocity Bike Park
Felton

Velocity Bike Park is being developed in an accessible, attractive location with community involvement and support on private property. The facility is sustainably designed, appeals to a wide range of riders, and helps foster a community atmosphere in a unique outdoor setting.

Intentional bike park design also considers long-term maintenance, rider progression, and changes within the sport of mountain biking.

Designed to maximize instructional opportunities, Velocity is both a bike park and bike school. Using pump tracks, skills zones, flow trails, jump lines, the acro-bag and more all under the attention of trained and certified bike coaches will create a unique facility.

More than just a bike park, Velocity is committed to being a benefit to the local community.

The facility is currently working with Santa Cruz County to complete the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) needed to move forward with their planning process.

Keep tabs on their progress at velocitybikeparks.org.


Los Angeles Bike Park
Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Bike Park Collective (LABPC) stands with one purpose: to bring bike parks to Los Angeles.

Despite being the birth place of BMX and being home to thousands of riders, Los Angeles lacks even one single bike park. In comparison, there are 52 skate parks in the greater LA area, but only a few of them allow access to bikes.

The LABPC is committed to educating the city as well as the public about the need for a purpose built facility for bike riders of all ages and skill levels.

Keep tabs on their progress at labikeparks.com.


Lake Cunninghamย Bike Park
San Jose

The City of San Joseโ€™s 270 acre Lake Cunningham Regional Park is best known for housing the Raging Waters amusement park and also includes the Lake Cunningham Regional Skate Park. A new ten acre bike park will bring additional action sports to Lake Cunningham and cement it as a premier outdoor adventure sports park.

The facility will feature beginner through advanced pump tracks, dirt jumps, freeride park, drop trails and skills trails. A dual slalom track will flank the southwest side of the park providing riders a chance to race each other side by side.

City of San Jose Vice Mayor, Rose Herrera, is excited that the new bike park โ€œhas the opportunity to become a hub for community and larger scale events and bike races.โ€

Keep tabs on their progress at sjactionsports.com.