It looks like the area close to the birthplace of mountain biking may finally take a few steps in catching up to the rest of the world. Stafford Lake Park is the site of a new proposed bicycle skills park. The skills park would be an addition to the existing facilities, and for Bay Area residents, this is your chance to have your voice be heard in the design process. The site of the proposed bike park consists of roughly 14 acres of space that would be developed into a destination with jumps lines, pump tracks, a CX and short track course and more.
Stafford Lake Bike Park site - a pump track and/ or elevated freeride skills section is currently envisioned for this area
After a ride in Marin yesterday, we did a tour of the area to see what kind of potential this site had.
The proposed area for the bike park
There is some decent elevation, which means mini A-Line style trails are a strong possibility
Taking a look at the photos, the access road is the lower boundary, while a fence defines the upper area. The area is on a hill side, which will make it a lot easier to build lines that can accommodate heavier gravity bikes with minimal amount of pedaling. It would also make for a more interesting short track XC course for the NorCAl MTB High School league.
The project is currently in the planning process, with local Bike park and trail design firm Hilride contracted for the park design. They are currently requesting input from the community for desired features— this is your chance to add your voice for input into the design process. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see some sweet step up jumps worthy of learning real tricks, jump lines with hits into and out of berms with crazy flow, but most importantly, some advanced features. (AKA bigger jumps) I’d also like to see a mountain cross, dual slalom, and bigger bike course. How about you guys?
The next Bike Park Design Workshop is Wednesday, February 9th. Click here to visit the Stafford Lake Bike Park site and get additional details, or visit the Facebook page and like it to stay up to date on the progress.
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- Can you say creek gap?
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- There is some decent elevation, which means mini A-Line style trails are a strong possibility
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- Stafford Lake Bike Park site
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That is cool – except in the summer time no one is going to show up – and in the winter time the mud will stick to your tires like nothing else. So if you are wanting to plan for an area for fall and spring riding, go for it.
I would have to strongly disagree. There are plans to make it a venue for the NorCal High School league, and if a slalom course or MTX course is built, there is a possibility of a series taking place as well. There is great parking as well as family oriented facilities, and enough space to accommodate many skill levels and user groups. Not to mention the community support behind the project, which is huge- we looked at what happens when the riding community isn’t engaged with our recent post on the Ashland Jump Park site- this is very different. The local riders are starved for this kind of opportunity. When you take into account the fact there are NO facilities like this in the area, I can’t imagine it not being used.
There is also quite a bit of rock onsite, and there are good materials locally so hardening the tread for wet weather shouldn’t be an issue at all. I’ve ridden a few of Hilride’s projects and they have the experience to get it done right.
Jason has it right. I hope the naysayer attitue does not prevail as this is an incredible site. Hilride has already done soil tests as shown on the feasibilty study and is in the process of getting complete engineering data to make it year ’round facility.
Thanks for the post J!
Right on! Would be great to see a bike park at Stafford lake!
Hilride knows what’s up. I”m not worried about track issues at all.
I love that they’re thinking an ‘A-Line’ type trail might work.. that would be sick!.
Update that there is a final input meeting January 9th. http://www.staffordlakebikepark.com
i think this is a great idea. more positive things for kids to do!!