Adaptive mountain bike skills course opens in West Valley City

WEST VALLEY CITY — A new cross-country mountain bike trail for bikers and hikers of all skill and ability levels opened at Lodestone Regional Park on Friday.

The Mountain Bike Skills Course started as a grassroots initiative led by high school students who loved mountain biking and scratched their own trails into the hill. Trails Utah, an organization committed to enhancing trail systems, turned their dream into a reality by gathering private donations and grant funding to design and build the adaptive course. Volunteers from the West Granite Composite Mountain Bike Team and others donated hundreds of hours to complete the project.

The course is now owned and maintained by Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. It includes approximately 6 miles of trails with beginner, intermediate and expert skill level ratings to allow all cyclists an opportunity to learn and practice. The trails also boast widened paths, passing zones, and bike-optimized features that allow differently-abled riders using adaptive bikes to use the course.

“These new trails at Lodestone Regional Park represent our commitment to expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for Salt Lake County residents,” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson in a press release. “The passion our community has for mountain biking and getting outdoors is remarkable, and this skills course will provide riders of all abilities a place to improve their techniques while enjoying our beautiful natural landscape.”

Mountain bike lovers attended the ribbon cutting of the new skills course on Monday, and riders from the West Granite Composite Mountain Bike Team, Wasatch Adaptive Sports and local families were among the first to use the trail.

Utah leads the nation in high school mountain bike racing participants, with Salt Lake County leading the state, according to Trails Utah Director Sarah Bennett. This has created a higher demand for trails and courses that riders can use to improve their skills and train for races.

“It’s starting to really influence a lot of what we do, and we just have huge applause and gratitude for all the parents and all the coaches that give their time and help make these things happen,” said Bennett.

Trails are also a priority for residents of Salt Lake County in general. Bennett explained that in the last three needs assessments conducted by the county’s Parks and Recreation department, trails ranked as either the first or second priority for participants. She believes the Mountain Bike Skills Course may interest residents because of its accessibility — all they need is a pair of shoes.

“We’re Utahns. We love being outside and we love trails, so this just seemed like such a great idea,” Bennett said. “We really couldn’t be happier to see it happen and have the county really embrace it, as well.”

The course includes seven trails: three easy, three moderate and one difficult. Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation recommends riding within one’s skill level and not riding faster than comfortable to avoid losing control of the bike or colliding with other cyclists and hikers.

As novice and experienced mountain bikers utilize the new course, Bennett reminds riders to help maintain and protect the trail.

“This is your park. These are your trails,” she said. “So be stewards, talk to the (Parks and Recreation staff) if you see something … that’s not permitted. We want to hear from you.”

Lodestone Regional Park is a 60-acre park located at 6252 W. 6200 South, spanning both Kearns and West Valley City. The Mountain Bike Skills Course is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Class 1 electric bicycles are permitted on the trail, but any bikes with a throttle or assisted speed higher than 20 mph are prohibited.