PRESS RELEASE – Cañon City, CO
‘The Yard’ Mountain Bike Skills Park Opens
It has been a year of uncertainty and challenges, but that has not stopped our community from creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation, fun, and community growth.
On May 5 at 5:30 pm, The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District (CCRD), Fremont Adventure Recreation (FAR), and the City of Cañon City are pleased to announce the ribbon cutting for the area’s first bike skills park – The Yard. Community members, donors, and supporters are encouraged to attend the event.
A bike skills park is designed to allow riders to complete loops of a short series of trails, encountering and practicing manmade features – including ramps, jumps, and rollers. In doing so, riders are able to enjoy the features while also progressing their skill level. 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 welcome mountain bike and BMX riders. Bike parks should be used with caution and with all proper safety considerations.
“This location is exceptional for a bike park as it allows connectivity to the Riverwalk and South Cañon Trails,” says FAR project coordinator Brian LeDoux. “It’s on par with bike parks that are being built across the state. This is really an amenity that kids and young-at-heart adults will treasure and put to great use.”
Located at the Eagle Wing Trailhead off of Colburn Lane, The Yard is the culmination of planning, fundraising, and collaborative efforts by the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District, The City of Cañon City, and FAR.
“The community support and fundraising efforts have been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging,” says FAR’s Director, Brian VanIwarden. “We are extremely grateful to our donors for supporting this project.” Fundraising efforts by FAR yielded over $14,000, funding over 35% of the total project cost. Additional funding was provided by FAR’s 1% for Trails program, which local businesses support through a donation program.
The skills park (in conjunction with the nearby downhill flow trail – Smooth Criminal) was approved in December of 2019 by the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District – which owns and manages the land in the South Cañon / Schepp Open Space area. Smooth Criminal opened in November 2020 and has been extremely popular.
“The Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District is pleased to partner with both FAR and the City of Cañon City in making this project a reality,” said Kyle Horne, Executive Director of the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District. “When Walter Schepp donated the land for the South Cañon Trails several years ago, and property was purchased from Summit Brick, there was a vision that it would be used to enhance recreation opportunities in our community. This is just another step in that process. We hope the community enjoys both the beginner and intermediate lines at The Yard.”
Local student Mason Lenard presented the idea to the Rec. District and was an early advocate of the flow trail and bike park concept. 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. Both of these restrictions help preserve the park and the lifespan of the features. Riding an appropriate bike, wearing safety equipment, and riding at one’s ability level are all important safety guidelines, and 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.
For more information on the bike park and fundraising efforts, please visit joinFAR.org.
Bryce LeDoux (10) rides one of the manmade features at The Yard Bike Skills Park, to be opened on May 5.
Maya Lenard (9) holds a sign to be installed at The Yard explaining safety tips for riding at the bike skills park. Riders must have basic bike skills to ride at the park, but can strengthen skills by practicing on progressively larger features.