Five miles of new bike trails are coming to Catawba Meadows Park in Â鶹´«Ã½.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, in collaboration with Â鶹´«Ã½ Parks and Recreation, Overmountain Cycles, Black Diamond Trail Designs and the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League.
The new bike park will have more than 5 miles of new trails consisting of beginner, intermediate and advanced sections. Trail construction at Catawba Meadows is underway, and the anticipated public opening will be in October, the release from Foothills said. Catawba Meadows Park is along Sanford Drive north of downtown Â鶹´«Ã½.
“We are thrilled for this project to be completed and to bring another exciting amenity to our public and those visiting the area,†said Bryan Fish, director of Â鶹´«Ã½ Parks and Recreation. “The trail will enhance the experience of those visiting Catawba Meadows to go with our existing disc golf course, Beanstalk zip lines and challenge course, playground, greenway and baseball/softball complex.â€
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The trail project began in 2020, with environmental reviews, fundraising and the construction of a 1-mile advanced section of trail, according to the release.
“This has been a very complex project that has taken many years to get to the construction stage,†said Shane Prisby, Trails Program director at Foothills Conservancy. “We’ve overcome funding hurdles, acquired a trail easement with a private landowner, completed a no-rise study and had our comprehensive erosion and sediment control plan approved, and we are so excited that this project is moving forward so people can enjoy the trail system soon.â€
Once completed, the trails will meet standards for organized racing events, which means children from around the state may come to Burke to participate and compete, Foothills said in the release.
“The opening of the Catawba Meadows trail system in Â鶹´«Ã½ is a huge win for the league’s mission of getting more kids on bikes,†said Brian Russell, director for the NC Interscholastic Cycling League. “These trails provide a safe, fun and accessible place for young riders to develop their skills and passion for mountain biking. We’re especially excited for our local Burke County Bearcats team, who now have access to a first-class training ground right in their backyard.â€
Unlike many mountain bike trails, which often are not in close proximity to towns and have limitations associated with parking availability to accommodate larger crowds, the Catawba Meadows bike park trails will be easily accessed from downtown with ample parking, Foothills said.
Funding has been a combination of private donations raised by FCNC, public funding through the city of Â鶹´«Ã½ and a Recreation Trails Program grant from North Carolina State Parks, Foothills said.