CINCINNATI — Work is underway on a new bike skills course at Mt. Airy Forest, Cincinnati Parks has announced.
When it's done, it will be the first beginner, natural-surface trail experience in Cincinnati. The course will span 3,710 feet of bike trail with 27 course obstacles.
It will also have an adaptive perimeter bike path through the woods.
The course is designed to give riders of varying ages and abilities the ability to improve their bike skills in a fun way.
Around the skills course, riders will also be able to take advantage of bike racks, a bike repair and pump station, a picnic area and drinking fountains.
There will also be accessible designs incorporated to create an adaptive experience for everyone. The path from the parking lot will include ADA access and there will also be accessible benches and picnic tables. Access to hiking trails will also be accessible.
Cincinnati Parks' announcement about the project says the course will provide riders with "real world trail experience" while still maintaining safety standards and keeping in alignment with Mt Airy Forest's existing landscape.
Cincinnati Parks said all the improvements will come with a carbon zero footprint.
The course will have two central components: A pump track open field course and a cross-country trail.
The open field course will have multiple skill level tiers to accommodate riders from beginner on up. It'll have wooden obstacles, ramps and adaptive features for riders of all abilities.
The cross-country trail will wind through Mt. Airy Forest's hills, taking riders through natural challenges like cutbacks, dirt swales and boulders.
When it's done, the bike skills course will be in Area 23, which is currently just an open field at the end of Trail Ridge Road and Ponderosa Ridge Road.
Cincinnati Parks said the spot was chosen because it allows plenty of room available. The area is currently underutilized, while still featuring access to parking, a comfort station, access to hiking trails and a scenic overlook, the announcement said.
While the bike skills course is being built, other amenities will also be repaired and improved.
Cincinnati Parks said restrooms in that area of the park have been out of service for many years because of needed repairs; those restrooms will be repaired and updated to become fully accessible.
The nearby scenic overlook will also under go needed maintenance and "will be spruced up," Cincinnati Parks said.
The project is the result of a collaboration between the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA), the Cincinnati Parks Foundation and the American Ramp Company.
Work on the new amenities has already begun, and Cincinnati Parks said it estimates the bike skills course will be completed in late fall.
The other amenity upgrades and repairs could take a bit longer; a bid package is being developed for those items, and Cincinnati Parks said that will inform the timeline for that portion of the project.
You can check out updates on the project's progress on the Cincinnati Parks' website.
This trail is in addition to the already-existing 4.5-mile natural-surface trails. Those trails wind through a pocket of Mt. Airy Forest tucked in between I-74 and West Fork Road.
