EBS STAFF
Bozeman City Commissioners recently approved the development of a new community bike park. Bikefill, as the park has been named, will be built on 66 acres between Snowfill dog park and the old city landfill. The “world class bike park” will provide a space for safe, accessible recreation and the natural topography of the land allows for more than five miles of new trails for all ages and abilities, according to a July 23 press release from the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, the nonprofit spearheading the project, alongside partners, Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association and the City of Bozeman.
“We’ve been dreaming about this park for more than a decade,” GVLT Executive Director Chet Work said. “Bikefill is a transformative opportunity for our community to realize a remarkable asset, create something new that will stand the test of time, and engage our community in the land that surrounds us.”
The total project will cost $4.5 million, and $3.8 million has already been secured thanks to generous donors in the community, according to GVLT. To close the $700,000 gap, the land trust launched its “largest-ever fundraising campaign” that they hope to reach by the end of the summer.
Features of the project will include: smooth trails, pump tracks, and skills areas for beginners, miles of cross country trails and professionally built cyclocross features, and for advanced riders, more technical flow trails and dirt jumps. The system will also accommodate adaptive mountain bikes, and includes improvements to McIlhattan Road, the primary access to Bikefill, with a new parking lot that will provide access to both Bikefill and Snowfill.
After collecting community input and finalizing designs, construction is slated to begin next spring.
To learn more about Bikefill Community Bike Park and donate to the project, visit gvlt.org/bikefill.
