Bikers in the Dallas area will soon have some new trails to enjoy.
Loop Dallas and the Dallas Off-Road Bike Association (DORBA) have partnered with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department to bring new mountain biking trails to east Dallas. This addition will feature 4 miles of trails and will be located at Creekside Park.
This addition is one of many projects designed for bikers in the area. The Dallas Department of Transportation (DDT) received $2.5 million that will be spent on bike infrastructure in the City of Dallas, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
This new area will surround part of the north phase of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail.
Sean Laughlin, the director of development for DORBA, said that these new trails will be the first natural-surface trails to be built in the city in over a decade, according to Advocate Magazine.
This new set of trails will feature a skills trail zone where bikers will ascend a feeder trail to an elevated start position before descending via multiple possible paths. Officials at DORBA said that the construction of these trails and the bike park are meant to provide a place where both young and experienced bikers can practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Philip Hiatt Haigh, executive director of the Circuit Trail Conservancy, gave a statement on the construction of these new trails.
“To put this park into national perspective: Because of The Loop Dallas trail and the location of Creekside Park one mile south of White Rock Lake, more people are within 10 miles of this mountain bike trail system than live in the entire state of Wyoming,” said Haigh, in the statement according to Advocate Magazine.
“With unprecedented access to this population center, most of the trails will be for entry-level mountain-bike riders and children, making the sport accessible to a new and broad audience,” he continued.
DORBA volunteers will be responsible for maintaining these new trails. However, a new partnership with the City will also grant them oversight of existing trails in the area.
The Dallas City Council entered a new 10-year agreement with DORBA on May 10 to allow them oversight and maintenance of other off-road bike trails in Dallas, such as those in L.B. Houston Park, Emerald Lake, Boulder Park, and Harry S. Moss Park.
