Video: Elm Creek Bike Park - Maple Grove MN

Apr 11, 2013
by Chance Glasford  
MORC (Minnesota Off Road Cyclists) is one of the finalists in the Bell Built Grant!


Elm Creek Trail is part of a series of single track trail systems in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Metropolitan area and that were designed, built and are maintained by the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists (MORC). Currently the organization maintains about 80 miles of single track, but has no alternative riding spots such as a bike park for the off road cycling community to enjoy. The organization is looking to expand the rider base that it reaches to help bring more local youth into the sport. There are currently no official public bike parks in operation in the Twin Cities Metro area that offer full progression or that are as all inclusive as this park would be.

Elm Creek Trail is 1 of 12 finalist for the Bell Built Grant offered by Bell Helmets and IMBA and they are only 1 of 3 for the pump track/bike park section. By voting for Elm Creek you would help bring a new and exciting riding opportunity to the Mid-West and help bring more riders into the sport.

Lay out for bell built grant

MORC is planning on using its share of the $100,000 Bell Built Grant to built the first all inclusive bike park area in the Twin Cities Metro Area. It would include a tot area for the youngest riders, pump tracks, dirt jumps and mountain bike specific skills development area. This park would be free to use and open to the public. MORC is also planning on using the area to hold mountain bike skills clinics for all ages as well as women specific clinics.

If MORC doesn't win this grant the Elm Creek bike park will probably not be built for multiple years due to tight municipal budgets and limited funding for mountain bike specific trails in the Mid-West.

Voting ends April 12th! But don't just vote, share this with your friends and family. The purpose of this campaign is to get the word out on BELL, IMBA, and the amazing progress being made by local mountain bike groups around the country. Click HERE to vote today.

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About MORC
Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of mountain biking in Minnesota through the promotion of responsible riding, establishment and maintenance of mountain biking trails, and preservation of Minnesota's natural resources.

For more information about the Minnesota Off Road Cyclist check out there website www.morcmtb.org

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19 Comments
  • 6 0
 Im from the midwest, Spent 38 years in South Dakota busting my ass trying to get SOMETHING to happen there. Was in every meeting and advocacy group I could find. In the end I got exactly what Id always wanted... by packing up my shit and moving to Washington state. Problem solved.
  • 8 5
 Saying the Twin City's has "ZERO" is a bit of an exaggeration

Good link about the Pump Track and Jump Park in Eagan, MN: goo.gl/jeCjv
About 45 minutes from Elm Creek: goo.gl/maps/Pfua9
Looks like there is also a Pump Track about 25 minutes from Elm Creek too: goo.gl/maps/VUo37 - sounds like it was not used enough and overgrown, based on the above article about the Eagan, MN park.

Closest Pump Track and Dirt Jump Park to Steamboat Springs is the in Frisco, CO: goo.gl/EObcl
About 2 hours from Steamboat over mountain passes: goo.gl/maps/9YaCb

Every neighborhood should have one to keep the kids busy as many of the users will not be able to drive. The more we show are successful the more there will be in everyone's backyard.
  • 6 4
 It isn't technically an exageration as this is the quote " There are currently no official public bike parks in operation in the Twin Cities Metro area that offer full progression or that are as all inclusive as this park would be" The two you are refering two, Maple Plain is closed as it was never completed and was flooded out so it is not usable. The other one in Eagan is a small park with a jump line and a pump track. The quote states there are no official bike parks with full progression and are all inclusive as the propose park at Elm Creek which is true. The one in eagan doesn't offer a tot track or MTB skills area and will be at least 2x the size.
Also as you said Eagan is 45 minutes away from Elm Creek also there are approximate 3.5 million people with approximately 15,000 +mountain bike and bmx riders in the Metro Area and the population of Steam Boat is like 12,500. The Metro area needes this. I understand that Steam Boat probably needs this as well but Elm Creek will have a huge user group.

Also didn't the park in Steam Boat already exist but then was tore down?

I agree that these parks should be in everywhere and eventually might be and if Bell and the MTB community want to show a successful park they should build it at Elm Creek as there is a much larger potential user base! Vote Elm Creek!

Thank you PinkBike, Bell Helmets and IMBA for all you do for the sport of MTB! and thank you to everyone that has voted for Elm Creek and the rest of the Mid-West!
  • 4 2
 Don't forget the skills area and practice track...
  • 3 2
 Sorry that "ZERO" was in response to Agleck7.

It is true that Steamboat Springs had a great flow line and dirt jump line built over 8+ years 100% by volunteers (mostly neighborhood kids) www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjShpkhMCYE & goo.gl/hxEEo. It was not torn down from lack of use, but the exact opposite. It was so popular that one neighbor complained and hired an attorney. Sadly, since it was started years ago without authorization and located on open space property not park land, the city caved and tore it down late last fall. The city did work quickly to identify the best location for its replacement which is now the fully approved Bear River Bike Park.
  • 5 4
 Its all good but there is only 1 legit jump and pump track place in the entire state of MN that I am aware of and how many do the state of CO have? I think that is the point agleck7 was trying to make
  • 5 5
 I'm from the midwest (Wisconsin to be exact) and I will say this. The population centers in the Midwest (like the Twin Cities) have large tax bases with well funded parks departments. Furthermore, these areas are filled with middle to upper-middle class kids clamoring for things to do. These kids put pressure on their parents who in turn put pressure on local parks departments to supply their kids with recreation facilities. This is evidenced by the bumper crop of large, well maintained, public, skate parks that have been built throughout the midwest region in the past ten years.

In contrast, Steamboat Springs is an isolated mountain town of only a few thousand people. It has limited industry and commercial interests and relatively low property taxes due to lesser income of its year round citizenry. Thus, the Steamboat parks department operates on a surprisingly limited budget.

Accordingly, the money would go a long way in helping Steamboat out, arguably more so than in the Twin Cities which has the ability to either raise funds voluntarily, or through lobbying efforts to have parks department funds ear marked for the creation of a bike park.

Just something to think about.
  • 2 0
 That's what I was getting at. It sucks to have to be competing with other projects that are really needed by the local riders. Not trying to say other projects aren't great and needed, just highlighting that this type of riding opportunity is really lacking here.
  • 4 1
 @ BadgerBacker - I'm not going to argue with you about the possibility of finding other funding for this project like grants and private donations just like any of these other projects could do but to actually get a land manager to fund this type of project is very very difficult. This project has been on the approved status for almost 2 years now with 3rpd but keeps getting pushed due to budget cuts and what not. The new election, now the park board isn't sure if this grant doesn't go through if it will get built or when it will get built.... blah blah blah. Basically I would love to see all the projects get funded but heck I live near this one and work a lot with MORC and it would be cool to have this approved and get a sweet place to ride and some media coverage to help get the word out that people want to ride this stuff in the mid-west and maybe more land managers will wake up and actually start funding these projects but right now it is a lot easier said than done. It has always been this way for any type of riding in the mid west and it would just be cool to get this project close to home!
  • 6 4
 I am sure the Elm Creek project is needed and will eventually be completed. Just like the Bear River Bike Park in Steamboat Springs will also be completed eventually.

If you live close to Elm Creek, by all means support that project. If you live elsewhere, consider our project too before voting: goo.gl/hxEEo

This has been a heck of a push over the last few weeks. Thanks for pushing biking so hard where you live as it will help all those who love to ride. I learned more about the Midwest riding in the last few weeks than I would have ever known without the Bell Built grant. I am impressed with the way the Midwest "Rise Up" and teamed together from the start.

One more day and we can all get back to all the other things good trail clubs need to get working on going into the trail riding season.
  • 5 0
 well said, well received. Smile
  • 4 2
 I agree we need to support Elm Creek at this point. We really could use some legit bike parks in the Twin Cities Metro area. Currently the twin cities only really has pretty light duty XC stuff and nothing the rider base can use to build their skills. Typically people have to take trips to places like Colorado to get a challenge. Having a park like this in the Twin Cities metro area would really help to grow the sport and build the skill set in the riding population.
  • 4 3
 It looks as if Steamboat has already completed a lot of their bike park. I'm sure they still need funding but they are well on their way. I would love to ride their trails someday but since I live in MN, I do most of my riding near home. The Elm Creek Bike Park has been on the books for the past 2 years and due to funding, it keeps being pushed further into the future. MN does not have much for bike parks... Eagan is really the only one that I know of and that was just recently redone. It is also very small. Having a new bike park up at Elm Creek would really open things up for more genres of biking in the state. Please vote for Elm Creek Bike Park!
  • 1 1
 Apologies for my previous post... got out of hand a little. Im still figuring out pinkbike and their comment rulles. I just wanted give an example of parks Colorado already has when the only one minnesota has isnt even finished yet.
  • 8 7
 What Agleck said. Vote Elm Creek! There is only one legal Bike Park that I know if in Minnesota and that is in Eagan which was re-built last year. How many does CO have? The midwest needs this type of riding too!
  • 3 4
 Elm Creek! Colorado has had bike parks for years, as well as DH trails. The Midwest, specificly MN WI and MI, are just starting to develop these trails. Land managers don't like these trails and parks, same with insurance companies. Steamboat, as it shows in their video, has already started the park and just needs the grant to complete it. Elm Creek hasn't even started! This grant would help kick start riding for kids and adults of all ages. Here people can practice for the DH trails that are finnaly in the works around here. Vote Elm creek! Steamboat's park will be completed with or without the grant. Elm Creek won't start for years without the grant. Eagan is great, but compared to what Elm Creek will become.... and how can people bring Eagan bike park into the conversation?!?!?!?!?! It isn't even finished! If I'm not mistaken, Colorado has Valmont Bike Park finished in 2011 by Alpine Bike Parks at a cost of over $3 million! I wish we had that he in MN... There is also the Red Mountain Park in Colorado, also built by Alpine. These are just a couple of examples of what colorado has. Vote Elm Creek, Vote for the future of Midwest Biking!
  • 3 2
 I think every city needs a bike park for everywhere to ride their bikes and enjoy their time. Can't wait to see what they've done at Elm Creek!
  • 9 8
 Vote Elm Creek. Colorado already has tons of bike parks. Right now we have ZERO!
  • 1 2
 Any people who arnt amican going to put a comment







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