New Tech Trail Coming to AR, Big Grant to NC Bike Park, and Fox Invests $1M in Trails

More big money is being devoted to mountain bike trail projects in the US plus a sneak peak at a progressive downhill trail coming to Arkansas.

New “Black DH Line” opens at Red Lick Trails in Clarksville, Arkansas

Trail building company Rogue Trails recently installed a “steep, fast, and chundery line” at the new Red Lick Trails in Clarksville, Arkansas, just two hours from Bentonville. The new Raven trail features rock slabs and drops, and is the “rowdiest” of the new progressive downhill trails in the network. The average grade is about 14% and there is a lot of natural rock, contrasting with the terrain closer to Bentonville. The Red Lick trail network is anticipated to open in early March.

North Carolina bike park gets $500,000 grant

A pump track in Haywood County, North Carolina moves closer to reality with a half-million dollar grant. The grant will go toward building a mountain bike park on a 19-acre parcel of land in Waynesville adjacent to an old landfill. The grant will cover about a quarter of the nearly $2 million projected price to build the park. It will include a pump track, a perimeter path, restrooms, parking and spots for food trucks. The county’s community and economic development director told The Mountaineer the park is “part of the transition to an outdoor economy we’ve been talking about.” They anticipate breaking ground on the project in the second quarter of 2023.

Trek Foundation is helping fund 17 miles of bike trails in Wisconsin

The Trek Foundation and The Birkie are working to construct 17 miles of bike trails at Mt. Telemark Village in northern Wisconsin. The project promises enduro and even DH trails in an area that already has dozens of miles of quality XC trails in the nearby CAMBA trail system.

Fox Factory’s Trail Trust put $1 million into trails its first year

Fox Factory created its Trail Trust program just over a year ago in November 2021 and so far it has delivered over $1 million to 70+ nonprofits across the world, according to a recent release. The Trail Trust puts money into building and maintenance of trails and responsible recreation education. Fox plans to invest $10 million globally through the Trail Trust by 2030.