“Southern California as a whole is very unfriendly towards bikes, I would say,” pro rider Spencer Rathkamp told us. So when the City of Santa Clarita asked him to help shape Haskell Canyon Bike Park, they weren’t just adding trails — they were making a statement. The $6.2 million project is being built to serve everyone, and to rewrite the region’s narrative from gatekept to gathering place.
SoCal isn’t so bike-friendly. Santa Clarita is different
Rathkamp is a professional mountain biker representing brands like Specialized and Thule. He grew up in Santa Clarita and has recently made the area his home once again. Rathkamp credits the miles of open space and the city’s bike-friendly vision for bringing him home.
As conversations about what to do at the Haskell Canyon Open Space began to shift toward a bike park, city officials reached out to Rathkamp, seeking his input and connection to the greater mountain bike community. Georgia Rios is one such official who reached out. Rios is a Communication Specialist for the City of Santa Clarita, overseeing the various parks in the city and working on the Haskell Canyon project from day one. Initially, archery was one of the first outdoor recreational amenities introduced to Haskell Canyon.
As time passed, the city sought to provide more opportunities for residents and visitors visiting the canyon. With a growing bike path infrastructure (over 100 miles) in and around Santa Clarita, more cycling opportunities were an easy choice. Plus, the city had already built another bike park — the Santa Clarita Bike Park — roughly five years ago. They saw building another park as a chance to deepen collaboration with the mountain bike community, creating a space that everyone would want to ride together.
“It is a great partnership with [Rathkamp] because we really wanted to talk with the mountain biking community and get them involved from the get-go,” Rios shared.
The project accelerated quickly: approval came on June 24, and crews broke ground on July 1. Pending a cooperative building season, Santa Clarita hopes to complete the bike park by December 2025.
And the city is footing the bill with approved funding of $6.2 million.
Over 16 miles of MTB trails are coming to Haskell Canyon
While only 30 minutes or so (depending on traffic) from Los Angeles, Santa Clarita is unlike many cities in Southern California, especially those in LA County. Although you might expect tourism amenities in the area, such as a Six Flags Amusement Park, Santa Clarita has also invested in over 13,000 acres of open spaces.
Haskell Canyon Open Space, spanning approximately 750 acres, is one of them, offering an escape for nearby residents. For some, riding the Haskell Canyon Bike Park might mean a twenty-minute commute across town. For others, it will require a two-minute pedal from their garage.
“The topography of the valley is pretty sweet,” Rathkamp said. “I think the highest peaks are between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above the valley floor, which goes higher the deeper you get. The bike park’s in this pretty cool little valley with about 550 feet of vert, which is more than enough to make good use of.”
The new bike park will house nearly 16 miles of trails. This includes almost four miles of perimeter (cross-country) and climbing trails that will connect to the 5.5 miles of downhill trails. Rathkamp informed us that the new DH trails at Haskell Canyon will be the first directional (downhill-only) trails in Santa Clarita.
There is also a plan to build roughly five miles of multi-use trails (biking/hiking/running) and grandfather in nearly two miles of existing social trails.
“The downhill bike trails include beginner, intermediate, and expert lines,” Rios told us, “and we’ll have mountain bike optimized and downhill jump lines, a dual slalom race course, progressive jump lines, skill loops, progressive skills areas, and beginner and intermediate asphalt pump tracks.”
Trails won’t be the only amenities added at Haskell Canyon. Rios shared that a new event plaza will include picnic tables, a stage, shaded seating, restrooms, and viewing areas. They will also have a few bike repair areas in case riders need them.
Rios emphasized the desire for Haskell Canyon to be a place where local families will want to spend the entire day. The park will have something for just about everyone, whether that is on or off the bike. And for those on bikes, a clear avenue of progression will be in place at the park, creating a space for beginners to enjoy alongside Rathkamp-level riders.
Santa Clarita also hopes that the new bike park will help cement the city as a mountain bike destination in Southern California. “It’s now over 13,000 acres of open space,” Rios told us. “To us, a huge deal is our greenbelt and being able to bring people out into the open space. Whether it’s hiking, trail biking, or running, that’s our mission.”
Trail building will be undertaken by ARC Construction, with trail management support provided by AVID Trails.
And, Rathkamp hinted that these 15-16 miles at Haskell Canyon Bike Park might just be the first of many more to come.
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