The greater Seattle area is a hotbed for mountain biking, thanks to the tireless work of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. However, as in most major metro areas, trail development tends to take place miles outside the city center.
That’s all changing with Washington’s newest trail opening. The Cheasty Greenspace is located just four miles from the heart of the city, and the final phase of singletrack development has just opened.
A new purpose-built MTB trail in the city of Seattle
Opening a purpose-built mountain bike trail in the heart of a major metro area requires substantial collaboration from a host of stakeholders. Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Seattle Parks Foundation, and the Friends of Cheasty Greenspace at Mountain View all worked together to turn this vision into a reality. But it didn’t happen overnight: work began on the project back in 2012, “and reflects years of collaboration, environmental review, and design refinement,” according to a press release from Evergreen.
“The Cheasty Park mountain bike trails are a perfect example of how neighborhoods, organizations, and cities can collaborate and produce something that everyone can be proud of,” said Eddie Espinosa, Executive Director of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. “It’s so important to bring these opportunities to places where all members of our community have access and find connection with our natural places, and have a lot of fun!”
What will riders find in the Cheasty Greenspace?
The new Trillium Trail is a one-mile, one-way mountain bike-only trail that loops through the dense forest of Cheasty Park. It connects to a 0.4-mile multi-use trail called Ninebark and a 0.1-mile pedestrian-only connector. Together, these trails are known as the “North Loop.”
The park already has a “South Loop,” comprised of the Red Cedar, Cottonwood, and Snowberry trails, which were completed in 2022. The Red Cedar and Cottonwood trails are also mountain bike-only and downhill-only.
“The new Cheasty North Loop expands on the success of the South Loop, offering a longer ride with flowy lines and playful features that keep things interesting under a canopy of maples,” said Matt Blossom, one of Evergreen’s lead trail builders on the project. “This project adds a much-needed boost for inner-city riders looking for quick, quality dirt. Cheasty is an awesome place to spin some laps and then hit one of the many nearby cafés, breweries, or food spots on Beacon Hill.”
“The multi-use Ninebark trail was designed to make the whole Cheasty network more accessible,” Blossom continued. “It connects the South Loop to the broader neighborhood — from Viewpoint Park up to Cheasty Boulevard — so riders and walkers can flow through the system without ever touching pavement.”
A sign of what’s to come?
While the new trails aren’t technical test pieces or massive jump lines by any means, this urban trail development could be a glimpse of what the future of Seattle mountain biking has in store: accessibility.
“Seattle’s urban forests are treasures that connect people to nature right here in the heart of the city,” said AP Diaz, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation. “The Cheasty North Loop reflects the best of what happens when community members, nonprofits, and the city work together. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to seeing families and neighbors enjoy these trails for years to come.”
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