Recreation Development Outdoors
Beginner-Friendly Bike Skills Park Opens at Lowes Creek
portion of larger Lowes Creek Bike Park project now open, ribbon cutting slated for July
McKenna Scherer, photos by Josh Rizzo |
While the ambitious Lowes Creek Bike Park project continues fundraising for its main space on the park’s west side – an effort with a $350,000 price tag – folks are now able to enjoy the newly completed beginner-friendly portion of the project on the east side, named The Adventure Playground.
The project is spearheaded by local nonprofit CORBA – Community for Outdoor Recreation, Biking, and Adventure – a volunteer-based organization that builds, maintains, and improves the area’s many multi-use trails. That group, along with members of area cycling groups such as Eau Claire Youth Cycling and The 906 Adventure Team, came together on the overall vision for two kinds of bike parks – one on each side of Lowes Creek – serving slightly different users.
The first project, the beginner-friendly mini-park on the east side (behind the Expo Center off Lorch Avenue), was funded almost entirely by a single anonymous donor. With additional support from the Eau Claire Parks and Forest Department and volunteers to remove some dead trees, the Adventure Playground is now open and offers a variety of low-risk features for beginner mountain bikers to enjoy, along with picnic tables and benches for people to gather and watch the action.
From roller features to berms, boardwalks, rock gardens, and more, the new skills park is just a taste of what the rest of the Lowes Creek Bike Park project aims to bring to the Chippewa Valley.
The Adventure Playground’s grand opening is slated for Saturday, July 13, 9am-noon, with a ribbon cutting to kick things off at the free event. Food, music, giveaways, and prizes will be up for grabs at the opening, plus family rides throughout the new area and the broader Lowes Creek Park.
Though intended for mountain biking, the beginner-friendly nature of the park means people with BMX bikes or city bikes can enjoy it as well. From roller features to berms, boardwalks, rock gardens, and more, the new skills park is just a taste of what the rest of the Lowes Creek Bike Park project aims to bring to the Chippewa Valley.
The main portion of the bike park will be located on the west side of the county park on roughly four acres of land, which is about five to seven times the size of The Adventure Playground.
Strap on your helmet, grab your bike, and head out to The Adventure Playground today! Mark your calendars for the grand opening to get in on the free fun, family rides, and more.
Visit the Lowes Creek Bike Park website to learn more about the full project and how to donate • The Adventure Playground is located on the east side of Lowes Creek County Park (5238 S. Lowes Creek Road, Eau Claire)
