A new multi-use pump track, designed and built by an Olympic BMX track builder, is in place at City Lake as the newly developed park prepares to officially open next month.
The asphalt pump track and accompanying skills course are just a few of the improvements that are part of the phase 2 development of the park, which is located on Dawn Hill Road. Other amenities include a bird blind, nature trails, restrooms, picnic tables, benches, a disc golf course and wooden bridge spanning the wetlands that divide the north and south side of the park, according to Brannon Pack, executive director of the nonprofit Ozark Off Road Cyclists (OORC), which was contracted by the city to oversee the development. A grand opening date is expected to be announced in June, he said.
Tom Ritz of PumpTrax USA, the Ohio-based company he co-owns with Jason Schiefelbein, was in Siloam Springs to build the pump track last week. The asphalt track is designed to allow mountain bikers of all skill levels to practice using their momentum and body weight to build up speed up and down slopes, but it can also be used by razor scooters, skateboarders and rollerbladers, Schiefelbein said.
The track offers something for every level of riders, from 3-year-olds on balance bikes up to very advanced riders, he said.
Ritz has designed and built BMX tracks for the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, according to Schiefelbein. Ritz designed the track in Siloam Springs to have a "unique and cool" layout with plenty of turns and places to transfer from one feature to another, Schiefelbein said.
"(Ritz) is well known in the industry so we decided to bring him into Siloam Springs and let him kind of put his talents on display by designing and building a pump track," Pack said.
The asphalt track will be low maintenance and will dry out quickly so it can be used quickly after wet weather instead of waiting for the rain to dry, Pack said.
Pump tracks became popular on the west coast and are spreading east, Schiefelbein said. This is the first time that PumpTrax USA has designed and built a track in Arkansas or the surrounding region, he said.
The pump track is surrounded by a skills course, built by Fast Rack Modern Cycling Solutions of Fort Smith. The skills track features three progressively more difficult lines made from cedar and steel as well as rock features, said David VanSandt, chairman of the Borderline OORC, the local chapter of the organization representing western Benton County, and a member of the city Parks and Recreation advisory board.
The pump track and skills course are going to be very accessible to families so that parents can bring their kids out and watch them ride, Pack said.
"If these kids don't have access to anything but City Lake, we have built everything here that is on par with the rest of the region and they can develop all the skill sets they need here at City Lake to get better on their bikes and then adopt mountain biking as a healthy, active, lifestyle choice," Pack said, "so when they get ready to start to explore what is now close to 400 miles of trail here in the Northwest Arkansas corridor, we've given them what they need here at City Lake to develop that skill set and comfort level to do so."
Volunteer work has also been key to completing the development plan, according to VanSandt. Numerous community members have volunteered to help with the work and several subcontractors have returned to do even more volunteer work he said.
Brenda Schultz of Siloam Springs was volunteering to help with the building of the pump track last week. Schultz said she had a day off work and her kids, age 8 and 10, enjoy playing at City Lake so she decided to see what she could do to help.
"It's good to get (the kids) off electronics and out in the outdoors playing so this is really nice having it out here instead of going anywhere else out of town," she said.
OORC was founded in 1997 and has more than two decades of experience working with communities like Siloam Springs to identify and recognize multi-use recreational opportunities for hikers, bikers, trail runners and dog walkers, Pack said. In 2015 and 2016, the organization developed a branch model so they could impact more communities and today there are five branches encompassing the entire Ozark region, he said.
The city of Siloam Springs contracted with OORC to build and design all the amenities in phase 1 and phase 2 of the park development, Pack said. The nonprofit then subcontracted and partnered with various other organizations to develop the park. It also made it a priority to consult with experts at every step of the way to make the park sustainable and protect and develop wildlife habitat, Vansandt said.
The development of phase 1, which was completed last year, was funded by investments from the city and the Walton Family Foundation, Pack said. It includes the installation of beginner, intermediate and advanced mountain bike and multi-use trails on the 60 acres on the north side of the lake as well as parking infrastructure, he said.
The development of phase 2 on the 100 acres on the south side of City Lake is still underway and was also funded by investments from the city and the Walton Family Foundation, he said.
Another highlight of phase 2 is one of the first canopy or elevated board walks in the state connecting the north and south sides of the lake, Pack said. The boardwalk was built by Western Wood Structures, which also contracts with the National Park Service, he said.
"It's going to be very inviting for families to come out here and recreate," Pack said. "It's super accessible experience, you know picnic tables and viewing areas for parents as kids are playing on the skills course and the trails, regardless of where you're accessing you're going to find a beginner experience that takes you into the trail system."
For more information visit the city's website, siloamsprings.com.
General News on 05/22/2019