By Ken Striplin
City Manager
The new Trek Bike Park of Santa Clarita is already a smash hit with residents of all ages. Since its grand opening last September, we’ve seen countless riders head to the Bike Park to test their skills, ride for fun and learn some new tricks.
Like so many in our community — including a large number of City of Santa Clarita employees — I enjoy mountain biking with friends and family. It is one of the few activities we can do during the COVID health restrictions because, by the very nature of biking, it is a socially distanced sport. While it is thrilling to explore trails outside of the City from time to time, it is wonderful to have this dedicated amenity for cyclists right here in Santa Clarita.
If you haven’t been to the Trek Bike Park yet, or if you’ve only gone once or twice, you may not have discovered everything it has to offer. Though
it initially opened with mountain bike trails, a strider track for youngsters and beginners and a single BMX pump track, the rideable space has grown significantly over the past few months.
In addition to four mountain bike trails that vary in intensity, the Bike Park now offers three pump tracks (easy, moderate, difficult) and a non-sanctioned BMX track that features 1,200 feet of riding surface.
Recently, City staff also covered the medium pump track (300 feet of easy-to-moderate riding) with 70 tons of asphalt and installed drain boxes and drains to improve rideability and enhance drainage efforts.
I invite you and your family to visit and explore the Trek Bike Park of Santa Clarita, located in the hills above the George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex. The Bike Park is open daily — conditions permitting — from dawn to dusk.
While improvements and modifications will be ongoing for this popular attraction, it is far from the only recreational project on the radar for 2021.
In the coming weeks and months, much more information will be available for two highly anticipated amenities.
First, it goes without saying that the Inclusive Play Area at Canyon Country Park has had a profound impact on the children in our community. As such, I am thrilled that the City is planning to build a second Inclusive Play Area on the west side of Santa Clarita. More details on this project will be made available as soon as they are confirmed.
We also cannot wait to open the doors of the former Ice Station once more. Crews have been hard at work refurbishing the facility and preparing it to welcome back the community for skating, hockey, events and more. You don’t want to miss all we have in store for this cherished Santa Clarita landmark this year.
As we get further into 2021, I encourage you to stay active and healthy and take advantage of all your City has to offer.
Ken Striplin can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in his column are those of the City and do not necessarily reflect those of The Signal.
