Parks & Recreation

Duluth Traverse Trailheads and Bike Playground / Skills Area

Project Status: Planning

Project Overview:

The Duluth Traverse (DT) is a multi-use trail system linking neighborhoods and people to green spaces and our parks. It's a single-track, natural surface, mountain-bike optimized trail, stretching the entire ridge line of Duluth from Lester Park in the east to Chambers Grove Park in the west. In 2018, the DT was designated as a regionally significant trail by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission.

This DT Trailheads and bicycle playground/skills area project is a shared vision between The City of Duluth and the Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS), our local mountain bike advocacy organization, to improve DT trailheads across the system and to develop a new bicycle playground to better meet our community's outdoor recreation needs.

Using the Duluth Traverse Mini-Master Plan as guiding document (see Important Documents section below) trailhead improvements may include elements such as: lighting, restrooms, drinking water, signage and wayfinding.

The bicycle playgrounds/skills area will be an intentionally designed skill development area with bike-optimized features to allow riders to explore and progress their abilities in a fun and easily repeatable environment. While the specific features will vary depending on the targeted skill level, bicycle playgrounds/skills areas often include elements like a pump track or rollers, wood bridges, tunnels, teeter-totters, logs, balance elements, and progressive jumps and drops. For more information on bike playgrounds, click here

Bicycle Playground

Project Update:

A survey was launched in August to gather information from the community about a potential bicycle playground/skills development area. The survey closed on August 31 with a total of 704 respondents.

On Thursday 9/12/2024, a focus group workshop was held with trail user groups to discuss priorities for trailheads and scope of the future grant application. A copy of the presentation is provided in the "Important Documents" section below.