Spirit Mountain Off-Road Cycling Trails
Project Status: Construction
Project Overview:
With support from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission Legacy Grant funding, new mountain biking trails are being constructed at Spirit Mountain beginning 2024.
Skills Area
- A number of bike handling skills features were added to the trails just West of Spirt Mountain's Grand Avenue chalet. These modular, technical terrain features help riders improve and develop their skills, such as body position, bike control, and balance. These features include- rollers, drops, bridges, and skinnies.
Lift-serve access
- Green, Blue, and Black level jump trails have been added to the newly formed "Happy Hub", right off Skyline Parkway, just off the Happy Camper Trail. From the Hub, riders can choose which trail suites their riding skill and style. These jump trails include terrain features such as step downs, double gaps, hip jumps, and table-tops.
Norton Park Trails- Eastside of Spirit Mountain
- Following the most recent construction specifications for Universal Design standards from Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association, this green level trail is built to accommodate adaptive bikes/trikes, and is also a great trail for beginner riders.
- The Duluth Traverse through this section, from Kingsbury Creek to Knowlton Creek, also received a full makeover thanks for funding provided by Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS). Combined with the new trail, this valuable trail improvement provides a near 2-mile loop of Universal Design trail to explore.
- A nearly 2 mile intermediate level, enduro-style riding loop is also added to the Norton Park area. On these bike-only, one-way directional trails, riders will ascend near Kingsbury Creek, continuing westward towards Knowlton Creek, before descending a downhill trail.
Project Update:
Spirit Mtn downhill trails
- Bike Skills Features- 9 technical trail features, including rollers and elevated "skinnies", have been installed on a trail loop just west of the Grand Avenue Chalet.
- Connection from top of the chairlift to the newly created "Happy Hub" is complete
- Blue Jump Line- this new intermediate jump trail is complete
East Spirit Mtn:
- Adaptive Trail- the 2-mile adaptive equipment accessible mountain bike trail loop is complete. This project created a new 1-mile trail utilizing grant funding, and also updated the 1-mile Duluth Traverse trail in this area thanks to financial support from COGGS.
- Enduro cross-country trails- this segment of newly constructed flow trail is nearly 3-miles
Project Partners:
Spirit Mountain Recreation Area
Cyclists of the Gitchee Gumee Shores
