New Mountain Bike Trails in Ely, MN (CLOSED)

THIS CAMPAIGN HAS ENDED. Thank you to everyone who donated! 

Help us build a new mountain bike trail system in Ely, MN! Thanks to the City of Ely and local private donors, we've been able to lay out plans for a new mountain bike trail system at the Hidden Valley Recreation Area. The design team completed the preliminary layout during the spring of 2018, and we now have 9.1 miles of mountain bike trails flagged and ready for construction. 

We reached our preliminary goal! Thank you!

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to reach our goal of $5,000 during a recent round of fundraising ending on September 10, 2018. IRRB, (the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board), will match this money dollar-for-dollar enabling us to begin construction of the progressive skills loop. The progressive skills loop is immediately accessible from the Hidden Valley parking area and is also the staging point for the entire mountain bike system. The progressive loop features climbs, descents, bumps, berms and skinny balance features. The loop is designed to give riders exposure to the kinds of features commonly found on mountain bike trails and is designed for all rider abilities, beginner-expert. 

The entire project is extensive, and the progressive skills loop is just phase one. That's why we're asking for your help. We increased our fundraising goal to give people who missed the September 10th deadline an opportunity to donate. The Ely Nordic Ski Club graciously agreed to handle the finances for this project, so your tax deductible donation will go directly to them. You'll receive a tax deductible receipt directly from the Pay Pal Giving Fund. 

 Here's a look at the planned mountain bike trail system. 

The 9.1 mile system contains 6 individual loops for summer mountain biking and winter fat biking.  The progressive skills loop is loop #1 located on the far left side of the map. Note: All intersections generally coincide with ski trail intersections on hilltops to avoid high speed collisions between fat bikers and skiers during the winter. 



Here's a snapshot of the progressive skills loop. The ski chalet is cut off from the photo, but sits at the top of the image. 


It goes without saying that a purpose-built mountain bike trail system in Ely will be a huge draw for area residents and visitors alike. It will also be a wonderful community asset. 

Please donate, and say YES to new mountain bike trails in Ely!  And don't forget to join us on Thursday nights for our weekly group ride. All levels are welcome. This is going to be SO great for Ely!