Seattle’s Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club (BBTC) is excited to be working with the city of Seattle on a new urban mountain bike park located underneath the deck of I-5 between the Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. The park has been in planning for two years, and construction is set to begin in the next several months.

The park, unofficially called “Colonnade Park”, will be 7.5 acres, and will include a pathway connecting the Capitol Hill and Eastlake neighborhoods, public art, viewing areas, an off-leash area for dogs and about two acres for mountain bikes. The site is on a hillside with views of downtown, Lake Union, Queen Anne Hill and the Olympic Mountains beyond. The site is protected from the rain by the roadway above, and the cement columns that hold up the freeway create a dramatic urban forest of cement trees.

The mountain bike skills park will consist of twisty, low speed trails that are designed to challenge riders’ technical skills, whether you’re an expert or a novice. Trails will have technical trail features (TTF’s) throughout their routes, and will be designed to offer hours of fun while riders hone their skills. TTF’s are any obstacle on the trail that takes skill to negotiate, and may include technical climbs, switchbacks, log rollovers, skinnies, rock gardens, boulders (real or fake), small drops, and any variety of simulated trail feature that you can imagine.

The mountain bike park will be designed to ride at a low speed, and will offer a variety of routes so that there are many different ways to ride the same trails. “Sessioning” a TTF until you can successfully clean it without dabbing will be part of the experience. The park is small, but will provide an urban mountain bike experience like no other.

BBTC is currently in the design and fundraising phase of the project, and will be holding design review meetings every few weeks until construction begins. Check BBTC’s online calendar at http://bbtc.org for more information on these meetings. We would love to have your input.

Construction has been delayed slightly as we wait for the final agreement to be signed between the city of Seattle and Washington Department of Transportation, who owns the land. We anticipate that construction will begin in September. Once construction begins, BBTC will be holding regular work parties as we construct the bike park using as much volunteer labor as possible.

If you would like more information about this exciting project, or you are interested in being a financial supporter, please visit our website or call us at (206) 524-2900.

About BBTC

Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club is a volunteer driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to mountain biking in Washington State. For a small $15.00 membership fee you can help us create, preserve and enhance local trails and riding areas. Visit our website to join us today.