FACILITY & OPERATIONS
26 SportsTurf | October 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com
test their riding skills on a variety of features designed to
improve balance and bike handling. A1.7-mile, multi-use
natural surface loop trail around the perimeter of Ruby Hill
Park is suitable for mountain biking.
There is a 50-foot elevation change from the top of the
park to the bottom.
"On opening day we had about 200 riders in and out
of the park in 3 hours," says Deak Brown, the bike park's
operations supervisor. "It is a free public park where no
motorized vehicles are allowed. There are 15 riding options
and all the trails are one-way; they are designated, like ski
runs, for beginners up to expert trails. Any bike will work in
the park though of course BMX jumpers work best."
Progressive Trail Design, a trail building and bike park
development company from northwest Arkansas, designed
C
ity and County of Denver Parks and Recreation
wanted something out of the ordinary when the
department decided to improve the 80-acre Ruby Hill
Park in the southwest part of the city, 10 minutes from
downtown. And, thanks to financial donations totaling $1.5
million from the Walton family and Winter Park Resort, they
got it—the new 8-acre Ruby Hill Bike Park.
The new facility features a slopestyle course, dirt jumps,
pump tracks, and a skills course. The slopestyle course and
dirt jumps provide lines of varying difficulty from beginner
to advanced, and there is a special expert slopestyle line to
challenge and entertain professional riders. Two different sized
pump tracks provide the opportunities for all abilities, from
small children with pedal-less bicycles to seasoned adult riders.
The skills course allows beginner and intermediate riders to
NEW BIKE PARK INCREASES
OPTIONS IN DENVER
