With today’s tight municipal budgets and parallel focus on sustainability, the Elm Creek Park Reserve melds both concepts in the Elm Creek Singletrack Trail.
The 13-mile mountain bike trail for all riders came together with volunteer efforts from the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists and state and federal grant monies. It also called other local organizations such as Erik’s Bike Shop and Maple Grove Cycling to make it happen.
“The park district wouldn’t have been able to do it without bringing these groups together,” says Wayne Iseri, park operations manager at Elm Creek.
The dirt trail incorporates sustainable practices of building to the contours of the Earth to keep the environment natural and the costs in line at $200,000.
Since it opened last June, avid rider Jay Thompson says, “It’s been wildly popular.”
