Welch Village Mountain Bike Park Brings Downhill Close to the Twin Cities

Image Credit: Clay Haglund

Welch Village will be having their Grand Opening Weekend for their new Mountain Bike Park Friday, July 28th through the 30th with lift served access for their downhill trails.  The chairlift starts at 3pm on Friday to kick off the weekend and will continue to run until 7pm.

As of now they have two trails open, Air Bear (Advanced Riders ONLY, Trail has high risk features, Mandatory jumps, Steep drops with no ride arounds, Your wheels may leave ground, downhill traffic only) and Joy Ride (Gentle to moderate climbs and decent, with obstacles such as rock, gravel, berms, bridges, and pot holes. Previous mountain biking experience highly recommended).  Welch Village hopes to open their third trail, Aquaman (Intermediate riders ONLY, Large berms, Large Rollers, optional jumps on trail, downhill traffic only) sometime over Grand Opening Weekend.

Image Credit: Clay Haglund

Purchase a daily lift ticket for $22 and under their "Try it" promotion if you really love it they will apply the credit paid towards a $99 MTB season pass.

Image Credit: Griff Wigley

Hours of operation for Saturday are 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.  Activities for opening weekend include free mountain bike skills clinics from Valley Bike & Ski, bike rental specials, demos and door prizes.

For more information about opening weekend visit the Welch Village website or the Facebook Event Page.  Updates on the trails can be found at their Facebook page and on their Trail Report page.

Dakota County Parks Improving Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trailhead

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

If you haven't been to the Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trails at the West Trailhead recently you haven't seen the construction work being done as part of Dakota County Parks improvement for the park.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

Currently new overflow parking is now complete and available in the old parking lot just to the north of the current trailhead parking.  Mountain bike and hiking trails will remain open during the construction improvements dependent upon the weather.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

Improvement to include event and program space for demos and clinics, additional picnic tables and a fire ring, an expansion of the concrete patio pad around the picnic shelter, improved storm water management, as well as new turf & vegetation on the entire construction site.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

The majority of the construction is scheduled (weather dependent) to be completed by August 18th.  These new facility upgrades will make the Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival on October 7th even better this year.

Dakota County Parks Visitor Services Coordinator Katie Pata is looking to connect with local professionals and mountain bike enthusiasts for their ideas to make this year's event the best ever.  You can meet with her in person at the Wild Ride Mountain Bike Fest event planning meeting at the Lebanon Hills Visitor Center on Wednesday, July 19th from 2:00-3:30pm.  Please RSVP to let Katie know you will be attending.  If you can't make and would like your ideas heard, please send her an email at Katie.Pata@co.dakota.mn.us.