Mountain Bikers Hit the Trails for Opening Weekend at Spirit Mountain
The bike park has a variety of trails catering to both expert and beginner riders.
DULUTH, Minn. — Over the past few years, mountain biking has seen a significant growth in popularity in the northland. As new trail systems have been implemented, bikers fill the woods with the sound of zooming tires.
“It’s cool to see not only the ridership grow but also the network grow,” said Jon Regenold, Director of Resort Services, Spirit Mountain.
At Spirit Mountain, the bike park has quickly become a well known downhill destination, with 24 trails, ranging from flowy to rocky terrain. After a short delay, the park has now opened for the season.
“It’s a lot of fun because summertime we have kind of the return of family again, you know, whether it’s the bikers coming out that we haven’t seen them since last summer . We see them all winter. But like really the community coming out to have a blast is tons of fun,” said Regenold.
It’s no surprise that after a dry winter and wet spring, that the trails need extra maintenance.
“So it takes a bit just getting debris off, making sure that our trails are draining properly. We’ve got a great trail crew that’s out there and dedicated to working our trails, making sure that they are ready for our guests,” said Regenold.
When visiting the park on opening weekend, I ran into a crew of bikers who made the trip up from the Twin Cities. The group said they met through social media, as many of them post mountain biking clips on Instagram and TikTok.
“My very first time biking here. I’m pretty excited. A little nervous, but I bet you I’ll feel good when I get out there,” said mountain biker Dylan Smith.
While Spirit Mountain is a gem to the Twin Ports, the trails attract riders from all over.
“We’re really excited that we’ve got the place as a community asset for the families and for the folks right here in Duluth, Superior, our whole twin ports area. But we know that we’re a regional draw, we know that we actually have folks that come from across the country to bike here at Spirit,” said Regenold.
The squad of riders from the cities say Spirt Mountain is one of their favorite trail systems, especially because of the bike lift and downhill routes.
And it’s not just the downhill portion that draws in riders, Spirit Mountain also has a skills park, a pump track and a new features section for all riding levels.
“That’s open to the public. Anytime that our trails are open and that’s free of cost, and we invite our community members to come down here and really advance their skills, have a place to be like a main hub. We love that aspect that families can come out,” said Regenold.
Bikers can purchase a daily or a seasonal pass to the bike park. Or partake in a biking camp, ranging from day camps for the little ones, to week-long camps for teenagers.
