There are two mountain bike skills parks in Fort Collins: one in Lory State Park and one in the Spring Canyon Park. The Lory State Park Corral Center Mountain Bike Skills Park is larger and more comprehensive than the one in Spring Canyon Park. In addition, the Lory State Park’s skills park is appropriate for riders of all ages and skills levels. Both are marked in the following Google map with mountain biker icons. The following is a list of mountain bike trails along the northern Front Range.
Lory State Park Mountain Bike Skills Park
The Lory State Park Corral Center Mountain Bike Skills Park was designed and created by Lee McCormak and Steve Wentz of www.leelikesbikes.com. It is located near the visitor center and is open year round, weather permitting. It is a great skills park because it promotes fun and safety with its three levels of difficulty. There are three sections within the 69,000 square foot corral that each represent a different level of difficulty: the Skills Area for beginners, the Pump Track for seasoned riders, and the Dirt Jumps for high flying riders. After warming up at the skills park, it is fun to mountain bike on the Lory State Park Valley Trails. The Skills Area is a great place to warm up because it keeps you low to the ground.
The Pump Track tests your navigation skills for tight corners because it spins you around and across the mounds in various directions.
The Dirt Jumps area is a perfect place to overcome your fear of heights, with regard to mountain biking, before hitting the real trail.
The elevated wood walkways are a little too high for a fully rigid mountain bike so I did not give them a try.
Spring Canyon Park Mountain Bike Skills Area
The Spring Canyon Park Mountain Bike Skills area is geared more towards experienced riders with good mountain bikes because most of skill challenges are narrow and elevated two to three feet off the ground. The elevated wood walkway in the near part of the following picture is one of only two skills challenges suitable for novice riders.
