BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – Strawberry Hill Bike Park broke ground this week, and a summer opening is possible with $95,000 in fundraising left to complete the project.
The island’s first ever-bike park will feature more than 1.5 miles of wooded trails, challenging hillside jumps, berms and flyovers, and skill-building areas for young riders.
It is being built on 8 acres at Strawberry Hill Park near Winslow.
Gifts to complete the Bike Park can be made at www.bikestrawberry.org.
Oceanside Construction of Bellingham and Shire Built earth movers on Monday began sculpting bike trails into the hillside. The firms have previously built the acclaimed Galbraith Mountain and Bellingham Harbor bike parks.
The Strawberry Hill Bike Park course was designed by local riders and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, a regional bike park designer.
Isley Construction of Bainbridge Island is providing pro bono services to build one of three “flyover” structures where trails cross. Dissimilar Metal Design of Bremerton, whose principals are on Bainbridge Island, is donating a custom-designed metal entrance arch to the park.
Business sponsors for the remaining bike park structures can contact Mary Meier, Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation executive director, to learn about partnership and recognition opportunities.
Estimated bike park construction cost is $416,000, with fundraising now about 80 percent toward that goal.
“Strawberry Hill Bike Park is community inspired, community designed and community funded,” Meiers said. “The time to give is now, so the community can be riding this exciting park this summer.”
Project seeded by a million-dollar gift
An anonymous donor gifted $1 million through the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation in 2022, to purchase 10 acres of woodlands at Strawberry Hill Park’s northwest corner.
The property addition allowed the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District to expand an existing dog park, and design a bike park on the remaining 8 acres.
Strawberry Hill Bike Park is also a showcase project for the meeting of active recreation and environmental restoration. Volunteers have given thousands of hours to relocate native plants, clear invasive weeds and prepare the property for bike park construction.
Selective thinning reduced stress among the tree stand, opening the canopy and creating space for new plantings to create a more resilient, ecologically sound forest.
The Park District advises of possible increased traffic and noise near Strawberry Hill Park during the period of Bike Park construction.
Information: www.biparksfoundation.org, www.biparks.org
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