Sugarloaf beefs up warm weather offerings with mountain bike park
Photo / Courtesy Sugarloaf Mountain
Cyclists use Sugarloaf’s mountain bike park during its first week of operation.
In just a week since it opened, Sugarloaf’s new lift-serviced downhill mountain bike park has already attracted hundreds of cyclists.
“We expect usage to continue to grow as more terrain opens and awareness increases,” Charli Sayward, the resort’s marketing and communications manager, told Mainebiz.
Located in the Franklin County town of Carrabassett Valley, Sugarloaf opened the first seven miles of the bike park on July 4.
Sugarloaf is primarily known as one of the largest ski areas in the East, but also includes warm-weather activities such as golf, hiking and scenic lift rides.
Sugarloaf is owned by Michigan-based Boyne Resorts, which also owns Sunday River and Pleasant Mountain ski areas in Maine.
'Just getting started'
The bike park is its latest endeavor. It includes a three-mile intermediate “flow trail” built for speed and progression, with smooth “rollers,” berms, and optional features designed to challenge experienced riders.
The trail can be accessed via a chair lift that gains over 1,050 vertical feet per lap. The first weekend included live music.
“We’re just getting started, and it’s exciting to see this vision finally come to life,” said Adam Craig, the bike park’s manager and a Maine native. He's also a former Olympian and national biking champion who played a pivotal role in shaping the bike park, from trail design to rider development.
The trails are built with progressive skill-building in mind, starting with wide, flowing berms and rolling features that help riders build confidence. “Rider development” refers to how the park is designed to support skill progression. In addition to trail design, Sugarloaf is planning programs and events to support coaching, clinics and youth involvement, said Sayward.
Construction of a beginner trail is underway. With its expected completion later this summer or fall, the park will have about 10 miles of trails. More trail development is slated throughout the season and beyond.
The lift also provides access to more advanced trails with names like the “Widowmaker Extension” and “Rookie River” that combine natural terrain and machine-built features.
Spinoff benefits
With future trail construction still in the works, specifics around the total investment into the bike park weren’t available. Sugarloaf’s trail crew are the primary drivers of trail construction and design. A team at Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, N.H., was brought in for some of the excavated trail features.
The roots of the park go back several years with the construction of rugged, hand-cut trails originally built to host mountain bike events called the Enduro World Series and the Eastern States Cup.
“These early trails were designed for experienced riders and primarily used for racing rather than daily lift-served access,” said Sayward.
Since then, under Craig’s direction, the park has transitioned from a race-only venue into a purpose-built lift-served bike park, focused on a broader rider experience.
Only into its second week of operation, the resort is still collecting baseline visitation data, but early indicators are strong.
“Opening weekend saw hundreds of riders take advantage of the new trails, and we’re seeing a steady increase in daily visitation as word spreads,” said Sayward.
There are also spinoff benefits.
“Lodging occupancy over opening weekend was noticeably strong for the holiday, and our on-site restaurants like Strokes Bar & Grille and 45 North have reported increased traffic from bikers and families spending the day at the resort,” she said.
The addition of the bike park also helps create summer jobs and contributes to year-round vitality for Sugarloaf and the broader Carrabassett Valley community, she added.
The plan is to continue to integrate bike-friendly events, après-ride dining and music throughout the summer.
“It’s all part of our effort to make Sugarloaf a four-season destination,” said Sayward.
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