OK, so there aren’t any mountains on the other side of the river, but there will soon be mountain bike trails in Devou Park. This effort to bring urban mountain bike trails is a community service project started by Give Back High, an off-shoot of Give Back Cincinnati.
On March 28, 150 high school volunteers will work together to build several miles of trails 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. “shoveling, trimming trees, moving logs, smoothing dirt and using heavy duty tools.”
"These trails will bring much enjoyment to residents and hiking and mountain bike enthusiasts," said Larry Klein, Covington's assistant city manager. "We look forward to implementing this phase of the Devou Park Master Plan with so many dedicated volunteers and sponsors."
No beginner or intermediate trails currently exist within 15 miles of downtown Cincinnati. With more than one in five Americans over age 16 owning a mountain bike, according to the International Mountain Bike Association, mountain biking is a popular pastime for many.
Getting past the “let’s promote sports tourism in Cincinnati” hype, the trails will create a new reason to get out from behind the computer or off the couch. The trails will eventually extend 8-10 miles with various levels of difficulty.
Registration is now open for high school students who want to participate in the trail construction. Students in grades 9 – 12 from any Northern Kentucky or Greater Cincinnati school can register at www.ugive.org. Parents are required to fill out a waiver for participants under the age of 18.
Can’t make it in March? Additional trail date work can be scheduled for weekends in April or May. E-mail [email protected] if interested in scheduling a date for your group or school.
For additional information on this event, visit www.ugive.org and search for the Blazing Trails project.