Building New Trails for This Popular Sport in Utah Is Surprisingly Expensive

Want to build a mountain bike trail on your property or for a business? It is not cheap. A basic mile trail with some good flow can cost you $60,000 on the low end and a whole lot more depending on where and what you may want to add. 

Growing Demand for Mountain Biking Venues

The popularity of mountain biking has exploded with new trails and venues getting built to handle the demand. Plans to improve the Cliffrose Trail System were recently announced by a partnership between Washington County and the Pine Valley Ranger District. 

The trail system is already in use, and they are taking bids to build the parking lot and other amenities. High school teams from across the state will come to the area this fall to compete in races showing the growing popularity of the sport. 

Exploring the Rising Costs of Trail Construction

A mountain biking site named singletracks looked into the costs of building a new trail. In the last 10 years the costs have tripled. This is in part because mountain bikes have improved, and the trails are made better. 

Specialized equipment like graders and backhoes cost a lot to get on site and operate. When you factor in whether materials will need to be brought in and addressing environmental concerns, it can go quickly from $60,000 to $600,000. 

Read More: Exciting Upgrades Coming to Cliffrose Trail System

The new trails being built for mountain bikes are a blast to ride, and even though the costs are high, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down the growth of new venues. It gives you an appreciation for what it cost to build and maintain these trails.