If you’re looking for a new mountain bike trail with cool technical features, check out Xcel Energy Mountain Bike Park. A quick 20 minute drive from Eden Prairie, the park is located at 6201 Innovation Blvd, Shakopee, MN. It is part of the city’s Quarry Lake Park, and features a picnic area, dock, and features for the beginner to experienced rider. Additional park improvements are expected to come in the coming years.
Features:
– 4 different bike loops, approximately 4 miles in length (total)
– Singletrack
– Pump track
– Green and blue level loops
– All-weather surface trail, since the trails are more ‘gravelly’ than most, it’s likely to be open after a rain (be sure to check Trailbot for trail status updates)
– Skills features (rollers, berms, skinnies)
The course takes you through a variety of landscapes. There’s an easy ride around the lake that doesn’t require too much climbing. The other trails weave through trees, a prairie setting, and you might get a glimpse of highway 169 if the leaves have fallen! (Hey, for being 20 minutes outside of Eden Prairie, you can’t complain!) If any of the features are too intimidating, you can always go around them or slowly maneuver through them. Warning: there is a section of the trail that goes right between two tree branches/trunks, forming a “v”. If you have wide handlebars, I’d suggest you proceed with caution! Our kids appreciated the fun features, and because the trails are pretty short, you can ride them over and over again. The kids thought the green trail circling the lake was “boring”. Maybe make that your warmup route and then hit the pump course or other trails. Overall, we found the bike park to be family friendly for our elementary and middle school (and “cautious Mom”) aged riders. Come when the months are warmer, and pack a picnic to take in the quarry lake views! Enjoy riding!
