Photo: Madison Rogers (WBZ)
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A long-awaited mountain bike park has finally opened in Marblehead's Green Street Woods.
According to the Marblehead Current, a group of teenagers first set up a few small bike jumps on conservation land at Lead Mills in January 2021. The Conservation Commission destroyed the jumps and banned the teens from biking there, causing angry parents to argue at public meetings that their children needed a safe place to mountain bike. The teens moved to a wooded area at the corner of Green and Beacon streets, and were again kicked off because it was too close to protected wetlands.
Finally, in May 2022, the town overwhelmingly approved a plan to allow the Green Street Bike Park to be built on the corner of Green Street and West Shore Drive. The site was vacant for many years.
Pat Milner with Friends of Green Street was a key proponent for the park, which has soft opened because it is not completely finished.
"We just have to still bring in some dirt to make some of the features and the bones," Milner told WBZ NewsRadio Wednesday. "But for the most part it’s good to go, we don’t want to hold up anybody any longer.
The park has various trails, tree log curbs, and boulder ramps, and will be suitable for new and experienced riders alike.
"The beauty of mountain biking is you can progress in the same location, so there’s gonna be something for everybody," Milner said. "There are riders of all ages and all abilities that are super excited to get down here."
A grand opening is planned for Memorial Day weekend.
WBZ's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.
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