OKLAHOMA CITY (October 13) – RIVERSPORT OKC has announced plans for a $1.4M bike park expansion. The new Oklahoma Trailhead and Bike Park will act as a hub on the newest expansion of the city’s trail system which will now run through RIVERSPORT Boathouse District and will soon connect to the Katy Trail to the east. Construction will begin in November and once finished, cyclists can make a complete 45-mile loop around Oklahoma City on paved trails as well as access revamped mountain bike trails and jump lines. 

  

Slated to open in Spring, 2023, the Oklahoma Trailhead and Bike Park expansion will include a new bike plaza, an outdoor classroom, a community garden, and play area, as well as paved parking. Shipping containers will be used to create a unique gathering place that includes a welcome center, a nature center, and ADA restrooms. 

  

“Biking is one of the most accessible ways for people to enjoy the outdoors,” said Mike Knopp, executive director of RIVERSPORT. “With this expansion, we’re able to provide the amenities that really make the trails work such as accessible restrooms, drinking fountains and refillable water bottle stations, plenty of shade and seating for rest stops, and a place where you can do minor bike repairs.” 

  

One of the more unique features of the project is a new elevated trail that will travel across the rooftops of the shipping containers. 

  

“We always enjoy doing something that elevates a project and in this case, we took it quite literally and are putting a trail on top of the shipping containers,” Knopp said. “When we combine the city’s trails with our mountain bike trails and the world-class Velosolutions pump track, we really have a unique experience for cyclists at all levels.” 

  

The bike park’s location at the intersection of I 35 and I 40 is also expected to draw visitors from across the country off the highway and into RIVERSPORT. 

  

Funding for the project is being provided by a grant from the Oklahoma Recreational Trails Program, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and several anonymous donors. The project was designed by Allford, Hall, Monaghan, Morris.