A new trail named Room Service at Oak Mountain State Park opened Saturday, Feb. 24, as members of the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP) christened it with a group ride.
The new 1.5-mile multi-use trail connects the Slingshot and Centipede trails and is optimized for mountain biking, but can also be used for hiking. The Shelby County Commission funded construction of the new trail, which was built by Anniston-based FlowMotion Trail Builders.
“Oak Mountain State Park has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the best places in America for mountain biking, and this new trail can do nothing but enhance that reputation,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “We’re thankful for partners like the Shelby County Commission and BUMP, who help make Oak Mountain State Park even better for visitors.”
The new trail is rated easy to intermediate and is suitable for beginners who have bike-handling skills and trail-riding experience. Signage has been installed by Oak Mountain State Park personnel to help mountain bikers navigate the new trail.
“The new trail will be an amazing addition to Oak Mountain State Park,” said BUMP President Chase Draper. “There are already plans to use it for a variety of events at the park this year, including the upcoming Chainbuster Race, the Xterra North American Championship and the 30th annual Bump N Grind. It creates a much-needed mini loop for beginner and intermediate riders who want to venture out but aren’t ready or don’t have time to do the full loop around the park.
“It opens up multi-use access to a beautiful valley behind the Wildlife Center and is sure to be a favorite for years to come,” Draper added. “We are very thankful to have the incredible partners we have in Shelby County and Oak Mountain State Park.”
Shelby County Tourism and Events Manager Kendall Williams added, “Discover Shelby is proud to partner and fund one of Oak Mountain State Park’s newest trails, Room Service. As the tourism arm of Shelby County, Alabama, we take the resources from our visitors who stay in hotels and reinvest them to improve the quality of life for our residents. One aspect of this is improving existing and building new trails for our residents to enjoy throughout the year. These world-class trails allow us to recruit and support top-notch events that bring in athletes from all across the United States and the world.”
Book your next adventure at Oak Mountain State Park or one of our other 20 beautiful state parks at www.alapark.com.
About Oak Mountain State Park
Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park and features more than 11,000 acres, including more than 100 miles of trails, an 18-hole golf course and driving range, horseback riding facilities, fishing lakes, boat rentals, picnic and beach areas and majestic Peavine Falls. The Alabama Wildlife Center, located inside the park, offers rehabilitation services to injured native birds to return them to the wild. The resident birds can be viewed from the Tree Top Nature Trail, an elevated boardwalk winding through a secluded woodland valley. Learn more at https://www.alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park
About Alabama’s State Parks System
The Alabama State Parks is a division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and maintains 21 state parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres of land and water in Alabama. The parks range from Gulf Coast beaches to Appalachian Mountains and provide opportunities and facilities from basic day-use activities to resort convention lodging, restaurants and golfing areas. These parks rely on visitor fees and the support of other partners like local communities to fund the majority of their operations. Learn more at www.alapark.com. Partners Pay the Way.
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