Funding to help bring more bike-optimized trails to Great Bear

New trails for biking at Great Bear Recreation Park are in the works thanks to a grant.

Falls Area Singletrack has been awarded grant funding from the International Mountain Biking Association’s trail accelerator grant program for trail concept and design plans at Great Bear.

In the 2022 fiscal year, FAST was one of 10 organizations awarded the grant and will receive $25,000 in match funding to help bring more trails to the Sioux Falls area. The project’s anticipated completion will be by 2025 to cap off FAST’s “25 by 25” initiative — 25 miles of trail by 2025.

IMBA’s trail accelerator grant fund is a competitive award offering for communities with visions of transformational model trail systems that need extra support to realize that vision.

Projects must show strong partnerships among local leaders, government entities, land managers, property owners, community groups and mountain bike or trail organizations such as IMBA Local partners like FAST.

Recipients of the grant partner with IMBA Trail Solutions for professional trail planning and consultation that will help FAST provide public outreach, fundraising support, planning and sustainable design for the local terrain.

“Residents have long valued Great Bear for its winter activities but have wanted to see the park expand its recreational options to include the summer season,” FAST president Ben Blomberg said in a statement.

“From Leaders Park and Tuthill Park to the Riverbank Singletrack and most recently Dunham and Legacy parks, FAST trails have infused new life into our parks and provided new recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to Sioux Falls,” Mayor Paul Ten Haken said.

”The partnership between FAST and the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Department has provided widespread benefits to residents and visitors to our community. As Sioux Falls continues to experience rapid growth, we continue to see the need for more diverse opportunities for outdoor recreation. FAST has opened the door for single track in Sioux Falls, and the Great Bear multiuse single-track project will be the perfect opportunity that will  benefit many and leave a lasting impact.”

The project, led by FAST, aims to add up to 7 miles of bike-optimized trails for all levels beyond the existing hiking trail experiences.

The overall goal is to bring more trails close to home, while working toward creating a high school racing league. The site could host youth and other events while bringing economic benefit to the city and preserving natural lands surrounded by industry, those involved said.

The improvement to Great Bear will help make the 20-acre park a “go-to destination for year-round, outdoor fun,” said Alexa Jerstad, director of communications for Great Bear Management Inc.