Mt. Ashwabay Mountain Bike Trails Phase 3 Fund Raising Initiative
Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau offers matching grant for Mountain Bike Trail sponsorships
In 2011 the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA), in conjunction with a group of passionate volunteers from the Chequamegon Bay area, the Bayfield County Forestry Department and the Ashwabay Outdoor Education Foundation, embarked on a vision to create a top notch system of mountain bike trails in Bayfield. Since that time, the project has advanced from a vision to reality with approximately 11.5 miles of fun riding mountain bike trails constructed on the Bayfield County Forest and Mt. Ashwabay. The spring of 2017 will see the completion of Phase 2 of this initiative, which brings the current mileage to approximately 14 miles.
Phase 3 of the project will launch during the summer of 2017. More than six additional miles of intermediate level trails are planned to be built over the next two years, bringing the total mileage to nearly 20 miles. The Mt. Ashwabay trails have already begun to make their mark on the Bayfield peninsula, adding yet another reason to visit this special area at the top of Wisconsin. Trail use has grown steadily; in 2016 over 2,200 riders took to the Mt. Ashwabay trails.
Bayfield already serves as a destination for adventure travelers visiting the Apostle Islands through sailing and kayaking. Mountain biking is a natural companion to these activities.
Mountain biking has a long season, from April or May to November and can also be done in the winter as we have seen with the growing popularity of fat biking in our region. Bayfield is ideally located between existing major mountain bike destinations, Copper Harbor to the East, Duluth to the West, and Cable/Hayward to the South. With the completion of this ambitious project, the Mt. Ashwabay trails will join the ranks of other top Midwest trail networks and take its place as a mountain bike destination.
Projected costs of Phase 3 will be $65,000 to $70,000. $20,000 has already been pledged by Bayfield County Forestry and another $22,500 pledged by the Wisconsin DNR Recreational Trails Program. With only $27,500 more needed to fill the gap, the Bayfield Chamber and Visitor Bureau board of directors has offered to match up to $10,000 for all local businesses that wish to take advantage of this opportunity in sponsoring a major attraction to our area.
Please contact John Thiel for more information on how to become a sponsor at: john@howlinbayfield.com