It has been five years since the Steamboat Bike Park at Steamboat Resort was fully operational for an entire summer. 

On Friday, the park will fully open for the first time since 2018 and will offer more than 50 miles of downhill trails and free-ride terrain for recreational use. Several wooden and dirt features will also be available for riders of all experience levels. 

The Huckleberry trail, which opened in the final week of the 2018 season, had not been made available since then and offers nearly a mile of biking space including a wooden bridge, an optional 4-foot drop and other features. 

“This is the first year we will be operating Christie Peak and the gondola for bike service in the bike park,” said Maren Franciosi, resort communications manager. “There will be great options for getting your bike up the hill and as always, we have the U.S. Forest Service trails as well, if you would rather ride up and access the bike park with your pedal pass as well.”

The bike park will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 4. After that, the park will be open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 1. 

Toward the base, the Buckin’ Bronc trail is getting a total redesign and likely will not be quite ready in time for opening day. Lasso and EZ Rider are both green trails in the base area that have seen significant changes due to construction impacts from the resort’s Full Steam Ahead improvements project. 

Construction may close trails periodically throughout the season. But currently, the only trail closures are due to wet and unfit trail conditions.

“Because of all the construction traffic, it is very important that people follow our signage,” bike park manager Jon Feiges said. “When we say something is closed, we really mean it. We will keep it updated as best we can and the best information will come on the website. If you see a closed sign, please help us and follow through with that.”

Bike lift tickets are available for purchase through the activities tab on the resort website. Daily lift tickets range from $49 to $69.

Downhill bike park lessons have also been made available for booking. Lessons run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and take riders through the fundamentals of biking the right way. 

Sheraton Sports Bike Shop and Bike Rentals will offer bike rentals starting Friday ranging from $105 to $199 including a lift ticket.

Feiges says having both Christie Peak and the gondola open for the season is a game changer. Riders now have the choice between a long ride up the gondola for a 2,000-foot descent or doing hot laps on Christie Peak Express with a quicker 1,000-foot descent. 

“It is a whole new bike park compared to what we have offered before,” Feiges said. “Most of the trails are still the same but the way you are able to ride it is going to be drastically different.”