Mt Taylor Skills Park

Construction starting June 2023!

Design notes:

• Trail exits: Big, sweeping berms naturally manage rider speed, creates a unique finish to the trails, and separates trail traffic from skills park. Minor realignment of trails to mesh into berms and increase fun factor.
• Main park entrance: Formalised entry point with facility map/signage. Levelled area acts as a staging zone for racing/events.
• Lower entry point: Secondary entry/exit point with signage. Also provides a logical spot for shuttle pickups.
• Elevated start mounds: Provide natural speed for jump lines and skills trails. Generous sizing for hanging out with your riding buddies, or as a spectator area for racing finish line during major events.
• Jump lines: Beginner (dirt take-offs & landings), Intermediate & Advanced lines (timber/steel ramp take-offs with dirt landings). Larger (more forgiving) tabletop style landings to increase safety and aid progression.
• Skills trails: Natural rock features, rollers and berms create a repeatable trail experience for progressive, transferrable skills development & coaching.
• Balance zone: Elevated timber & rock features for low-speed technical skills development.
• Junior pump track: A great place for riders of all ages to develop fundamental skills. This looped track is separated from higher speed traffic, making it a safe space for younger riders and supervising parents.
• Drop zone: An elevated mound with a choice of drops of varying construction and difficulty. Provides a speed boost into the Wallride feature.
• Hero features: Hammock feature & Wall Ride provide unique challenge & fun for advanced riders, but designed to aid progression.
• Trail junctions: Elevated junctions create a multi-loop configuration, discourage shortcutting and informal trails. Can be pumped for more speed & aid rider visibility/safety.
• Raised trail tread profile: Creates a durable and more weather-proof riding surface throughout the park, discourages shortcutting or informal lines.

---

Project Background

The Mt Taylor MTB Park has evolved over a number of years, with a primary focus to date on the development of quality singletrack trails. The growing popularity of the trail network and the increasingly diverse range of users enjoying the site has revealed the need for upgrades to the base area facilities. MTBEG responded to this by applying for funding through the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program, and have been successful in receiving a grant of $360,000.

As a result, the Mt Taylor Skills Park project aims to improve visitor experience and increase participation in mountain biking by responding to demand for inclusive facilities that are safe, fun, well designed, and allow riders to progress their skills in a logical way.

The works will include a major overhaul to the existing jumps area at the trailhead to develop a new jumps line and skills trails designed to help riders of all experience levels to progress their skills before tackling any of the nearly 30kms of purpose-built mountain bike trails accessible within the park.

Funding for this project has been provided by the Australian Government

---

About the design process:

To design and construct the Mt Taylor Skills Park, MTBEG have engaged specialty MTB trail and pump-track builders Trailscapes.

Throughout the community consultation and design stages, members of the Project Control Group have worked with Trailscapes to develop a design that responds to the identified needs of the site & feedback received from the community to achieve the following project outcomes:

• Resolves safety concerns around the exit of the existing trails and lack of formal roll-in area to the jumps
• Develops a jump line that includes an elevated start area and multiple jump line options of varying difficulty, suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders.
• Develops a new skills trail that includes a wide variety of features that allows riders of all skill and experience levels to work on skill improvement.
• Provides opportunities for skills coaching
• Provides an area that supports the hosting of events
• Improves amenities for parental supervision of younger riders

Project progress:

Completed:

• Grant success – $360,000 awarded to MTBEG
• Developed project brief & put out to tender
• Conducted tender evaluation process
• Awarded successful contractor – Trailscapes Pty Ltd
• Developed preliminary design
• Held community consultation session
• Collated feedback, refined design & feature inclusions
• Acquired Aboriginal Cultural Heritage permit
• Approved detailed design
• Finalised contract agreement
• Confirmation of construction timing

In progress:

• Finalise park signage plan
• Engage artist for wallride mural project

To do:

• Construction phase – Commence June ’23 – (8 weeks est. completion)
• Launch event – Winter 2023 – date TBC

---