Muskegon County, Michigan‐ Michigan’s Edge Mountain Biking Association announced the official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Mosquito Creek Trails.
You are invited to attend a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony that will take place on May 11, 2019, 10am at 2190 North Maple Island Rd. in Twin Lake. This will kick off the opening of phase one including a 3 mile beginner loop, or the “green loop”, as trail users will call it. This specific trail will have a tread width between 3 to 4 feet, and an average grade between one and three percent.
Mosquito Creek Trails, named for the Mosquito Creek stream that runs through the 500‐acre Muskegon County recreation area, will debut its initial trail this spring. The series of multi‐use trails will have varying difficulties, widths and grades. Mosquito Creek Trails will be built so that user experiences support the local landscape and environment instead of working against it. The trails will utilize natural obstacles and anchor elements to define the trails. This will deter users from unintentionally widening paths. The trails will be created to optimize water drainage, counter the force of users and prevent erosion.
In the fall of 2016, Michigan’s Edge Mountain Biking Association (MEMBA) members met with Visit Muskegon and Muskegon County Wastewater Complex staff. Together they identified approximately 500 acres of untouched land as an ideal area to create a recreation area. Upon reaching a collaborative agreement with Muskegon County, MEMBA raised over $50,000 to engage with Applied Trails Research and Dirt Artisans. These two companies provided a comprehensive engineering and design proposal. Applied Trails Research is a trails and recreation consulting firm that specializes in spatial data analysis, mapping resources, and impact minimization planning for outdoor and reaction management. Dirt Artisans designed Mosquito Creek based on the resources and data from Applied Trails Research.
Mosquito Creek Trails will offer the opportunity for local cyclists and visitors to use the multi‐use trails year round. As these trails will be shared‐use, MEMBA looks to build a better local trail community that will foster a pride in our recreation options and keep users honest and respectful towards each other. These trails will support Muskegon County’s need for increased access to safe and secure trails in which users have a variety of options for exercise and recreational socialization. For mountain bikers specifically, the trails will also provide a variety of challenging and thrilling obstacles
MEMBA is currently fundraising to complete phase two and three of the project. Phase two will include three to four miles of trail and is projected to be completed in the fall of 2019. Phase three will add an additional three to four miles of trail, two bridges, and a restroom facility. Phase three will complete the project, and is expected for 2020.
MEMBA would like to thank the following sponsors for their assistance in making Mosquito Creek Trails a success:
• Bulldog Dumpsters
• The GE Foundation
• The Gerber Foundation
• Innovative Sheet Metal
• J Stevens Construction
• Klingel Homes
• Leprino Foods Foundation
• Mill Site Associates
• Mull‐It‐Over Products
• Muskegon Community Foundation
• Universal Products, Inc.
• West Michigan Coast Riders
• Mark & Christine Fazakerley
• Tom and Phippi Garrison
• Alex and Jaclyn Wagner