With the collaboration of many helping hands and a whole lot of dirt, Weber Pathways and the community of North Ogden have come together to create a beginner bike trail at Oaklawn Park. Located at 1200 E. 2500 N., North Ogden, Oaklawn Park is best known for ballgames and picnic tables nestled in the woods. Add to that a new mountain biking trail for young riders.
Weber Pathways has a defined goal: “To build trails that create a culture where all have places to walk, run, and ride as they enjoy nature and connect with their neighbors in the greater Weber County Area.”
Additionally, the mission statement of Weber Pathways is to, “Plan, promote, construct, and protect a network of public pathways, trails, and related open spaces for non-motorized users throughout the greater Weber County area.”
Along with neighbors enjoying the trails, there are also families out on the trail. My husband, Mike, took our two younger boys to ride the new Oaklawn Trail a few weeks ago and they loved it! It was especially fun to ride on a new mountain bike! This trail gave us a chance, as a family, to do something adventurous together in the outdoors. It’s a wonderful track! There has been much work done in order to open this track to the public.
Clay Christensen, Assistant Executive Director of Weber Pathways, said, “This idea came about from a North Ogden resident who approached North Ogden City. He also approached Weber Pathways and worked with us and we got the ball rolling.”
Christensen explains that, “Historically, we have had a version of the trail at Oaklawn Park. It was my stomping ground to ride my BMX bike through the trees. What we have done is taken this initial trail, walked different routes, and figured out the best option to do a low-grade trail for young cyclists; This was to improve upon what was there.”
The idea for this beginner bike trail started about a year ago in spring. Construction begun last fall and continued into the spring. You can expect the bike trail to be roughly a half mile loop. Thanks to the many volunteers who spent several hours breathing life into this new trail system.
Also, thanks to Daniel Araya, who is the Outreach Coordinator Intern for Weber Pathways for spearheading things and continuing to keep the ball rolling throughout the project.
When describing the trail, Christensen said it’s, “Mostly for beginners with a low grade. There are no steep climbs or descents.”
Because of the terrain in this county and depending on most of the trails around here—Weber Pathways is working to level out this beginner bike trail a little bit. It is definitely geared more toward the beginner or intermediate rider. There is a need for these types of trails in the county that aren’t so drastic or advanced.
“We always love support both in volunteer form or donations to further our cause,” Christensen adds.
If you’d like to learn more about Weber Pathways and how you can help towards the creation or rebuilding of a trail, please go to www.weberpathways.org.
Also, the third annual TrailFest 2019 is coming up with Weber Pathways. This will be held on Saturday, June 22nd 2019, to celebrate the amazing trail network presented by the Bank of Utah. Trail events are from 8 a.m.-noon. The Festival and Expo at the Ogden Amphitheater from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Come, bring your friends and family to enjoy this outing!
From the Weber Pathways website regarding the TrailFest, we learn that, “Families can enjoy the organized activities along the Centennial Trail. Some of the trails are narrow dirt paths and others are wider and paved. Participants can get their TrailFest passports stamped at the hosted trail segments and then bring their passports to the TrailFest Expo and Festival for a chance to win great prizes.”
Tami L. Johnson
