The Erwin Park Skills Area, a series of mountain biking trails designed for progressive skills development, is expected to draw cyclists from McKinney and beyond, said Rich Szecsy of the McKinney Parks Foundation.
Erwin Park has had a hike and bike trail for more than 20 years. The skills area will bring designated lines organized by skill level for off-road bikers, Szecsy said.
There will be two beginner lines, two intermediate lines and one advanced line. Each line is more than 300 yards long.
The city of McKinney invested $10,000 into the expansion of the park from the 2019 bond project, which voters approved to enhance the city’s park system. Additional funds were donated from the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association and volunteers.
For almost a year and a half, the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association organized volunteer days when people dedicated time to building the new lines. Ultimately, more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work and 7,000 tons of dirt went into the project, Szecsy said.
The grand opening for the skills area will be from 8 a.m.-noon April 23 and will feature food, music and local officials.
“None of this could have happened without the city's vision, leadership and partnership with DORBA,” Szecsy said. “This is a million-plus-dollar project, but the city, because of their partnership and the volunteers, got it done for a fraction of that.”
