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Committee reviews Heritage Trails usage decline, discusses fee options and partnerships for mountain-bike trails
Summary
County staff reported a drop in park usage and revenue at Heritage Trails in 2025 compared with 2024 and discussed potential levers — higher daily fees, a mountain-bike pass, targeting nonresident plate fees or partnerships with Metro Mountain Bikers — but made no changes and asked for further study.
WEST BEND, Wis. — Washington County staff told the Land Use and Planning Committee on July 17 that Heritage Trails Park is seeing lower vehicle counts and revenue in 2025 compared with 2024 and discussed possible policy options to support continued trail building and maintenance, particularly for mountain-bike trails.
Jamie Ludovic, chief community development officer, said the county’s budget and analytics team prepared a usage report showing camera-recorded exits and revenue falling in 2025. Ludovic said that while the county is not recommending a fee change at this time, the committee could consider targeted options such as a higher Heritage Trails daily pass (for example, $15–$20 per carload), a dedicated mountain-bike pass, or a two-tiered resident vs. nonresident daily fee to capture revenue from out-of-area visitors.
Staff noted the mountain-bike trails at Heritage Trails have grown through volunteer labor and private fundraising (Metro Mountain Bikers) and that ongoing maintenance needs and future trail builds require a reliable funding source. Ludovic said the county lacks discretionary funds to expand park maintenance and that any change would require partnership input from Metro Mountain Bikers; he said, “we are not recommending anything” and described the discussion as due diligence ahead of the 2026 budget.
Committee members raised practical and equity questions. Supervisor Pridemore asked why 2025 usage lagged 2024; staff cited weather, economy and conversion of frequent riders to annual passholders as possible factors. Supervisor Mary noted an increase in out-of-state daily plates and suggested exploring concession or food-truck opportunities for event days. Supervisor Brian Krebs asked whether camera software could identify Wisconsin plates versus out-of-state plates for differential pricing; staff said plate-state recognition is feasible and that any revenue model should consider enforcement and administrative complexity.
Members discussed the idea of earmarking Heritage Trails revenue for that park’s trail maintenance. Some members supported carving out funds to support trail construction and upkeep; others cautioned against setting a precedent for park-specific earmarking and noted similar requests have arisen for other parks. Staff said they plan to pursue further analysis including comparisons of out-of-state plate counts across parks, cost estimates for running electricity and concessions, and a student planning project through the University of Wisconsin master’s program to evaluate park layout and infrastructure needs.
No motion was taken; the committee asked staff to continue analyzing data and potential fee or partnership models and to report back during the budget process.
