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Organizers, parents praise Stoneater Bike Park venue; league and staff seek ways to reduce trail closures during races
Summary
After hosting races at Stoneater Bike Park, staff reported strong praise from parents for sightlines and race management and said organizers asked to keep at least one trail open for public use during championship events; staff flagged camping constraints near the park and said methane tests showed no trace.
Lebanon City parks staff reported positive feedback from recent races held at Stoneater Bike Park and described steps to reduce disruptions to the public during future events.
Staff said parents praised the course because they could see about 75% of the race from the pit zone area, which made it easier to monitor children compared with wooded courses. Organizers asked the city to consider ways to keep at least one trail open to the public during weekend championship events; staff said they will try to keep a trail accessible while preserving safety for competitors.
Staff described logistical issues observed at the event: some loose gravel on cross‑country trails that the parks crew will address; muddy or soft skill‑trail sections caused by thawing; and questions about where visiting participants would camp. Staff said the league prefers on‑site camping but the city has discouraged camping on park ground because of the risk of methane from an on‑site landfill. Parks staff said they drilled more than 100 test holes and performed ambient air sampling and “never encountered any even trace amounts of methane gas,” and therefore did not impose a blanket ban on pavement camping. Last year, staff said two people camped on pavement (the league director and an assistant) and that league representatives are talking with local campgrounds to arrange group rates.
Staff also reported a $25,000 grant from Discover Boone County (formerly the county CVB) to pay for trail maintenance this spring; staff said those funds will be applied to trail repairs and stabilization.
Ending: Staff said they will coordinate with race organizers and crews to keep at least one trail open where feasible, and work on trail repairs before the busy season.
