Whether you can make it to a state park or not, there are plenty of ways you can explore the terrain on a mountain bike in Door County. Earlier this week, the Friends of Big Hill Park updated the Sturgeon Bay Joint Parks and Recreation Committee and Board on their expansion efforts to extend the trail length from 1/3 mile to 1 1/3 miles. Neighbors around the park signed a petition by Will Gregory to slow down the progress on the trail system. Friends of Big Hill Park’s Matt Young says he has heard that kids in Sturgeon Bay have nothing to do for years. Young played a significant role in bringing a skate park to Sturgeon Bay nearly a decade ago. He says he is as passionate about getting more mountain bike trails into the city now as he was when he was supporting the construction of the skate park.

Meanwhile, progress on mountain biking trail expansion in Peninsula State Park continues. The Friends of Peninsula State Park announced on Thursday that phase two of their mountain bike trails is progressing on schedule, with a second nine-mile loop potentially going live by the end of 2025. The growth of mountain biking could add another spoke in the wheel for Door County tourism. According to Bike Magazine and a Trust for Public Land study, mountain bikers spend $416 on average when visiting a community for riding.