Ride Bike Kanuga park opens in Hendersonville, with trails for all levels
Two years of collaboration, planning, detail, and conversation culminated in Ride Kanuga’s much-anticipated opening. It is located on the grounds at Bike Kanuga Park Camps and Conference Centre.
On July 25, the bike kanuga park opened with eight of its twelve trails completed.
It is the ideal social distancing activity. And, as fate would have it: the debut of the bike park was perfectly placed in the middle of a pandemic where people are looking for safe, fun recreation.
Three-time U.S. champion downhill mountain biking pro Neko Mulally, a Pisgah Forest resident, joined forces with Dr. Dave LaMond, a local family physician and mountain biking enthusiast to plan and build Ride kanuga park. Neko Mulally, a Pisgah Forest resident and Downhill Mountain Biking champion, and World Cup Downhill pro, joined forces to build Ride kanuga park with Dr. Dave LaMond (a local family physician and mountain bike enthusiast).
Ride bike Kanuga park is the best in Western North Carolina. LaMond stated that it fills a need for progression and learning. The trails are well-organized and people can practice in one area.
There are some features that could make it unsafe to use the trails in the forest. There is a road that goes all the way up to the top. We’ve met with EMS several times so that it’s as safe as possible.
LaMond said, “It was a collaboration experience with three distinct perspectives – Neko Mullaly, Isak LEVSSON, the pro-racer with more freestyle and BMX backgrounds, and then me as a recreational mountain biking enthusiast.”
“These guys have seen nearly every model and scenario of riding bikes. The intention from Day 1 was to create something that would attract national attention. I believe it will be that.”
Mulally, now 27, is a pro mountain biker who has been riding since age 16. He’s raced on a variety of trails around the globe and won many races. In 2016, he also designed, expanded, and improved the trail system at Windrock Bike Park, Oliver Springs, Tennessee.
His passion for mountain biking and the Ride bike Kanuga park project feeds into that passion.
The trails will be enjoyable for all levels of skill. Some of the races and trails that I have done overseas can be very challenging. However, the trails at bike Kanuga park are much easier. Mulally stated that they are very accommodating, smooth, and enjoyable with good turning radiuses.
The park’s goal is to provide a safe and enjoyable place for people to enjoy riding their bikes. That’s what I believe most people want when they ride their bikes — to leave with a smile on the face.
Mulally, LaMond, and Leivsson were part of a team of eight who made sure the trails were interesting and had unique features that aren’t found in other national parks. The park is on private land so they had complete freedom.
