It took commitment from local bike enthusiasts, local donors and state grant money, but the Barsness Park off-road bike trail has now been completed and is being used regularly this summer.

Soon, kiosks with maps of the trails will be erected at trail heads located at AJ’s Bar & Grill, Park Road and at 3rd and 7th Street. A formal grand opening of the trails is being planned for this fall but a local bike group is seeking volunteers to help with trail maintenance to get things in “really good shape” for that grand opening.   

There are some erosion and overgrowth problems in parts of the trail that require maintenance, according to Jim Beck of Glenwood. “It’s not hard work and volunteers need only be armed with a shovel and rake. We have lots of shovels and rakes, so volunteers don’t have to have their own tools,” Beck said. “We just need help from the public to maintain the trails and keep them in good shape for riding,” Beck explained.

Local donations, grant money and a large grant from the Department of Natural Resources made the design and construction of the bike trails a reality at Barsness Park. Now, volunteers are needed to maintain what will likely become a destination for local and visiting off-road cyclists.

Beck said volunteers can work as little or as much as they want. The group is also seeking help from the Runestone Off-Road Cyclists and the Mountaineers Bike Team in the Alexandria area. 

“Right now, we are compiling a list of volunteers so we can organize the maintenance work,” according to Beck. 

How to Volunteer

To volunteer to help with the trails, contact Glenwood City Offices at 320-634-5433. Or for more information about volunteering, email Jim Beck at jimbeck4689@gmail.com or Tom Haus at tom.j.haus@gmail.com