MASON CITY, Iowa – A groundbreaking ceremony for Mason City’s Prairie Rock Trails Bike Park is set for April 23.
The bike park will link the 450-acre conservation area, Mason City’s new High Line Trail, Riverwalk and 20 miles of existing trails.
“It will be a world-class bike park drawing visitors from surrounding states, creating a great amenity for people across Iowa and the Midwest,” said City Administrator Aaron Burnett.
Located at the entrance to Zerble’s Trail on the southern edge of the popular Lime Creek Nature Center and Conservation Area, supporters say the bike park will help secure North Iowa’s reputation as a destination for outdoor recreation.
“Mason City already has an international reputation for the arts and music,” says Mayor Bill Schickel. “This will jump start our plans to make North Iowa the outdoor recreation capital of the Midwest.”
Supporters say the nearest comparable facility is in Northern Arkansas, which draws more than 1,000 bicyclists a week from across the country, including many from Iowa. The project is made possible by a Destination Iowa state grant and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding awarded to the City of Mason City and Cerro Gordo County.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for 10 am.
