‘It fills a critical void.’ New Centre County trails system gears up for second phase
When Josh Stapleton realized there was a need for a beginner mountain biking trail system in Centre County, he turned to his church and the Nittany Mountain Biking Association for help.
A total of $250,000 and over 4,200 hours of work later, the first phase of the Harvest Fields Community Trails — located on land by the Calvary Church building in Boalsburg — came to life in October 2020. When the trails first opened then, Stapleton said the turnout was high.
“I felt like we were in Disney World in terms of the crowds,” Stapleton said. “There’s definitely a pent up need for that type of venue.”
Now, a second phase of the project is in the works, and Stapleton said he’s excited to bring even more outdoor adventure opportunities to the community, especially during the pandemic, when people are venturing outside more.
The new phase will eventually bring a mountain biking skills park to the area, providing novice riders with obstacles and more challenging terrain to become intermediate riders. Stapleton added that while anyone is welcome to use the trails, including those not riding bikes at all, the target group is beginner riders who want to learn to better navigate mountain trails.
Specifically, middle school level girls seem to have taken interest in the sport, according to Stapleton, who has a daughter in sixth grade. Because there is a “high bar of entry” to many local trails, given that most of them are tough to learn on, Stapleton said he’s glad the community came together to offer the trails system to riders.
While acknowledging it would cost less to dump piles of dirt and throw a few logs down, Stapleton said approximately $175,000 is needed to make the bike skills park look like an arboretum.
“The point is to create a destination venue, a really high-end park experience, because that’s going to be a place as well, that ... you could imagine a family going out there with small kids where the parents could literally just sit in benches and literally have line of sight of the whole venue,” Stapleton said.
Community members may donate to the project online, but there will also be fundraising events throughout its completion.
The skills trails will feature QR codes at certain points that will link to YouTube videos giving riders tips for how to navigate the obstacles.
“It’s a different set of skills and it doesn’t have to be scary if you have the right skills, but it can be terrifying if you don’t have the right skills,” Stapleton said.
Scott Sheeder, current board member and former president of the NMBA, has worked on trail projects before — like at Rothrock Forest — but never on private property. He said the Harvest Fields project has made it easier for community members to get involved with the local mountain biking scene.
“It fills a critical void in State College,” Sheeder said.
He added that a diverse group of people have used the trails, from kids riding Strider bikes to their grandparents walking the paths.
“I think it’s been a real positive for the local community, for people who want to get outside and just enjoy what we’ve got around us,” Sheeder said.
Those interested in keeping up with the ongoing project may sign up to join the email list at http://eepurl.com/hqIJf1. Anyone with general questions about the project may contact HFCT@nittanymba.org.
