For Immediate Release: Construction Set To Begin on Great Bear Singletrack Trails This Summer
Falls Area Singletrack and IMBA Trail Solutions Set To Launch Phase 1 of The Great Trail Build.
Sioux Falls, SD – April 22, 2025 — After reaching 75% of its fundraising goal for Phase 1, Falls Area Singletrack (FAST) is excited to begin construction this summer on the initial network of bike trails at Great Bear Recreation Park in partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) Trail Solutions team.
Phase 1 will introduce 4-5 miles of brand-new bike trails, seamlessly integrated with the existing paths to create an even richer outdoor experience, located off the Northeast corner of the parking lot. Subsequent phases of the project will bring up to 13 total miles of new trails to the park.
FAST President, Ben Blomberg says, “Support from the community, our partners at Great Bear and Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation has been significant, and we have a lot of people to thank for helping us get to this point. We’ll need that support to continue to fully realize this dream and execute the entire concept plan.”
Funding the new trail system will offer mountain bikers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts improved access and diverse experiences, including directional bike-only routes and shared-use paths. The expansion supports FAST’s mission to promote active lifestyles, environmental stewardship, and trail access for all.
Recognized as a global leader in sustainable trail development and construction, IMBA Trail Solutions brings its extensive experience, spanning over 1,000 projects across North America, Europe, and Asia, to Sioux Falls for this landmark effort.
"We're thrilled to collaborate with IMBA Trail Solutions to bring world-class trails to Great Bear Park," said Brad Blomberg, Board Member of Falls Area Singletrack. "This is a major milestone for outdoor recreation in our region."
In the 2022 fiscal year, FAST was one of ten organizations awarded a Trail Accelerator grant through the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) for match funding to help bring more trails to the Sioux Falls area. The goal was to develop a concept plan for adding new trails at Great Bear and bringing a destination ride center to the region.
FAST’s fundraising campaign “The Great Trail Build. Destination: Bear” has seen early success and continues to look for and engage with potential donors to discuss details of the plan and the opportunities available to join FAST in bringing this project to fruition. Target fundraising for all phases of the project is $1.25 million.
“Great Bear is thrilled that we are one major step closer to fulfilling the community’s dream of bike trails at The Bear,” said Great Bear’s General Manager, Dan Grider. “Thank you to all who have contributed so far, and thank you to FAST for spearheading the effort. We still need your support to get this project to the finish line!”
Current Schedule Of Events For 2025
May 12-16, 2025 - Field Design and Flagging for Construction
July 14 - September 12, 2025 - Construction (with the performance period pushing into 2026 based on the availability of subcontractors)
Donations - Interested parties are encouraged to visit FAST's donation page at fallsareasingletrack.org/donate or to reach out via email to fallsareasingletrack@gmail.com to arrange consultations to discuss giving options that align with their philanthropic goals.
The Great Trail Build. Destination: Bear. - For more details about this project, visit: fallsareasingletrack.org/trails/great-bear
FAST 25 by 25 initiative - More on the FAST 25 x 25 initiative: fallsareasingletrack.org/25by25
About Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST)
FAST is a not-for-profit recreational trail-building and management organization with a mission to protect, create, and enhance quality trail experiences for mountain bikers in cooperation with other trail users in the Sioux Falls area. FAST actively promotes responsible trail use, supports volunteer trail work, assists land managers with trail management issues, and improves relations among all trail user groups.
Since 2010, FAST has fostered a partnership with the City of Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department to build and maintain singletrack trails in multiple city parks. To date, FAST actively manages and maintains over 15 miles of singletrack, and its footprint continues to grow. FAST currently has over 150 active members and contributors to its organization and has over 4,000 followers on social media.
Contact
Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST)
PO Box 90144
Sioux Falls, SD 57109
fallsareasingletrack@gmail.com
fallsareasingletrack.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FallsAreaSingletrack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fallsareasingletrack/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fast_inc
Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/FAST-SD
Media Inquiries
Reva Graves
Communications Director
Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST)
fallsareasingletrack@gmail.com
Brad Blomberg
Secretary
Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST)
bblomberg@mediaone.com
Alexa Jerstad
Director of Communications
Great Bear Ski Valley
ajerstad@greatbearpark.com
