Loudoun Ponders Mountain Bike Trails Through Partnership

Mountain bike trails may soon be part of some Loudoun County Parks after a unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors Wednesday.

A group called Mountain Bike Loudoun County (MTB-LoCo) has proposed a partnership in which they develop and maintain trails for non-motorized vehicles. MTB-LoCo indicated that it was attempting to work involved a local equestrian group that’s now maintaining a trail off Evergreen Mills Road near Banshee Reeks and the county landfill.

According to a staff report, MTB-LoCo would like to expand the existing trail to include a mountain biking element.

“We have not had many mountain bike trails in Loudoun,” Diane Ryburn, director of the Loudoun Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS). “I do feel confident that the group is committed to building the trail.”

The board’s vote authorized PRCS to allow mountain bike trails as permitted uses in certain locations in the county.

Some concerns were raised about the county’s potential liability in terms of maintaining the trail and what the costs could be. Ryburn promised to provide more information.

“My thought would be that we would start small, do one, see how it goes and I can report back to the board,” she said.

[Correction: The location where MTB-LoCo would like to expand the trail is NOT in the Banshee Reeks Preserve. Mountain biking is not permitted in the preserve.]