On March 14, the Great Outdoors Colorado board announced a $389,000 grant award to the town of Fraser for construction of a bike park at the 120-acre Cozens Ranch open space.

This grant was awarded as part of of the organization’s Community Impact program, which invests in projects that develop and revitalize parks, trails, schoolyards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities and other outdoor areas that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors.

The bike park will be constructed near the Lions Ponds and will include asphalt pump tracks, multiple skills trails for riders of all abilities, progressive jump lines and a central plaza with seating, shade and play structures. The park is designed to cater to everyone from young children to advanced riders, and it will include multiple features for adaptive cyclists.

Construction of the park is expected to be completed by fall 2025, according to the news release.

Cozens Ranch contains over 3 miles of the Fraser River, wildlife habitat and recreational amenities for residents and visitors. As part of the Fraser River Corridor Master Plan, the project aims to provide free and accessible outdoor opportunities.

Skinny Traffic Trails has been a project partner throughout the bike park design process. Skinny Traffic Trails President Elliott Leslie said the bike park will fill a void for many bikers in the area.

“The town of Fraser has gone to great lengths to seek input from the community at large and future users, built a team of qualified local advocates to help guide the process, and worked with agencies from local to national levels — all to ensure the project has evolved in a way that considers a wide array of perspectives and will deliver the highest possible quality facility,” Leslie said.

The bike park was designed with input collected from a community survey and organizational partners, including Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District, Headwaters Trail Alliance, Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Coalition and Trestle Bike Park.

In addition to the state grant, the town has raised over $500,000 for the bike park project. Funding for the project has come from Colorado Department of Transportation’s Revitalizing Main Street Grant and Grand County Conservation Trust funds as well as contributions from the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District and the Fraser Board of Trustees. 

The town is continuing to solicit donations and secure additional grants. Donations to help fund the bike park can be made through the Headwaters Trail Alliance.

Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to go toward preserving and enhancing state parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. An independent board awards the competitive grants to local governments and land trusts.