Midland Trail Park is being used, and PBBA memberships are up. Memberships are required to ride at the park located at Interstate 20 and County Road 307 near the Harris Field Fire Training Facility.

Mitchell said there were 350 people at the park’s grand opening in late April, and those people and others who have used the park have experienced two 3.8-mile trails, one described as “intermediate” and the other “easy.” A third 3-mile, perimeter trail should be ready in the fall. It will be geared toward gravel riding, although it will also be good for running and mountain biking, Mitchell said. 

The park’s trails are not as “technical” as the mountain bike course in Odessa, Mitchell said, but caters to families looking for a place to ride or hikers and trail-runners.

“80% of the people who come out are mountain bikers,” he said.

There’s also a “skills park” – 2 to 3 acres of wooden features to help hone riding skills, and park officials are also putting in a “jump line.” A pump track is also likely in the works. Also in the Midland Trail Park forecast is a disc golf course and a pavilion with picnic tables.

“The pavilion has been ordered and should be constructed within 5 weeks,” Mitchell said.

Midland Trail Park, as it stands now, has already come a long way since officials first visited with Midland City Council members Lori Blong and Jack Ladd Jr. about the possibilities for the property.

The city wanted to do something with the 135 acres with its tall elm trees, deep grass, big mesquite trees, a lake and natural topography, but didn’t want to manage it. That is where the PBBA came in.

Around $130,000 was raised for the project, said Mitchell, who is also vice president of the West Texas Trail Alliance, which has helped make mountain biking possible at the Big Spring State Park.

“We hired a professional trail builder,” Mitchell said. “The trails contain nearly 200 berms that were made using a mini excavator.  We ended up with a 3.7-mile…