Xcel Energy, Shakopee Community Pave Way For New Mountain Bike Park

Press release from the City of Shakopee:

July 22, 2020

Xcel Energy, City of Shakopee, Shakopee School District, and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today broke ground on a new mountain bike park that will be located at Xcel Energy’s Blue Lake power plant and Quarry Lake Park. When complete, this will be the first mountain bike park on Xcel Energy property in the Upper Midwest.

“This new mountain bike park is a great example of public and private partners working together to benefit the community,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. “Xcel Energy is proud to support this mountain bike trail and we want to thank the City of Shakopee, the Shakopee Public Schools, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for their partnership in making it a reality.”

“With interest in mountain biking continuing to grow, we’re pleased to partner with Xcel Energy, the Shakopee School District and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to bring a showcase mountain bike park to our community,” said Shakopee Mayor Bill Mars. “The course builds on the city’s vision of Quarry Lake Park as a recreation destination for outdoor enthusiasts in this hidden gem of a park.”

“The new mountain bike park is an outstanding example of different organizations working together for the greater good of the community,” said Mike Redmond, Superintendent, Shakopee School District. “At one point, we were considering building a much smaller bike trail. Thanks to terrific communication and support between the City of Shakopee, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Xcel Energy, and Shakopee Public Schools, we were able to join together and create an outcome that is far superior to these initial plans.”

“These mountain bike trails will be a great new recreational offering, helping us get exercise and explore nature,” said Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Chairman Keith Anderson. “The park will benefit the region, and our tribe is glad to have a role in making it happen.”

The Xcel Energy Mountain Bike Park will consist of four loops that go around Quarry Lake with riding options for those just beginning mountain biking to advanced riders. The single-track style course will weave between the existing tree cover and a larger prairie area, taking advantage of natural and man-made topography. These features, along with the loop around the lake provides a unique riding experience not offered by most biking trails. Planning of the trail was done in coordination with active mountain bikers from the community and community organizations such as the Shakopee Mountain Biking Team and Little Bellas.

The City will partner with the Shakopee School District to create the four-mile mountain bike course. The school district received financial support from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to build this trail for use by the public and the Shakopee Mountain Bike Team. The City of Shakopee will design and construct the trail. Additionally, the design and location of the trail supports future plans to use the course for National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) racing.

The park is expected to open in December for fat tire biking.

See a photo gallery of photos from the groundbreaking event.

This press release was produced by the City of Shakopee. The views expressed here are the author’s own.