Keystone Resort’s Bike Park begins operations on Friday, June 12, at 10 a.m. and will remain open daily through Monday, Sept. 7, with two additional weekends Sept. 12-13 and 19-20. Featuring 100 miles of lift-served singletrack mountain biking across 55 trails, the mountain’s progressive terrain has something for riders of all ability levels.

Expert riders come for the rock gardens, drops, high-speed features and the Drop Zone, an expert-only terrain park consisting of a series of ridgeline drops transformed into free falls; novice riders can tackle Keystone Bike Park’s beginner trails, consisting of open and forested areas with some rocks and roots; and intermediate trails contain some steeper grades, larger rocks and roots and some man-made wooden features.

Trail upgrades

The 2015 Keystone Bike Park features a variety of upgrades and additions, including chairlift bike trays, a bigger and better skills park with improved jump lines and new features, berms and jumps on select trails. Drop in bike trays will be placed every fourth chair on the Summit Express chairlift and hold three per carrier, increasing uphill capacity.

The park’s trail crew has improved numerous trails over the past two seasons. Riders will find new berms, jumps and features throughout the park. A few additions include a natural wood log feature on the expert trail Cowboy Up, a wall-ride feature on the expert trail Paid In Full, a rhythm section on the intermediate trail Mosquito Coast and a new flow trail with rollers and berms that is designed for all ages and abilities on the beginner trail Girl Scouts.

Another recent addition for all levels of riders is the Keystone Skills Park. Featuring beginner, intermediate and expert jump trail lines, the skills park consists of logs, rocks, rollers and a pump track — a new addition for 2015. This free feature is open to the public, with no bike haul pass required, and provides an area to warm up, fine-tune and learn new skills.

Even more new builds will be continued throughout the summer, including a planned remodel on the expert trail TNT and the beginning stages of construction for an entirely new trail.

Learn as you go

Keystone offers beginner and intermediate riders a variety of clinics and lessons. Learn how to navigate the mountain via two wheels with the Bike 101 First Timers package, which includes instruction in proper mountain biking technique and becoming more familiarized with the equipment and downhill mountain biking protocols. The Bike 201 Bumps and Bends package further enhances riding skills and allows bikers to become more comfortable with navigating sharp corners and riding on loose dirt. Both the 101 and 201 packages include instruction, bike rental, protective gear and a bike haul pass.

For family, friends or like-minded people who are looking to try downhill mountain biking, private clinics are also offered. Accommodating up to four people, Keystone’s mountain biking instructors will provide participants with instant feedback and personal attention. Private clinics are available in two-, four- and six-hour intervals and are recommended for a minimum age of 10.

Every Wednesday, the Keystone Bike Park offers a Women’s Wednesday Mountain Bike Clinic, where a coach from the VIDA MTB Series leads a guided tour down the mountain and provides a way for women to shred the mountain together. This clinic includes a bike haul pass, bike rental and protective gear.

Bike and full downhill gear rentals are available at Keystone Sports locations in Keystone’s River Run Village. Keystone Bike Park Season Passes begin at $159, with a variety of options available including Vail Resort’s FreeRide pass, offering unlimited riding in Colorado, Utah and California. Call (800) 842-8062 to purchase a pass.

For more information about Keystone, visit keystoneresort.com or call (877) 204-7889.