Stub Stewart trails are partially back open!

We know many are excited for updates about reopening the trails at Stub Stewart State Park. Thanks to the massive dedication and hours of work by NWTA’s amazing Stub Stewart Local Stewardship Team (LST) and volunteers, a portion of the trails are open and ready to ride. Please adhere to all posted signs, as there is still forestry activity happening adjacent to some of the trails. 

Here’s the latest on what is open:

• Restored trails as listed are only open after weekday logging hours (5:00 p.m.) and on the weekends.
• Please enter the freeride area via the MTB connector trail (aka N. Caddywhomper) → Cross Tie → Rise and Shine. On weekdays before 5:00 p.m., the freeride area is accessible via Lower Shoofly.
• Rinse and Repeat is open.
• Rise and Shine is open.
• Rail Yard is open, but dialing in the trail will happen after the log decks have been removed.
• Green Horn is open; but please be advised: the last couple of berms on upper Green Horn are temporarily a two-way trail to give access to a temporary climb/pushup trail. Caution tape signifying this change is present.
• The top half of Drip Torch is open, including a major fix and rebuild of the wall ride. 

What’s next: 

• The skills area rebuild has received archeological approval, but the proposed downhill trail is waiting for review. Both will be big projects, and we’re hoping to have a large number of volunteers to help clear the slash and build trail and features – stay tuned for the next work party!
• A new entrance to Cross Tie is complete; there will be a new entrance to the skills area in the future near the entrance to Cross Tie.

Why were the trails closed?

Before the property was a state park, it was a heavily logged private timber farm. The vast majority of trees in the park were planted in thick stands following harvests. To promote a more natural, native forest habitat and pattern of tree growth, the stands are selectively thinned. Thinning also allows more light to reach the forest floor to benefit native understory plants. Furthermore, thinning reduces the fire danger level. Forest health operations and selective thinning usually only need to happen a couple of times over the course of a number of years. The ultimate goal is to allow the forest to return to a more natural growth pattern and habitat. A great local example is Silver Falls State Park. The majority of Silver Falls was also historically heavily logged, and forest health operations through the early years have allowed that forest as we now know it to flourish.