By: Wes Johnson
This story was originally posted on SGFCitizen
A 200-acre mountain bike park unlike anything in southwest Missouri will be opening in May just 20 minutes south of Springfield.
Howler Bike Park — named for the mythical and elusive creature that purportedly haunts Ozarks hills and hollers — is just a few hundred yards west of U.S. 65 on three steep hills.
Those hills are the key to Howler’s appeal, according to Max Penny, owner of Mountain Movement bike shop in Springfield and the driving force behind Howler Bike Park.
Springfield is blessed with numerous trail destinations that combine biking and hiking, such as Dirt 66 and Sac River north of Springfield, Ozark Greenways trails in town, and Two Rivers Bike Park near Highlandville.
But Howler Bike Park, set to open on May 20, will offer a completely different experience only for mountain bikers, Penny said. It’ll operate much like ski slopes in Colorado, but with bikers instead of skiers as the clientele.
Made exclusively for mountain bikers
Howler riders and their bikes will be shuttled in an all-wheel-drive military cargo vehicle to the top of one of the peaks and then choose their downhill route — green for beginners, blue for more advanced riders and black or double-black for daring experts and pros.
“This is not a pedal park, it’s a downhill park, all downhill, with just a few flat sections,” Penny said during a tour of the project that’s still under construction. “Having a shuttle takes out the exhaustion factor. You’re not riding back uphill, you take the shuttle as many times as you want.”
The longest run will be about two miles. Some incorporate natural features like rock jumps and drops, while other, more challenging runs include steep man-made wooden ramps and curving wooden jumps on which adrenaline-pumped mountain bikers can test their limits.
Expert riders will approach the big curve jump on the Tacocat trail at about 20 to 25 miles per hour, Penny said — enough speed to launch through the air onto an elevated dirt mound.
“You can’t hit your brakes on this one or you fall off,” he quipped.
The green-designated routes are much easier and appropriate for beginners and lower-end mountain bikes, Penny said. They’re good trails to practice basic mountain biking skills before moving up to more challenging routes.
A food truck spot, bike shop and more at Howler Bike Park
Construction on the park began a year ago, and Penny said he intends Howler Bike Park to be a “building block for developing a mountain bike community” in the Springfield region.
“We’ll have runs for all skill levels, from beginners to pros,” Penny said. “If you’re a very advanced rider, this is the place where you can really hone your skills.”
To help foster that mountain biking community feel, Howler Bike Park is building a “base camp” made from six repurposed shipping containers. There, Penny will open a second Mountain Movement bike shop, where people can rent or buy bikes and equipment, get their mountain bikes repaired and buy tickets for the shuttle rides.
There’s a Howler-themed food truck serving beer, a variety of food and drinks, and the proprietary Howler burger. Another shipping container will house a first-aid station — sometimes mountain biking can be a contact sport. Another shipping container serves as a covered bridge leading to base camp.
Across the way, an event stage is being built that’ll be a venue for live music, mountain bike vendors and award ceremonies for future racing events.
Penny said he has plans for a camping area for bikers who arrive and want to stay for several days on-site, though that part of the Howler community has yet to be built.
“It’s a big project,” said Penny, who is developing the park with family member investors. He declined to reveal how much they’ve invested so far, only to repeat that “it’s a BIG project.”
How much does it cost?
Unlike Springfield’s other biking/hiking trails, Howler Bike Park is a private for-profit venture whose owners hope to recoup their investment through bike park memberships and bike shop and food truck sales.
A one-year early-bird membership special before the May 20 opening day is $299, but increases to $399 after the park opens, with discounts for groups of four or more. A day pass runs $39.99 per adult, with a price break for kids 12 and under.
At this point, the park will be open Friday-Sunday, though Penny plans to add days depending on how well membership sales do. In mid-April, Penny said more than 50 one-year memberships were on the books, with some riders coming from as far away as Arizona and Colorado.
“We’re eventually hoping to be open every day — that’s the plan,” Penny said.
Howler Bike Park will help cement the Springfield region as a recreation destination spot, according to Mary Kromrey, executive director of Ozark Greenways in Springfield.
“The opening of Howler Mountain Bike Park is an exciting part of the much larger story of our region embracing our role as an outdoor recreation destination,” Kromrey said. “Our region’s trail system is becoming even more robust, with the addition of more natural-surface trails at Fellows Lake and Lone Pine.”
Paved trails in the area continue to expand, and Kromrey noted others that already attract riders and hikers. They include Sac River mountain bike area just north of Springfield, Two Rivers Bike Park in Stone County, Busiek State Forest in Christian County, White River Valley trail system in Branson and Spokes BMX cycling facility in Springfield.
“All of these examples provide countless opportunities for recreation, tourism, and sporting events,” Kromrey added. “We have one of the most robust and diverse trail systems in the nation – paved, natural-surface, converted rail lines and a water trail, too. This creates a culture that cultivates ridership of all ages, while also supporting the growing business community of local bike and gear shops.”
Howler Bike Park is located at 3410 US Highway 65, Walnut Shade, on the west side of the highway. It’s about 20 minutes south of Springfield.