Lakeshore, California — Mountain biking is growing in popularity, which means more places are building trail networks. With this comes the potential of oversaturation, along with risks for operators. Last week, we saw two announcements that ski resorts were discontinuing their bike parks: Sugarbush in Vermont and China Peak in California.
Last Friday, China Peak announced that this will be the final summer of mountain biking operations. No reason was given for the closure. However, it did get sold to the California Mountain Resort Company in late 2022. This new ownership group has invested in new lifts and other upgrades there, but readjusting the summer strategy is not surprising.
Operational dates will be limited for this summer. They will include June 20-21, July 4, and September 6th. China Peak will host two events: the Southwest Downhill Series and California Enduro Series. Some of the other activities available this summer will include scenic chairlift rides and water activities via their boathouse.
Served by Chair 1, China Peak’s mountain bike park features 26 trails with 21 total miles of terrain. China Peak’s longest trail is Backside, at 5 miles. China Peak’s technical and rugged nature made it the host of various competitions, including the aforementioned Southwest Downhill Series and California Enduro Series.
With more and more bike trails popping up seemingly everywhere (many of which are free to ride), we’ll likely see more bike parks discontinue operations in the years ahead due to insufficient demand. It’s a similar trajectory that ski resorts have faced. After many opened in the 1950s and 60s, they then began to fall in the 70s and 80s due to liability issues, inconsistent weather, and improving competition.
Image/Video Credits: China Peak
