faq's
After four years of hard work, Shadow Mountain Bike Park is headed to public hearings with Jefferson County! Our first found of hearings will be September 11th and 12th beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the final hearing will be on October 1st beginning at 9:00 a.m. We’d love to see you there! Use the FAQ’s below to get yourself up to speed on things that will be discussed at the hearings. Cheers!
Where does the SMBP project stand right now?
As of Aug 2024, the SMBP team has our hearing dates scheduled with Jefferson County for a Special Use Permit. Those dates are Sept 11 and 12th with Planning and Zoning, and October 1st with the Board of County Commissioners. All are public and hybrid (in person and virtual).
How can you get involved?
Visit the support tab on the website to learn how you can support the project. Also, you can follow our shadow mountain insta (https://www.instagram.com/shadowmountainbikepark/) and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ShadowMountainBikePark) for quick updates, sign up for our mailing list, or email us directly if you have questions or want to talk! Just email us at info@shadowmountainbikepark.com
Where is the proposed location for the bike park?
The park will be approximately 2.2 miles west on Shadow Mountain Drive, on the South side of the road. It is a 230-acre parcel currently owned by the Colorado State Land Trust. The property is in the Conifer Area.
What kind of riders will SMBP be designed for?
SMBP intends to offer riding for all ages and abilities. Our goal is to safely provide the best downhill/freeride experience in Colorado, regardless of age or skill level. Expert riders will be encouraged to visit the park for our larger and more technical features, while beginner/family oriented riders will be welcomed into the sport through our more mellow trails and rider camps/programs. FSBR will offer something for everyone, and we can’t wait to see you all there.
Is there a residential component to this project?
No, this is a recreational development opportunity only. There would be nothing residential about the project (e.g. homes, condos, hotels, etc.)
What kind of forest fire mitigation are you planning for the property?
We have worked with industry experts and state/local agencies on a formal forest fire mitigation plan. The proposed property is currently a forest fire risk to the Conifer Area. We aim to reduce that risk by bringing the property into a healthy status. Mountain bikers are not known to be forest fire starters, and professionally managed recreational assets are not known to be forest fire risks to the communities they are in.
Are there plans for onsite EMS personnel?
Yes, we will have onsite first-aid personnel and an EMS center to respond to incidents at the park. We would also have a formal emergency response plan in place with Elk Creek EMS if a visitor needed to be transported offsite for more advanced care. Less than one percent of annual visitors to professionally managed bike parks require transportation offsite
Where would EMS/First Aid Center be located?
Our first-aid center would be located inside as part of the main day lodge.
What additional strain would be put on Elk Creek Fire and EMS responding to Shadow Mountain Drive accidents and injuries at the park?
The park will consolidate riders onto professionally designed and managed uni-directional biking-only trails, with the goal of centralizing and expediting mountain bike related emergency response in the Conifer Area. Fewer incidents should occur on public trails because so many riders will be at our park instead. This could overall reduce the amount of mountain bike related incidents that local EMS resources need to respond to.
As far as responding to accidents on Shadow Mountain Drive, we have conducted a formal traffic analysis and data doesn’t show the existence of the park will make Shadow Mountain Drive inherently less safe.
As far as responding to accidents on Shadow Mountain Drive, we have conducted a formal traffic analysis and don't belive the existence of the park will make Shadow Mountain Drive inherently less safe.
What are the water/natural resources usage implications of this project?
Current projections put our water and natural resources impact below what the property is zoned for today. If water usage exceeded expectations, we are working on a water augmentation plan to backfill over-consumption.
How does the park plan to address wildlife impact?
We have performed in depth analysis regarding wildife that leverage the property and believe the park will be minimally impactful to species that use the property today. It's important to consider that this property is zoned to be developed, and that a day use recreational park will be much less impactful than other development types that could be sited on the property. That said, our staff will be tightly managing visitor interactions with wildlife to ensure minimal disruption, and the park will be fully closed in winter months so wildlife will have completely undisturbed usage of the property.
What are your plans to address/mitigate traffic?
We have performed a formal traffic study and the data shows the roadways impacted can accommodate traffic from the park. That said, we will be capping our parking lot at 300 vehicles and managing it with a reservation system. We have also designed the park's operating hours to minimize roadway conflicts with commuting residents/school children. Our team is also willing to partner with Jefferson County on some strategic roadway improvements that would improve levels of roadway service from what they are today.
Is this a seasonal venture or a year round venture? What months do you anticipate operating? Are you permitting any other activities on the property?
The park plans to operate from roughly April-November, weather permitting. We do not plan to permit any other activities on the property and will be closed in the winter.
Do you have plans to minimize the viewscape impact of the park?
Yes, we are working with with the community to make sure the park compliments the landscape in every way possible. It’s possible some of our larger infrastructure would be hidden from the roadway entirely.
Where and how big would the proposed structures be? (Lodge, lift, first-aid, parking lot.)
We’re still engineering formal site plans. We are working with necessary departments, but want to get the community involved to hear concerns before finalizing plans. We expect the parcel on the south side of Shadow Mountain Dr. will be the location of all operations, and we do not expect infrastructure to expand beyond our lift, lodge, parking lot, and necessary outbuildings.
Will there be any light pollution from the park?
No. It would be a daytime operation only.
What kind of noise will this park generate? How do you plan to mitigate that?
Mountain biking is a quiet sport in nature, and our chairlift will be fully electric. It would be a daytime operation only and will not generate material noise that disturbs residents in the area.
What kind of retail operations are planned for the site?
The only retail operations that will be on the mountain would be operated by the mountain within the lodge: selling park-branded merchandise like T-shirts with bike parts available (e.g. tubes, tires) to keep riders on the hill. We will not have other retailers on site. This will not in any way resemble what a retail village at a ski resort looks like. Any visitors with retail interests will be encouraged to visit local businesses in Conifer.
Conifer is already a mountain bike destination. Will this exacerbate rider volume in the area?
The mountain will actually consolidate riders onto biking-only trails on the mountain, which would effectively reduce riders on the mixed-use trails and relieve congestion—making them safer for hikers and other users.
Have more questions?
We published two new blog posts where some common questions are answered in more detail:
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