Seattle’s only forested mountain bike trail is a community’s labor of love

SEATTLE – Beacon Hill’s new crown jewel was once a diamond in the rough.

“It took over a decade for this to be possible,” said neighborhood resident Joel DeJong. “There is a desire to gain access to forests, especially in a densely populated city.”

DeJong is the chairman of Cheasty Trails and Bike Park, a group of volunteers who have worked to transform this natural space.

“We’re part of the Green Seattle Partnership, which is cleaning up green belts across the city,” he said.

They removed invasive species and planted more than 16,000 new trees and plants.

“Basically planting the nearest canopy in the forest out here.”

To make the 43-acre Cheasty Greenspace accessible to neighbors, volunteers built trails for hiking and horseback riding.

“We received support from the Seattle Parks Foundation. We received support from private donors.”

They have completed the first phase of their mountain bike trail project.

DeJong said, “We have two downhill mountain bike trails and a link trail for hikers and cyclists.

“In the future comes the second phase, which will have an even longer mountain bike experience,” DeJong said.

The result is a place where families can enjoy healthy activities in close proximity to nature, an urban oasis where people and nature can benefit from each other.

“It’s their forests,” DeJong said, “we need the connection to nature to live a healthy lifestyle. When people have access to that space and feel connected to it, they will want to come back. And then they will want to contribute and participate in maintaining his health.”

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