Science & Nature
‘Big Hill’ Opening Saturday at Big Marsh Park, as Final Piece of Bike Jump and Trail System Is Completed
An aerial image of Big Marsh Park. (Courtesy of Friends of Big Marsh)
Starting Saturday, thrill-seeking bike riders will get to test their skills on the newest additions to Big Marsh Park’s complex of BMX and mountain biking trails.
The Chicago Park District will officially open an XL jump line designed to challenge more advanced riders, along with an asphalt jump line the district said is the longest of its kind in the nation.
Beginning and intermediate riders can build confidence on small and medium features.
These “big hill” additions on the southern edge of the park represent the completion of the final project laid out in a 2014 framework plan for a bike trail system at Big Marsh Park.
“The official opening of the south jump hill at Big Marsh Park cements Chicago’s Southeast Side as a thriving hub for cycling culture,” Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said in a statement.
On Saturday, tours will be offered of the bike park, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pump track and single-track workshops will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. People can bring their own bike or rent one on site.
The nonprofit Friends of Big Marsh partnered with the Park District to raise $1.1 million to construct the new features.
The organization is excited to “welcome even more experienced bicyclists to the Southeast Side as we position Big Marsh Park as a world-class destination for bicyclists of all skill levels,” said Paul Fitzgerald, executive director of Friends of Big Marsh Park.
The nearly 300-acre park was once a waste and slag dumping ground for surrounding industrial operations. The Chicago Park District gained control of the land in 2011, and it opened to the public in 2016 after environmental remediation was conducted.
In addition to the bike park, Big Marsh is a popular birding site and is home to the Ford Calumet Environmental Center.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
