In the last 5 years, riders in our area have witnessed the creation of brand-new mountain bike trail systems at Heritage Trails County Park near Slinger and at Regner Park in West Bend. They also have seen the construction of new features to complement the existing trails at Glacial Blue Hills Recreation Area in West Bend. And everybody loves new. New is exciting. New offers the undeniable appeal of making a reality from what had been only a dream.
Fortunately, the mountain bike trail system at New Fane—not so new anymore—has not been forgotten. In late 2024, a nonprofit group of volunteers was formed for the express purpose of maintaining, enhancing, and promoting the New Fane trails. Co-founded by Washington County residents Steve Schoen and Kayla Weiss, the New Fane Mountain Bike Association has a list of initiatives that includes:
- Addressing drainage issues and adding dirt where needed to help control erosion
- Splitting the entrance to create separate entrances and exits to/from the trails
- Adding a bike repair station
- Keeping plant overgrowth under control
Trail work at New Fane means coordination with the landlord: the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“We have a strong partnership with the DNR and work closely with them,” Weiss says. “We have a recreational land use agreement in place with the DNR that was approved on February 19, 2025. This document outlines which projects we can move forward with and which ideas will need to be reviewed during the upcoming master planning process. We keep in touch with them on a regular basis.”
The organization’s agreement with the DNR allowed for mechanical grooming of the trails when they were covered by snow this winter, a big benefit for the fat bike community. Now it’s time to think spring: NFMBA will perform trail cleanup next Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
“The best way to get involved is to visit our website and fill out a volunteer form or email us,” Weiss says. “We’re a new organization, and we’re doing about as much as we can handle right now. We’d love to have more folks join us in areas they’re passionate about. For example, if you enjoy planning events, we’d be happy to give you the reins.”
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