Middleridge Trail Survey
In April 2021 California State Park officials bulldozed an area in Folsom Lake State Park that contained bike jumps that were built by local kids without permission. There was a massive outcry from the public and FATRAC helped organize the response. FATRAC board members met with elected officials who asked what we wanted. We replied “for mountain biking to be accepted and embraced as a user group, not begrudgingly allowed to ride our bikes on hiking trails, but to have a mountain bike trail ecosystem built like what is in Bentonville, Arkansas”.
In May 2022, Folsom Lake State Park released a draft of their RTMP (Road and Trail Management Plan), recognizing the significant increase in mountain biking and made recommendations to change many trails in the system from pedestrian and equestrian only to multi-use.
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However, some trails were not recommended for this designation change including sections of the Pioneer Express Trail and a 1 mile long trail near Mississippi Bar called Middle Ridge. State Parks Staff held a public comment meeting for the RTMP and a member of the public asked why horses are allowed on Middle Ridge Trail but not bikes. One of the Staff answered the question and essentially said, “because equestrians have been around for a long time.” In the RTMP, the official reason for not recommending Middleridge allow bikes is because it is too steep in places and too narrow.
A FATRAC member who regularly uses Middle Ridge Trail and believes it would be a great benefit the community if it became bike-legal, took it upon himself to find out who was using that trail and conducted a month-long trail survey. The results were surprising.
Middleridge trail - June:
1033 Hikers - 81.1%
238 Bikers - 18.6%
3 Equestrians - .3%
A second trail below Middleridge, Shady Trail, was surveyed the next month. It is wider and has more gradual terrain than Middle Ridge. It is currently only approved for pedestrian and equestrian use but was recommended in the RTMP for a change in use designation. The beginning of Shady Trail is adjacent to Shadow Glen Equestrian Stables.
Shady Trail - July:
1480 Hikers 54%
999 Bikers 37%
253 Equestrians 9%
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