Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers

Call to Action: Bring Mountain Bike Trails & An Adventure Park to Gilroy

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by

Jessica Tseng

Help Shape the Future of Gilroy’s Parks & Open Space

The City of Gilroy has launched a comprehensive General Parks and Trails Survey to evaluate community recreation needs and guide future investments. This is a critical opportunity for local mountain bikers, families, and youth riders to secure dedicated off-road bike infrastructure in South County.

The Need for Local Dirt Access & Building on the Hillside Vision

As of today, Gilroy families and youth riders have virtually no rideable dirt trails accessible directly from home. To ride off-road, practice bike skills, or train with local youth teams, families must load up vehicles and drive out of town.

Many local riders will recall the initial proposals for the Gilroy Hillside Adventure Park back in 2021. That project generated widespread community excitement by highlighting the site’s potential for a full-scale downhill bike park with gravity singletrack, progressive jump lines, and flow trails right here in our backyard.

You can review the original site layouts and trail concepts in the official 2021 City of Gilroy Select Contracts Master Plan Proposal (PDF), check out Select Contracts’ Global Bike Parks Portfolio to see world-class examples of similar downhill facilities, or read the background feature on Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship.

While the private commercial deal didn’t move forward, the community’s desire for real singletrack, downhill riding, progressive bike features, and open space preservation remains as strong as ever. Today, City leaders remain open to preserving the hillside property as permanent public open space—working with regional partners and Santa Clara County Parks to explore public hiking and biking access.

How You Can Help (3 Easy Steps)

  1. Take the Survey: Go directly to the official Gilroy General Parks and Trail Survey.
  2. Submit Personal, Respectful Feedback: Fill out the survey using our Menu of Asks below.
    • Make it personal: Introduce yourself! Mention if you are a parent, youth MTB team coach, local resident, or long-time rider. Personal stories make the strongest impression on City leaders and park planners.
    • Keep it positive and respectful: Constructive, encouraging feedback builds strong partnerships with City Council and Parks staff.
    • Keep it concise (Best Practice): Even without strict character limits in the comment boxes, aim for 2 to 4 concise, targeted bullet points (around 150–250 words per comment box). This ensures city staff and consultants read your full input during public feedback coding without skimming over walls of text.
  3. Spread the Word: Forward this page to local riders, parents, youth teammates, and neighbors!

Menu of Asks: What to Request in Your Comments

Pick one, a few, or all of these key points to include in your open-ended survey responses:

  • Revive the Gilroy Hillside Downhill Bike Park: Ask the City to bring back plans for a public downhill mountain bike park on the hillside, as envisioned in the 2021 Select Contracts Master Plan Proposal and featured across Select Contracts’ Global Bike Parks! Request dedicated gravity singletrack, flow trails, and progressive jump lines on terrain preserved as public open space (in partnership with land trusts or Santa Clara County Parks).
  • Neighborhood Pump Tracks: Ask for compact, asphalt or dirt pump tracks in existing local parks—providing low-footprint, highly accessible spaces where kids, teens, and families can gather after school to stay active outdoors.
  • Support Youth Teams & Outdoor Health: Emphasize that local youth mountain bike teams and young riders need safe, progression-friendly natural surface trails for skills development, team practices, and screen-free outdoor recreation.
  • Beginner-Friendly Dirt Trails: Request introductory, natural-surface singletrack and progression loops that build confidence for new riders, youth teams, and families.
  • Trails Rideable from Home: Emphasize the urgent need for off-road dirt access and bike infrastructure within riding distance of Gilroy neighborhoods so residents don’t have to drive out of town to ride.

Resources & Links

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