BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — A $1 million anonymous land donation has laid the foundation for the first official mountain bike park on Bainbridge Island, marking a major milestone for the island’s growing biking community.
The new Strawberry Hill Bike Park will offer local riders a dedicated trail system — something they’ve long been without. Although the island has a few informal paths, no purpose-built mountain biking trails have existed until now.
A Long-Awaited Project Gains Momentum
Located just ten miles west of downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island is home to about 26,000 residents and draws thousands of tourists via ferry each year. Among those residents is a rising number of mountain bike enthusiasts who have been eager for trails they can call their own.
Efforts to develop a bike park have been underway for more than five years. Previous proposals failed, mainly because the community couldn’t secure a suitable piece of land. However, this recent donation changed everything.
“This donation really jump-started the project,” said Lydia Roush, Park Services Division Director for the Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District, which is overseeing the park’s development.
Combining Recreation With Restoration
The project is not just about biking. It also supports forest restoration on an island that has seen its natural habitat heavily altered. Bainbridge’s forests have been clear-cut multiple times over the past century due to past logging and farming industries. Today, most of the island’s woodlands are between 50 and 75 years old.
“We manage around 1,600 acres, and while we have a lot of open space, the forest health has been a challenge,” Roush explained.
Although the island doesn’t have critical wilderness or endangered species, the local ecosystem still plays a valuable role. Areas like Strawberry Hill — once home to a strawberry farm — are now overgrown with invasive species and need active management, including thinning and restoration work.
According to Roush, building trails gives land managers a reason to enter and care for these neglected spaces. “We’re not trying to support endangered species, so it’s easier to balance recreation with conservation,” she said. “These areas actually benefit from more human presence.”
A “Forest Escape” for All
The Strawberry Hill Bike Park is being described as more than a recreational project. It’s also a way for the public to reconnect with nature while helping improve the health of the island’s forests. Supporters say the park will create a “forest escape” — a place where people can enjoy the outdoors and contribute to ongoing restoration efforts simply by showing up and using the trails.
With the land secured and planning underway, Bainbridge Island is finally on track to welcome its first purpose-built mountain biking trails — a major win for both the biking community and the environment.