Featured trails: Sylvan Hill Bike Park
Sylvan Hill Bike Park is perfect for our family to get family time, some exercise, and work on our biking skills.
We use the bike fix-it station at the trailhead to pump up my daughter’s tires before we had out.
It took our family a year after Sylvan Hill opened before our first visit, but it’s now our favorite Sunday afternoon family activity. And for the kids, we can make it a variety of fun outings - bike skills and pump track, picnic and playground time, or even hiking (which we haven’t even done yet!).
The bike park offers a pump track and skills area at the trailhead located at the top of the hill as well as multiple options for descents. Each descent is geared at a different skill level - beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert.
My three-year-old daughter enjoyed the bridges in the skills area.
Nationally renowned Rock Solid Trail Contracting constructed these trails which opened in 2017 through the fundraising efforts of our local club Central Wisconsin Offroad Cycling Coalition (CWOCC). CWOCC maintains these trails and continues to add more trails to the Wausau area. Sylvan Hill County Park is also a winter destination with lift-assisted tubing in addition to the biking opportunities.
Playground and picnic
Our kids usually prefer parking at the bottom so they can enjoy the playground, which we typically have to ourselves. The shelters provide a nice place to picnic as well. The playground in right alongside the trail, so it’s perfect to check back in with the rest of the family as one of us does laps.
Solo descents
Since our kids are still too young to bike up and down the hill, my husband and I take turns riding down solo. Since each lap takes under ten minutes, it’s great to check in with the rest of the family and adjust the length of our visit.
Admittedly, I would be a much better mountain biker with the luxury of this trail system a decade (or two) ago. It took me a few runs to pinpoint, but I found that I am used to going so slow that I get nervous when I pick up speed, as it’s outside my comfort zone. I have now coined it as my terminal velocity. Even though I have never fallen at Sylvan Hill, I am very cautious descending, probably a good reason to attend a women’s mountain biking clinic.
The top of the hill includes a pump track, skills course, and access to all four descents.
Each trail has a filter at the beginning, which is specifically designed to ensure no one finds themselves on a trail beyond their capabilities, flying over handlebars at top speed. I stick to the easiest descents but marvel at those that can fly with confidence down the challenging descents. Only being skilled enough for half the descents doesn’t limit me. I enjoy repeating the same trail to ride more aggressively each lap, catching a little more air each time.
Afternoon outing
Sylvan Hill is a drive across town for us, so we found it worked well as a Sunday afternoon outing following church which is in the vicinity. Many times we’ll pack lunch to have under the shelter at the bottom of the hill and let the kids play on the playground, allowing us all some time outside.
When our two youngest kids still needed an afternoon nap, we limited our visit to under 90 minutes, allowing for my husband and I each to get in 2-4 laps per visit. After leaving the parking lot during our one outing, my daughter assured me she wasn’t tired…minutes before she was fast asleep, along with her brother. I was a bit envious that they could conk out in the car, whereas I had to wait to get home before I could enjoy a Sunday afternoon nap.
If you’re looking for more local purpose-built singletrack, try out the Ringle Trails, also maintained by CWOCC.
More local family-friendly adventures include: