Client: Western Michigan Mountain Bike Association

Scope: What was once a sparsely used park is now a vibrant oasis in central Michigan. In an effort to give an economic boost to the small city of Hastings, we were contracted by the local mountain bike club to design and build trails in an underutilized pocket park just three miles from the central business district so that mountain bikers - and other users - could enjoy them. We constructed six miles of beginner and intermediate level multi-use trails for both summer and winter use. The Western Michigan Mountain Bike Association not only keeps the trails clear and open in the summertime, but it also snow grooms the trails for use by fat bikers and others in the winter.

Client: Cascade Hills Country Club

Scope: We built three miles of singletrack trails for enjoyment by the members of a renowned, private country club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With the focus on making the trails beginner-friendly and mindfully connecting them with the existing network of golf cart paths, we manicured the trails to fit perfectly within their golf course setting. Finally, we worked in some features to make them interesting for expert riders, too. The end result was our mostly highly fit and finished trails to date.

Client: Nittany Mountain Biking Association

Scope: Dirt Artisans was contracted to build almost 3.25 miles of beginner to intermediate mountain bike trails due to a unique collaboration between a church, a bike club and the local community. Calvary Harvest Fields Church, near State College, agreed to have these trails built on their property which already included a frisbee golf course, ponds and large grassy fields for individual and group recreation. These trails were designed with beginners and youth in mind as a place they could learn to mountain bike with opportunities to improve their skills and become more confident and eventually be able to enjoy the many other advanced/technical trails in the central Pennsylvania area. We built the trails to include all types of riding experiences including, gravel in wide open fields, soil in forested areas, varied elevations, rock crossings, puncheons/bridges along with creating alternate lines with jumps and more challenging rock features.

Client: Hoosier Mountain Bike Association

​Scope: We overcame several challenges to build three miles of super flowy trails that ultimately received national attention and now draw users from far and wide. First, we had to factor in other park activities such as horseback riding, making sure our mountain bike trails were compatible by designing them to slow down riders ahead of intersections where they might encounter horses. Secondly, we intentionally did more than the usual amount of rock work to create a firm tread despite a perched water table. What resulted was a mega flow trail abounding with turns, berms, jumps and pumps.

Client: Camp Joy in Clarksville

Scope: After successfully acquiring a grant to build a youth off-road cycling program, Camp Joy hired Dirt Artisans to create a trail that would not put new riders at risk yet would still engage more experienced riders. We designed and built just under four miles of trail suitable for young people with disabilities, successfully finishing the project under budget and on time and facilitating new camp programming. Camp Joy has since further contracted us to build an ADA-accessible trail, surface hardened trails and other connector trails.