It is situated on land owned by the borough of Ephrata. It is maintained and operated by the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA). It is overseen and promoted by local business advocate Mainspring of Ephrata.

The Ephrata Bike Park at Heatherwood truly is a community gem.

"It's a recreational asset," said Joy Ashley, who's been the executive director of Mainspring of Ephrata for five years. "Many people had a piece of building this project. We needed the borough's blessing, and Wellspan Health was a major sponsor. Many hands were needed to make it happen."

The Ephrata Bike Park at Heatherwood is a space where fun is more intentional than physical activity. Located at the end of Lehman Street near 700 Pointview Ave. and adjacent to the Warwick to Ephrata Rail Trail, the Ephrata Bike Park is open from dawn to dusk, year-round, weather permitting.

"Physical activity is related to a healthy lifestyle," said Ashley. "It's a stress reliever. I think people enjoy the bike park because it's a way to exercise and enjoy the environment. Originally, it was a nature area that was underutilized; it was ideal for a park of this nature. You can enjoy nature at a challenging pace."

Designed for mountain and BMX bicycles, the Ephrata Bike Park at Heatherwood consists of eight miles of trails; a pump track; and a skills area complete with ladder bridges, wooden beams, dirt mounds and adrenaline-pumping descents. The bike park possesses the ability to challenge every level of rider.

From April to November, the Ephrata Bike Park operates a ride share program that makes bicycles available to those without.

"We're filling a need for the county," said Ashley. "Before it was built, there were a lot of mountain bikers in Lancaster County, but no mountain bike parks. The demand was high before. There were no opportunities for mountain bikers in their backyard. The people who love mountain biking are in it for the challenges."

The individuals who frequent the Ephrata Bike Park are typically the outdoorsy types between the ages of 15 and 45. While it is difficult to quantify the number of monthly or yearly riders utilizing the facility, awareness is a factor in the volume of visits.

"We know that it is heavily used," said Ashley. "I think people who enjoy that type of activity know about the bike park. We need to keep promoting it. People are always moving into the area, and they might be a family who would use the bike park. But if you talked to the average Joe in the borough, they might not know about the bike park."

On an implicit level, the Ephrata Bike Park at Heatherwood, which opened in 2019, fits well with Mainspring of Ephrata's mission. Apparently, fitness is good business.

"Our mission is to grow the economy and build the community," said Ashley. "Using recreation is a huge piece to that. When the bike park was first envisioned, it utilized an unused area to fill a need. That's building the community. When people are finished at the bike park, they need a place to recreate. We know that recreation brings people downtown. That's growing the economy."

For additional information, go to https://mainspringofephrata.org/ephrata-bike-park/.