The hills of two historic South Omaha parks are becoming more lively with a growing number of mountain bikers, now that new trails built by Police Athletics for Community Engagement and the city are open.
There are the 10 or so kids who participate each Saturday morning in PACE’s trail-riding program at Mandan Park. There are mountain bikers who hear about the trails from fellow enthusiasts. And there are explorers like a father and his young son who spun through the trees on a recent Friday afternoon.
“Woooo!†the boy yelled as he disappeared down a steep stretch, his father close behind.
“I caught some air that time!†the dad shouted.
The more riders, the better, said Tony Espejo, interim executive director of PACE. He’s hoping families, kids and individuals find the trails and keep coming back.
“Anybody can use it,†he said while standing on a stretch of trail overlooking the Missouri River. “You don’t have to have programming to use it.â€
There have long been hiking trails at Mandan and Mount Vernon Gardens, two neighboring City of Omaha Parks between 13th Street and the railroad tracks beside the Missouri River. Their steep, wooded slopes make them natural spots for biking trails.
Espejo and PACE, looking to extend recreational opportunities in underserved South Omaha, jump-started aspirations for the trails three years ago. With help from private donors, PACE worked with the City of Omaha and the firm Trail Solutions to build 3.8 miles of trails in the parks. The project powered through COVID and a financial scandal involving PACE’s former executive director.
PACE plans a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Saturday morning. But the trails are open to the public now.
The single-track dirt trails were mostly completed this spring. Marked like ski runs for degrees of difficulty, they wind, drop, and climb down and up slopes and between trees.
PACE also built about 20 wooden ramps for skill building along a road that used to connect the two parks. The city closed that road, which has helped to greatly reduce the amount of illegal dumping in the parks, Espejo said.
Decreasing such misuse of the parks by increasing the positive activity in it is a secondary goal of the trails.
Neighborhood resident Bill Shimek, an avid hiker, expressed that hoped-for effect in a patently South Omaha way when his afternoon walk crossed paths with Espejo on the trail.
“The more people you get, the less crap you get,†Shimek said.
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He has walked the new trails.
“They did a good job,†he said. “I love it.â€
Shimek said he hasn’t seen many kids on the trails yet though.
He’s likely to see some if he hikes through between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturdays. That’s when young people explore trail riding in a program led by PACE Sports Coordinator Tommy Steier and volunteers from law enforcement.
It’s for youths ages 12 to 16. It’s free. And PACE provides mountain bikes and helmets to use during the sessions. People can register on the and find out more by emailing info@paceomaha.org
They learn some basic biking skills. They ride over the ramps, or obstacle course, which simulate scenarios they’re likely to encounter on a natural-surface trail. Then they try the trails.
“It’s a good practice spot to learn techniques, to hone your skills,†Steier said. “It’s all about building up their confidence.â€
As he spoke by the ramps, two men zipped up on bikes and zoomed over the ramps while on a ride through the trails. They declined an interview, but one of them said he’s been using the Mandan trail quite a bit, as it’s the closest mountain biking trail to his home in Dundee.
Another man, an avid mountain biker for 30 years who had been involved in prior efforts to build trails at Mandan, had high praise for the new trails.
“They did an excellent job,†Carl Anderson of Omaha said as he put his bike back on his car after a ride. “On a scale of 1 to 10, they did a 10.â€
The ramps are cool, he said. The trails are “pretty sweet†compared to others in metro Omaha. They seem to be toned down a little for young riders, and maybe not provide the adrenaline dump some cyclists seek, but “this will be good for the kids,†Anderson said.
Espejo hopes young riders discover a sport they like and keep doing it. He hopes to expand into a mountain bike racing program at some point. For now, he’s glad to be offering an opportunity that has been lacking in South Omaha that will be part of opportunities citywide to get outside and get active.
“What I like about it is you don’t need refs, you don’t have a time limit, nobody keeps score,†Espejo said. “These kids can just get out here and get after it.â€
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Two cyclists go over newly built obstacles at Mandan Park on Oct. 20. Police Athletics for Community Engagement has built mountain bike trails at the park