SHAWNEE, Kan. — You can find roughly 55 miles of single-track bike trails in Johnson County, Kansas.
Last year, more than 175,000 riders hit those trails.
Clearly, there's demand.
Monday, the county opened a dedicated space for riders of every age.
Prairie Bike Park is more than just a trail; it's one piece of a dedicated trail-building effort across the county.
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At one point, this area was home to tennis courts, but the bike trail has been in place for almost a decade.
It just wasn't exactly impressive.
"Everything that was up here had been volunteer-built with shovels and wheelbarrows," said Derek Buckridge, construction supervisor for Johnson County Parks and Recreation.
So it would be fair to call this spot a labor of love.
But in the last few years, the love and the labor have grown. Forget the shovels and wheelbarrows; it was time to bring in the heavy equipment.
That means riders will find a very different experience inside Shawnee Mission Park.
Buckridge, an avid cyclist himself, told me this park is about meeting a need.
"People actually do these surveys,” Buckridge said. “And one of the top things that's requested is more trails and more outdoor recreation. We're not striving to be a tourist destination; our use is already here. Our use is with our community, with the general public, and it's growing."
Brad Stretz loves to ride his bike. He got to sample the new park during construction.
"This is a perfect example of advocate enough, and they will listen," Stretz told me.
He said he's thrilled this park is now available because people like him are always looking for a place to ride.
"The ability, opportunity to have something like this is huge," Stretz said.
The origins of the park aren't the only thing that started small; it's meant to be available for everyone.
I spoke with 8-year-old Cora Livingston during the preview day, too. She’s taking it slow.
"Today, I thought I could do the ramp. But when I got up to the ramp, I saw that it was so big that ... I was a little scared at that time," Cora said.
Buckridge said his kids, ages 7 and 3, are sure to get use out of the park.
“And nothing makes me smile more than just hearing my kid hooting and hollering coming off something like I do," he said.
Buckridge told me the county is making a real investment in trail building, so riders should be on the lookout for more trails in the future.
But for now, Prairie Bike Park is the crown jewel of that effort.
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