mountain biking

Thinking about getting into mountain biking?

Then it might be a good time to check out the skills park in Rockwood Park.

Put together by the Saint John Cycling Club, the park recently got a refresh.

Club vice-president Patrick Graves said it was due.

“Over the years, it got really run down, weathered,” Graves said. “Some of the boardwalk features had begun to rot out.”

In 2025, the club fundraised in order to give the park an update.

The work wasn’t completed until the late fall, so there was no opportunity to hold a grand reopening until now.

So on June 7, the club is hosting a community celebration with riding, vendors and refreshments.

“We’re tying in our grand opening with our membership drive,” Graves said.

The skills park is considered a beginner circuit.

Graves said that means small obstacles newcomers can learn to get over and learn in a safe environment.

That includes rock features, wooden features where riders learn to balance that just a few inches off the ground, and beginner jumps.

“In recent years, there’s been some local companies just start mountain bike coaching,” Graves said. “So having the facility for people to learn these skills was definitely a need.”

The skills park is meant to be welcoming and accessible, Graves said.

It’s located near Rockwood’s campground and horse barn, making it easily accessible for people.

He said once a rider gets comfortable, they can take those skills out to other, more advanced trails around Saint John and the surrounding area.

Graves said a lot of the work the club has done wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the City of Saint John.

“The city has been really awesome, working with Saint John Cycling and allowing us to develop and fundraise for these multi-use and mountain bike-specific trails in Rockwood Park,” he said.

Since the club started in 2014, Graves said it’s raised about $400,000 for trail infrastructure projects in Rockwood Park, including the skills park.

“This project reflects what community cycling is really about,” he said. “Creating spaces where people can learn, ride and feel part of something.”

The June 7 event will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Information can be found here.

More information about the Saint John Cycling Club can be found here.