Two new parks are under consideration in Garfield Township, including northern Michigan’s first “pump track.”

The Garfield Township Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the potential project at its meeting this week. The track could one day be built on property along North Long Lake Road near the Oleson’s Plaza and the Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

A “pump track” is a continuous loop of dirt, pavement or wooden berms and “rollers” (smooth mounds or hills) that a biker rides without pedaling. The name comes from the pumping motion used by the rider’s upper and lower body as they ride around the track. The idea is to use the pumping motion to maintain speed without pedaling.

Dirt tracks can be used by cyclists of all ages and skill levels; a paved or wooden track can be used by bikers, skateboarders, traditional scooters and rollerbladers. The Grand Rapids Bike Park includes a pump track (a paved track in Oklahoma City is pictured above).

"The idea [for the track] originated from the township planning staff," says Commission member Chris DeGood. Township staff notes the track could be a key regional asset, attracting a younger demographic into the township. The concept is in its earliest stages; no cost figures were available and no funding sources have yet been identified. 

At a minimum, the pump track would require a parking area and restrooms for users who would be expected to spend hours at the site. Additional features could include elevated observation platforms and open spaces with picnic tables.

Township staff has also created a draft park plan for the “Templeton property” adjacent to the158-acre Boardman Valley Nature Preserve along North Keystone Road.  The plan details how the site could be developed into a park with both active and passive recreation elements, including a picnic pavilion, primitive restrooms, a dog park, a playground, a river outlook, fishing platform and a half-mile trail loop with six exercise stations. The intent is that development grant funding might be secured for the project.

Garfield Township officials are also asking for public input into the future of township parks as a part of its parks master plan. Share what you’d like to see in the next five years via a survey here.