On the right track

A new bicycle track planned for Washougal’s Hamllik Park is designed to attract people from around Clark County.

According to Washougal’s Parks, Cemetery and Facilities Manager Suzanne Grover, the park will include a skills course around the bike track, a smaller “pump track” and a bike jump park. These three features will make Hamllik Park the only one of its kind in the county.

The skills course will have a number of pre-fabricated ramps as well as log and boulder features.

The pump track will resemble a small skate park, but it will be designed with bike riders in mind.

“It’s great for younger riders to build skills,” said Ed Fischer of Camas Bike and Sport. “But it also has a lot for more advanced riders.”

Planning for the park was initiated by the city in late 2013.

Funding from the city has been limited, so organizers are aiming to finance the construction exclusively through donations and from grants that have been received from organizations including the Parks Foundation of Clark County. They are approximately $5,000 short of a $17,000 goal.

Park construction and maintenance work will be completed primarily by volunteers. The local mountain biking community has provided a lot of support for the project, according to Grover.

According to Fischer, the future addition to the Washougal park system follows a growing trend.

“You see more and more of this type of facility [around the nation],” he said.

Washougal leaders are looking to the bike park to provide stimulus Downtown Washougal, and the region, as a destination spot.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/Washougal-Bike-Park-620712848094743/ or email ed@camasbikes.com or sgrover@ci.washougal.wa.us.

A link to donate to the park can be found on the Camas Bike and Sport website at www.camasbikes.com.