State of the Dirt: 2025 Recap
Image courtesy of IMBA
As we wrap up 2025, it’s hard not to pause, look back, and say: this was the year the dirt really moved.
From long-planned dreams breaking ground at Great Bear to growing community support and new volunteer leadership, Falls Area SingleTrack (FAST) has never been stronger. Here’s where we stand as we closed out 2025—and where we’re headed next.
TRAILS & PROJECTS
The Great Trail Build — Destination: Bear
2025 was the year the digging began. After years of fundraising and planning, Phase 1 officially broke ground—and as of October, we now have rideable miles at Great Bear Ski Valley.
~4 miles of professionally built, machine-cut singletrack now open for public use
Multi-use design for mountain biking, hiking, and trail running
Beginner-friendly climbing trail + progressive downhill flow
Built with long-term sustainability and maintenance efficiency in mind
We hosted guided rides and a grand opening of Phase 1 of the project with overwhelming community support. The buzz is real—Sioux Falls is finally on the map for modern trail riding.
What’s next:
Targeting continued build progress in 2026
Fundraising remains our largest priority—every foot of trail depends on it
Phase 2 planning is already underway
Big things are happening at Great Bear, and it’s all thanks to the support of our trail community. We’re excited to share that we’ve officially crossed $400,000 raised toward Phase 1 trail development, and there’s more trail coming this spring with an additional mile in the works. In 2026, we will be finalizing the design of Phase 2, with a fundraising goal of approximately $500,000 to bring a dedicated Gravity Zone to life. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to donate, this is it—every contribution helps push this next phase forward and keeps the momentum going at Great Bear.
Want to help keep the momentum going?
Every new foot of trail at Great Bear is made possible by community support. If you believe Sioux Falls deserves world-class singletrack, now is the moment to give.
Make a tax-deductible contribution at: fallsareasingletrack.org/donate
Your gift directly funds trail construction—and puts more riding within reach.
Network Maintenance
Even as Great Bear took center stage, our legacy network continued to thrive. Thanks to our Trail Leaders Program, we stayed ahead of wear, weather, and overgrowth across nine other parks—keeping the FAST system open, signed, and riding better than ever.
Leaders Park
Leaders Park saw ongoing, hands-on care all season. Volunteers monitored Bob’s Bypass for mud and ice, addressed vandalism and illegal campsites, flagged overhead tree hazards for the City, reinforced bridges and drainage after heavy rain, and installed new signage. A major shout-out goes to Scott Bossman, whose consistent leadership kept the park dialed in from spring through fall.
Tuthill Park
Tuthill stayed race-ready thanks to regular mowing, corridor clearing, leaf blowing, and hazard tree removal. Volunteers filled animal-dug holes, repaired unsafe features, and maintained visibility throughout the season. A few projects remain, including bridge approach work and trail tread improvements, but Tuthill stayed fast and fully rideable despite heavy use.
Pasley/Riverdale
This urban connector system received repeated touch-ups, including trimming, tread repair, and attention to the technical rock section to keep it safe and passable. The City removed major hanging branches, while FAST volunteers reset grassy entry lines and kept growth in check—small but essential improvements that keep this corridor rolling well.
Dunham
Under Adam Weischedel’s leadership, Dunham continued to evolve. The team handled mowing, brush back, storm reroutes, and fresh connectors—along with a full signage overhaul at all park entrances. The result is a smoother, better-marked system that improved steadily throughout 2025.
Legacy
Legacy saw some of the most intensive work this year. The trail crew oversaw clearing on both the Hill and Flats, reopened buried tread, maintained the Skills Zone per our City agreement, and led berm burns and volunteer sessions. A complete PolyMetal signage upgrade was completed, and prep work is already underway for late-season tiller rehab.
Spencer
Spencer received focused mid-season attention, including corridor widening, entrance cleanup, and mowing through the dense center section to restore sight lines. Spencer is flowing faster and more predictably and continues to serve as a key south-side connector.
River Boulevard
This narrow riverside trail benefited from quick-strike maintenance days to clear debris, remove limbs, and maintain safe ride lines. Trail leads monitored an unofficial northern extension, coordinated with the City on recurring encampment issues, and continue to balance footprint, flow, and user safety on one of FAST’s most compact routes.
Yankton Trail
Yankton Trail saw year-round care—from fast storm cleanup and signpost repairs to Boy Scout-supported trash removal and repeated trimming efforts that kept sight lines open. Coordination with Parks on flagged hazard trees ensured safety while volunteers kept the trail riding clean and clear.
A huge thank you to our 2025 Trail Leaders—Scott Bossman (Leaders), Adam Weishedel & Mike Harnois (Dunham/Legacy), John Gruber (River Boulevard, Riverdale & Pasley), Ethan Metz (Yankton Trail & Spencer), and Miles & Andrew Hoy (Tuthill Park)—your leadership kept every mile riding strong this year.
Another special thanks goes to Brian Raines for tackling the storm cleanup and clearing so many downed trees across our trails this summer. We truly appreciate your support in keeping Sioux Falls singletrack running strong.
With a constantly growing user base, keeping these singletrack gems dialed remains a core FAST priority.
Interested in volunteering or becoming a Trail Leader in 2026? Email us: fallsareasingletrack@gmail.com
VOLUNTEERS, MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNITY
FAST is proud to work alongside Great Bear Ski Valley and Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation to help build and sustain high-quality trail experiences for our community. Their ongoing partnership, support, and shared commitment to outdoor recreation have played a major role in the progress we’ve made—from planning and development to long-term stewardship. We’re grateful for the collaboration and continued trust as we work together to grow trails in Sioux Falls and create spaces where riders of all ages and skill levels can get outside and enjoy the dirt.
This year we saw:
1,247.5 volunteer hours — the most in FAST history
New trail leaders stepping up across the network
Consistent turnout at maintenance days
More families, new riders, and more trail runners are joining the FAST community
Improved communication to volunteers and members through email updates, social posts, The Trailbot app, news/blog releases, and partnerships with local clubs—making it easier than ever to get involved.
Multiple story features across local and national media outlets
A story featured in the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation's annual report
A membership roster of 115 official members
Our social channels reach thousands of riders, runners, and trail users—but only 115 are “official” FAST members. Membership gives us the resources to build and maintain trails and the insight to show partners and funders how strong this community really is. If you’ve ever wondered “How can I help?”, becoming a member is one of the simplest, most meaningful ways to move dirt.
FAST BOARD
We’re proud to introduce our current FAST board:
RP Dezell – President
Reva Graves – Vice President, Communication Director
Brad Blomberg – Secretary
Jim Massa – Treasurer
Ben Blomberg – Member At-Large, City Liaison
Adam Weischedel – At-Large Member
Ethan Metz – Member At-Large (joined October 2025)
A sincere thank you to outgoing Treasurer, Thad Barnes.
His financial stewardship since 2020 has been foundational to our growth today.
25 BY 25
We’ve said it for years: 25 miles of singletrack by 2025. So where do we stand?
FAST now stewards ~20 miles of rideable natural-surface trail, including Great Bear Phase 1. We didn’t quite hit 25 this year—but we’re close. With build plans underway, we remain confident that we will cross that finish line soon.
CHALLENGES WE’RE FACING
Funding the Build
Great Bear is a million-plus-dollar project, entirely fueled by community support. While grants remain part of our strategy, our biggest wins come from individual donors and local businesses who believe in this vision.
In 2026, we’ll be finalizing the design for Phase 2, with a fundraising goal of approximately $500,000 to bring a dedicated Gravity Zone to life at Great Bear. Every donation helps move this next phase forward and keeps the momentum building—if you’ve been thinking about giving, now is the time.
If you want to see Phase 2 become reality, now is the time to give.
Every contribution—$25, $250, or $2,500—literally moves dirt.
fallsareasingletrack.org/donate
Your gift goes directly to trail building.
Education & Stewardship
More riders mean more responsibility. Directional trails, mud-season closures, and shared-use courtesy are essential to keeping our trails safe and open. Lead with kindness and conversation when you see someone learning the ropes—it builds better trail stewards.
Volunteer Sustainability
Every mile, every sign, every trimmed corridor happened because someone stepped up. We need new leaders, new hands, and new energy to carry this momentum forward.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026
Completing the remaining mile of Phase 1
Continued fundraising for future phases at Great Bear
Continued youth, family, and skills-based programming
More FAST trail events and community stewardship
2026 FAST bike swap
Continued legacy maintenance across ALL parks
Stay tuned for a member meeting in March
THANK YOU
Whether you swung a rogue hoe, trimmed trail, donated $20 or $20,000, or simply rode the trails with respect—you are part of this story.
2025 was historic.
2026 will be monumental.
We’re building more than trail—we’re building community, one mile at a time.