On October 7, the Mapleton City Council's consent agenda included a resolution for a $300,000 grant agreement with Utah County for the Union Bench Bike Park. The resolution says the city "is constructing" the park. That's the most recent official word on the project. The county money also adds to a pattern that has held since the first grants were announced. Most of the cost of this park is being covered by money from outside the city budget: a homebuilder, a state commission, and now the county tourism board. Mapleton's parks director has called it possibly the first of several recreation phases on the city's land along the bench of Maple Mountain.
The rest of this post covers who is paying, what the design includes, why the published numbers don't agree, and where to ride in the meantime.
The Money Behind the Park, Source by Source
Early documents call the project the Mapleton Bike Park or the Harmony Ridge bike park. The October council packet calls it Union Bench Bike Park, and we found no record of a formal renaming. The site is city-owned land between Harmony Ridge and Mapleton Village. In November 2025, KUTV placed it on the south side of town near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon.
Here is the funding that has been reported publicly, in the order it appeared:
| Source | Amount | When it was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Edge Homes | $3.5 million | November 2025 |
| Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission | $1.5 million | November 2025 |
| Utah County Tourism Tax Advisory Board | $300,000 | October 7, 2026 council packet |
The Daily Herald reported the Edge Homes contribution in November 2025 and explained the reasoning behind it. The park sits next to Harmony Ridge, a development Edge Homes built, and would add to that new neighborhood, so city staff approached the builder about helping pay for it. At that point the paper reported about $5 million secured against an expected $6.2 million cost.
The county share came in smaller than first described. In January 2026, Singletracks reported that Mapleton was pursuing a $500,000 county grant. The October staff report says Utah County offered $300,000. It also says the park will serve Mapleton residents and visitors from across the region, which is the kind of reach a tourism-tax grant is meant to support.
Why the Acreage and Price Tag Keep Changing
Each source gives a different size and cost for the park:
- About 50 acres, $6.2 million expected: KUTV and the Daily Herald, November 2025
- 40 acres: the design page from Avid Trails, the firm Mapleton hired to plan and design the park
- 30 acres, $5.4 million: a Citizen Portal summary of the mayor's remarks at the April 2026 groundbreaking
None of these sources explains the difference. It could be a change in scope, or the figures could measure different areas, such as the whole parcel versus the part with trails. The $5.4 million figure is close to what has been reported so far. Edge Homes, the state commission, and the county together account for $5.3 million. According to the same summary, the mayor also credited a land swap for helping make the project possible. The city's 2025–2026 budget includes a $1.5 million Bike Park line under capital purchases. The public documents don't say how that line relates to the grant money.
What the Design Puts on the Ground
Avid Trails' design page describes downhill trails, pump tracks, jump lines, and an adventure-play and obstacle-course area. The Daily Herald's 2025 report also mentions BMX features, specifically a pump track and a skills loop. KUTV's coverage lists the parts meant for people who don't ride: multi-use trails for hiking and biking, a children's playground, gathering areas for families, and restrooms.
Sunrise Engineering and G. Brown Design were working with the city by January 2026. Romtec is supplying a prefabricated restroom building. The groundbreaking summary also names Caliber among the contractors.
The Timeline, Stated as Carefully as the Record Allows
KUTV's November 2025 report gave a completion target of November 2026. At the April 2026 groundbreaking, the mayor said construction could start within about a week and set a goal of finishing by the end of 2026. The council's own April 15 minutes record one council member's excitement about "the bike park groundbreaking and upcoming construction and opening plans." Parks and Recreation Director Logan Miner said he would keep the council updated on key milestones.
As of October 11, the end-of-year target is less than three months away. The latest city document still describes the park as under construction, and we haven't found a public opening date. The end-of-2026 goal is a target. Mapleton hasn't announced a ribbon-cutting.
Where to Ride While the Bench Is Under Construction
The park is meant for residents of the whole region, and the trail that already serves that role locally is the Mapleton Parkway Trail. The city updated its trails page on September 28, 2026. It describes the trail as asphalt, 10 to 14 feet wide, and open to pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians, with no motorized use. The route, north to south:
- It begins at Springville's Hobble Creek Trail. UDOT lists Wayne Bartholomew Family Park in Springville as the connection on the north end.
- It runs south along 1900 East.
- It turns west along 1600 North.
- It heads south on top of the Mapleton Lateral Canal corridor.
Phase 1 is four miles long and ends at about 2200 South Main Street. The city says Phase 2 is now complete and takes the trail close to SR-6. That makes Phase 2 the newest paved trail in town, and it points toward the same southern edge where the bike park is going in. The city hasn't published a direct trail link between the two, so for now they are separate destinations.
The next goal is a crossing over Highway 6 to meet Spanish Fork's trail on the other side. The city lists it as a future goal and hasn't given a design or a date. Mapleton's printable trail map is the most reliable way to plan an out-and-back before you head out.
A Bench Plan, With the Bike Park as Phase One
The Daily Herald's 2025 coverage included a detail that has gotten less attention than the dollar amounts. Miner said the bike park could be the first of many phases of recreation on city-owned open space along the bench of Maple Mountain. If that happens, what's being built near Harmony Ridge is the start of a larger plan for the bench.
Other parks projects are moving at the same time. In April, Miner told the council that design work for Evans Park would begin within a week or two. Back in September 2025, according to a Citizen Portal summary, residents at the council's 30% design review asked the city to reserve land for a separate all-wheels skate facility closer to town.
Two Dates Before the Year Is Out
The best place to ask about the bike park in person is Mapleton 101. It's a four-week course for adult residents held on Tuesdays, October 20 through November 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. The sessions cover city departments, including public works, finance and fiber, and parks and recreation.
The Lights On Festival is Monday, November 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Park. The city lists food trucks, carolers, the tree lighting at 6 p.m., student performances, Santa, crafts, and a first look at the improved park and gazebo. If the park on the bench meets its end-of-year target, it would finish about a month after that.
If you're watching how the bench changes, including the park, the trail, and the homes around Harmony Ridge, and want a calm read on what it could mean for your property, Joshua Sterling is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
