Dead Man’s Flats Bike Park Approved, Clearing Way for Construction

Dead Man’s Flats is getting a new bike park, with plans for a gravity-fed network of jumps, rollers and technical features designed for everyone from young children on balance bikes to more experienced riders.

The Municipal District of Bighorn’s Municipal Planning Commission approved the development permit for the 924-square-metre park on Aug. 26, clearing one of the final regulatory hurdles before construction can begin.

The park will be built on MD-owned land at the Dead Man’s Flats Recreation Field (map here), alongside the community’s existing outdoor ice rink. The Dead Man’s Flats Community Association is leading the project, which the MD designated as a capital project earlier this summer.

Unlike a traditional pump track, the Dead Man’s Flats facility is being designed as a gravity-fed bike park. Riders will start from an elevated staging area and coast downhill through a series of features rather than relying on pedalling or pumping to maintain momentum.

Plans call for Green, Green/Blue and Intermediate lines, allowing riders to progress as their skills improve. The easier lines are being designed so that young children using balance bikes can ride them, while the Intermediate line could eventually include more advanced features depending on donations and community demand.

The project has been years in the making, according to the Community Association's application, emerging from earlier community surveys and more recent public engagement that began in November 2025.

And building it will require a substantial amount of dirt.

The Community Association estimates approximately 100 tandem dump-truck loads of material will be needed to create the park's jumps, rollers and other features. The association plans to coordinate construction, source materials and seek volunteer labour and donations from the broader Bow Valley business community.

A Bike Park Without a Parking Lot, For Now

One of the more unusual parts of the project is what won't be built immediately: a permanent road and parking lot.

The MD has acknowledged that the recreation site has access and parking challenges but decided in July that those shouldn't prevent the bike park itself from moving ahead in 2026.

Planning staff estimate the facility can accommodate up to 20 riders at once and recommend at least 25 parking stalls. Preliminary plans show room for 32.

But construction of that parking and a permanent vehicle entrance has been deferred until council approves a separate capital project or until Dec. 31, 2030, whichever comes first.

Until that happens, the development permit does not allow public vehicles to access or park at the site. The eventual plan is for vehicle access to come from the end of Limestone Valley Road, with a road or driveway leading to a formal parking area.

The MD's fire department raised concerns during the development review about emergency access, parking and the site's overall capacity. It recommended that future access provide enough room for emergency vehicles to enter, exit and turn around safely. Those concerns were addressed through conditions attached to the approval and operating agreements rather than delaying the bike park.

There was little public opposition to the project.

Planning and Development Officer Katy Stewart told the commission that the MD had received 15 letters of support. One person called with concerns about parking not being established before the bike park, but Stewart said those concerns were alleviated after speaking with administration.

Who Will Look After It?

The approval also requires the MD and Community Association to establish how the park will be operated and maintained before construction begins.

That includes an agreement with G. Concepts Consulting Inc., which designed the facility, to oversee construction and ensure the park is built generally according to the approved plans.

A separate operating agreement will establish responsibility for maintenance, safety, insurance and day-to-day management. Planning documents also identify the Canmore & Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA), or another qualified trail organization, as a potential maintenance partner.

The bike park will add another cycling facility to a growing collection around the Bow Valley.

Canmore is also getting a new bike facility this summer, although on a much smaller scale. The Town of Canmore and CAMBA began construction in August on a 300-metre children's bike trail at Millennium Park, designed specifically for kids five and younger using balance bikes and small bicycles.

That trail includes different surfaces, wooden obstacles and other features intended to help young children develop basic bike-handling skills. CAMBA is funding the project through community grants and donations, while the Town is providing the land and other support.