Western Gateway to bring 27 new miles of trail to Sedona, Arizona

The Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition (VVCC) is launching a Ride-for-Five fundraiser drive today to help raise money for the Western Gateway trail construction project in Sedona, Arizona. This project will contain the first true beginner-level trails in the area.

From the VVCC:

Construction on the Western Gateway will begin in fall 2018. It will be a sustainable 27-mile multi-use trail system on Coconino National Forest land in the West Sedona area. The primary trailhead is accessed from the West Sedona Cultural Park with northern access planned from Aerie Trailhead.

The system is envisioned as a stacked loop trail system of at least 15 trails (beginner (2), intermediate (10) and advanced (3)) consisting of loops, connectors and incredible vistas. Trail profiles and layout will create an environmentally protective and sustainable system with connectors to an additional 20+ miles of sweet singletrack in the Dry Creek Area. Connectors will tie in with trails to the north (Cockscomb/Rupp) and to the south (Red Rock Loop/Schuermann Mountain/Scorpion and Skywalker trails).Construction is estimated to cost $350,000 and take two years to complete.

The City of Sedona has stated that the Western Gateway is a community asset for outdoor recreation. The trail system will be open to hikers, equestrians, trail runners, and mountain bikers. A series of concentric loops starting at the Cultural Center trailhead will offer a variety of challenge levels and experiences.

Marty Glinsky, VVCC President is very enthusiastic about the project. “One objective is to shift trail users – particularly mountain bikers – from more crowded areas in Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek,” he says. “With a declining budget, the Forest Service depends on a collaborative trail creation approach,” added Glinsky. While volunteers will be used extensively, professional trail crews are essential for all project aspects.

To raise funds, the VVCC is launching its Ride-for-Five Drive on March 1st. The Drive features over $8,500 in prizes including:

• Specialized Stumpjumper Comp Carbon Mountain Bike
• Carbon 41w 27.5” Whiskey Wheel Set with SRAM 900 Hubs
• Complete Rockford-Fosgate 600W Car Audio System
• Trek 8.2 Dual Sport Hybrid Bicycle
• Hewlett Packard 250 Notebook PC
• Kali Interceptor Cycling Helmet (4)
• Camelbak Skyline Hydration Pack (2)

Raffle tickets are $5 each with discounts for larger ticket volumes and are available for sale here. Sales will continue through 11:59 p.m. (Arizona Time) on May 31, 2018. The prize drawings will be held on June 8, 2018 and winners will be notified via email.

100% of the raffle proceeds will be used for trail construction and leveraged with matching funds from other sources such as grants, direct mailers, and online donations.

For more information about the trail project, please go to www.westerngatewaytrails.org.