VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Griffin Bike Park is still expanding, recently connecting a trail dedicated to war veterans to Fowler Park, and looking to do more in the future.
While the park has had a long history and many owners throughout the decades, it had a much simpler start.
“It was built on an unreclaimed coal mine. The whole 300 acres was a coal mine for Peabody back in the 50s. It was formerly a wilderness area and it didn’t have very much traffic, some fishing, fossil hunting, foraging,” explained Gene Griffin, Chairman of Shepherds of Griffin Bike Park.
The hilly terrain from the result of the coal mine allows for a unique opportunity for a bike park. When the park was in the earliest stages of planning, a trail designer asked the board one initial question.
“It’s been pretty amazing, I mean we had an original designer from California come in back in 2014 and the first question he asked was, ‘Do you want a bike trail out there, or do you want a destination?’” Griffin said.
The park has changed a lot throughout the years from its beginning to the future plans set in place for the well-loved park.
“It was 16 miles when it opened, sitting somewhere around 27 miles now, and when we finally build the lake loop we’ll be sitting at about 30. It would be built for an entire community and not for a particular rider that would be more advanced. This is where you would see young kids coming. Involving families from the youngest to the oldest,” Griffin added.
As the park grew in size and popularity, Griffin began searching for new ways to continue the growth of the park for the community.
“Back in 2019 we found out about Next Level Trails, so we applied and we got the grant and it was a million-dollar expansion that would add about 14 extra miles to the trail system. In April of 2020, it was announced that we were a winner for Next Level Trails,” Griffin commented.
As the plans for Griffin Bike Park grew, new trails were added. Heroes Trail was built in memory of Capt. Eugene Russel Fowler, the first man from Vigo County to lose his life in the Vietnam War, and Sgt. Dale Russel Fowler, Gene Griffin’s son. The trail leads to Fowler park, connecting the two locations.
“We’ve been very excited about connecting the new trails. Our son Blake Griffin was the builder of that trail. He built probably 60 percent of it himself. Now we’ve connected the memory of these two heroes and we’re connecting parks together and connecting communities,” Griffin said.
