Trail Kids Mountain Bike Camps

The Mountain Bike Camps are part of the Loppet Foundation’s Trail Kids year-round programming. Trail Kids offers eight weeks of half day (8am – 12pm) mountain bike camps for beginner to advanced riders ages 7-13. Participants will explore the single-track trails at Theodore Wirth Park while gaining skills they can use for a lifetime! The focus of the mountain bike camps is to have fun, meet new friends, and build confidence riding the singletrack trails. Participants will learn in teams with riders of similar ages and ability. Non-binary and trans participants are welcome to join any group in which they feel most comfortable. Trail Kids mountain bike camps will be instructed by trained coaches teaching mountain bike skills, games, orienteering, and singletrack riding on the many trails at Theodore Wirth park.

Equipment Needed: All participants will need their own mountain bike, helmet, and water carrier. Mountain bikes need to have both front and back wheel brakes on the handle bars (no peddle brakes or kickstands allowed). Tires must have tread and be wide enough to ride safely on mountain bike trails. For more on mountain bike equipment, view the Trail Kids MTB Equipment Guide.

Loppet Bike Rentals: Trail Kids has a limited mountain bike rental fleet for those who do not have one for an additional fee of $30. If you need to rent a bike, make sure to select this add-on when you register (as supplies last).

Friend Requests: For safety and equity reasons, Trail Kids does not offer friend requests as part of registration. The mass quantity of friend requests made it impossible to accommodate them all and greatly impacted safety and group dynamics. We would love to allow everyone to practice with their friends, but if we cannot accommodate all friend requests, we cannot offer them to everyone. We encourage riders to embrace the opportunity to form new friendships through our programs!

Swag: Trail Kids T-shirt and water bottle for all participants available at no additional cost. In an effort to reduce waste, TK Swag is now listed as an optional “add-on” during your registration. If you’d like your participant to receive this swag please ensure it is selected.

Camp Registration by Ability/Experience

We offer beginner and intermediate/advanced camps on different weeks so we can keep all participants challenged based on their riding skills. Beginner camps are designed for participants who have not taken any of the Trail Kids past programs and are new to mountain biking or are still learning the fundamentals. See below for descriptions of camps and make sure to read through the Trail Kids MTB Ability Level Guide before registering your child. If your child is new to Trail Kids programs but has prior experience in mountain biking that fits the intermediate/advanced skill levels then feel free to register them for the intermediate/advanced camps.

Beginner Mountain Bike Camp Description

If your child is a true beginner rider with no experience, they should sign up for the beginner clinic. During the beginner mountain bike camp, the participants will be coached on a variety of fundamental mountain bike skills, so they can become safe and confident riders. Skills include:

1. Ready/neutral position for descending hills
2. Side/Side bike body separation
3. Pedaling/shifting efficiently
4. Controlling speed and braking safely
5. Cornering confidently
6. Handling obstacles and rocky terrain
7. Riding with vision
8. Ratcheting

Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Camps

Those who have taken a past camp or Trail Kids program and have passed the green, blue, or black mountain bike skill levels can register for the intermediate/advanced bike camps. The intermediate/advanced mountain bike camps will focus on more advanced bike skills along with riding more of the difficult single track trails around Theodore Wirth Park. If your child is new to the Trail Kids program but is an intermediate to advanced rider that meets the descriptions in the Trail Kids MTB Ability Level Guide, you are welcome to register for the intermediate/advanced camps.

All Girls MTB Camp

This camp welcomes female identifying campers of all skill levels to a week long mountain bike camp experience. Beginners: Participants will be coached on a variety of fundamental mountain bike skills, so they can become safe and confident riders along with riding more of the single track trails around Theodore Wirth Park. Intermediate/Advanced: Participants who have taken a past mountain bike  camp, Trail Kids program, and who ride at the blue, or black mountain bike skill levels are also welcome to register and will focus on progressing their bike skills along with riding more of the difficult single track trails around Theodore Wirth Park. For ability level guidance, check out the Trail Kids MTB Ability Level Guide.

MCA Prep Camp - Get Ready to Race

Looking forward to racing with a MCA (Minnesota Cycling Association) Middle school team in the fall? This camp is intended for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders looking to develop racing skills. The MCA Prep/Ready to Race mountain bike camp will focus on race oriented bike skills (starts, cornering, climbing, passing, etc.)  along with riding more of the single track trails around Theodore Wirth Park. Participants in this camp should be riding at the blue bike skill level or above according to the Trail Kids MTB Ability Level Guide.