02 Apr Growing Economic Asset In Virginia’s Smallest City
Mountain biking has the power to be a major economic driver for a small city like Norton, Virginia. With the downtown limits of the city so close to trailheads, businesses there are prime stops as riders find their new destination. I chatted with Shayne Fields about how he is leading the work in Norton to develop trails around High Knob and Flag Rock. Shayne has a passion to see mountain biking become a tourism asset for Norton, and leads the way with his vision for the trail system.
Currently there are 11 miles of trails. It’s getting more realistic to see that the trail system in Norton could lead to even more of an uptick in downtown visits. The potential of a couple or a group of friends paying for lodging, having multiple meals out, and frequenting local retail shops all because they came to mountain bike is exciting for Norton.
Shayne and his crew, sometimes even volunteer teams, are continuing to work on expansion of the trail system. The complete vision is for up to 35 miles. However, there is other work involved to provide a great experience for riders. Including extensive work on trail heads, parking areas, kiosks, signage, maps, and enhancing existing trails is all apart of a long list of to-do’s when building trails worth riding.
If you’re looking for a place to ride this summer, look no further than Norton, VA!
Check out this trail map:
For more trail specific details visit: http://nortonva.gov/433/Bike