Dry Lake Motocross Park prepares for first full season

GYPSUM — In a little more than a month, the Dry Lake Motocross Park will open for its first full season and the people charged with operating the facility believe 2019 will mark the time when the park really comes into its own.

The Dry Lake Motocross Park, located directly north of the Gypsum Interstate 70 interchange, about 4.5 miles north up Trail Gulch Road, represents one of the more innovative Eagle County Open Space projects. Situated on a 274-acre parcel of property owned by the town, the motocross park is the only large, public use facility of its kind located along the I-70 corridor between Denver and Grand Junction. The Rocky Mountain Sports Riders — described as a “family-oriented dirt motorcycle riding club” — operates the park on behalf of the town of Gypsum.

“We are trying to encourage the sport and get kids into it,” RMSR member Mitch Hayne said.

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As envisioned, the Dry Lake Motocross Park will be a regional recreation facility, drawing outside dollars into the Eagle Valley. While its opening season was abbreviated, Hayne said the park is already attracting visiting riders

“We’re pulling in riders from as far away as Nebraska, Colorado Springs and Utah, and we didn’t do any advertising last year,” he said.

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At peak times, Hayne said the park saw as many as 70 riders per day.

Opening day

Dry Lake Motocross Park hopes to open for the 2019 season on Saturday, May 11.

“There is a wildlife closure until May 1 and we need a little time to get set up,” Hayne said.

The town-owned park consists of six riding areas ranging from a peewee track for kids ages 5 to 9 years, to a feature track.

“We could run national level events at that track,” Hayne said. “On the feature track, it is possible to get 50 feet of air.

Other amenities at the park include a vet track, planned as a throwback to 1970s-era riding and a singletrack that runs 4.2 miles around the park perimeter.

“The singletrack really pushes what a ride and machine can do,” Hayne said.

Building the riding areas was just the first challenge at Dry Lake, he continued. Now that the tracks are built, the RMSR will work hard to maintain the riding surfaces. The club has a well and water truck for ongoing grooming work.

Getting the park up and running for the year is 2019 goal No. 1 for the Rocky Mountain Sport Riders. The club also has identified 10 priority goals for the year ahead and one of its first objectives deals with safety procedures.

‘Not for the faint-hearted’

“This activity is not for the faint-hearted,” Hayne said. “We want to do everything we can to keep it safe without diluting the fun factor.”

To that aim, all riders at the site must be registered users and must sign a waiver. There is a $20 annual registration fee required to use the site and daily fees are charged, with season pass options available.

“We are currently working on a new website with a target date for going live on April 8,” Hayne said. “At that time, folks will be able to register to use the park, join the club, and/or purchase passes to the MX park from their phones or computers. There is cell service at the gate of the park, so the intent is for riders to be able to purchase a day pass right at the front gate if they don’t have one.”

The website is currently still under construction but later this spring it will be found at http://www.rmsrco.com.

As the year progresses, the RMSR plan to amp up their marking efforts and dial in their grooming schedule. Hopefully, Hayne noted, the first full year of operation will set the stage for many years to come.

“We are just getting off the ground and getting this thing viable so it will be around for some time,” Hayne concluded.