Dragon Named Best Backcountry Trail

The Dragon features a wealth of enticing vistas

Trail receives recognition from major Mountain Biking publication 

By Ken DeLaat

In recent years it seems whenever Newaygo County is referenced, The Dragon has been a talking point in many circles. The project, years in the making, finally came to fruition in late September when the impressive 45 mile trail made its final connections and opened the entire route to enthusiasts of hiking and biking.
And no group followed the progress of this new venue more than mountain bikers.

Now, one of the leading online publications dedicated to off road cycling has selected The Dragon as their Best Backcountry Trail, one of 9 newly opened trails picked for recognition from over 250 nominations across the country and around the world.
Founded in 1999, Singletracks is one of the largest mountain biking websites in the world. Singletracks is committed to covering new mountain bike trail openings and trail building trends across the USA and around the world.
A previous Singletracks piece on The Dragon can be found here:
https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/a-45-mile-bike-optimized-singletrack-loop-has-been-built-around-a-lake-in-michigan/

“It is very exciting to see the popularity of the trail expanding so quickly,” said Newaygo County Parks Director Nick Smith. “ To now learn that this excitement is also being seen on a national level is amazing.  The Dragon is shaping to be one of our area's biggest new economic impact drivers, on a level we have not seen in a very long time in the local tourism industry.”

The project involved a partnership between Consumers Energy, Mecosta County, Newaygo County, the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance, and others and the WMMBA members have been particularly active in helping to guide the project. Their input and work on the trail segments helped deliver the perspective of mountain bikers to the development of the Dragon.

Dan Frayer, Board President of the WMMBA, has witnessed the enthusiastic response to the Dragon among cyclists and feels the Singletracks article will bring even more riders to The Dragon.
 "This recognition is of great significance and will reach a national audience, encouraging riders from all over the US to enjoy the trail, visit our community and learn what we already know: The Dragon is Epic!"  

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