Starting this fall, Girl Scouts River Valleys will be kicking off our new Mountain Biking program! Mountain Biking is one of the fastest-growing adventure sports in the world, and yet it has immense access barriers for girls. At Girl Scouts River Valleys, we are excited to be a part of the movement to create opportunities for girls to learn this incredible adventure sport! We’re proud to be building the first Girl Scout camp mountain bike trail system in the Midwest.
Construction will begin this summer on a 2.1-mile trail and skills course at Camp Elk River, in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Limited programs will start this fall and be followed by a full program rollout in 2021, which will include late spring events as well as Mountain Bike-intensive summer camp sessions and offering mountain bike programming as an elective at many regular summer camp sessions.
Girl Scouts River Valleys staff will receive training and certification in the Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP) to teach the foundations of the sport through bike safety, maintenance knowledge, and skill development. With the generous support from our sponsors, Quality Bike Products, Salsa Bikes, and Tonka Cycle & Ski, all gear is provided! No experience is necessary for this program.
For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has provided opportunities for girls to grow their confidence, leadership, and resilience in the outdoors. A recent Girl Scouts of the USA study, “Girl Scouts Soar in the Outdoors”, furthers this history. Girl Scout camps have lasting legacies of leadership development, risk-taking, and empowerment as girls enter the next stages of their lives. It is no surprise that partaking in outdoor activities with your troop, or on your own with the support of Girl Scouts has a meaningful and lasting impact.
In a time where girls are facing extreme pressure in appearance, social, and academic settings, Mountain Biking can provide a balance in fostering an environment for girls to have successful failures and develop a lifetime of confidence and grit.
We are thrilled to offer this unique Girl Scout program that allows girls to build resilience, problem-solve, and conquer fears while learning a lifelong sport in the outdoors.
Interested in our progress? Learn more about building the course on our Council Project Updates page.
