North Park Freeride Area

Quick Facts

Located in North Park, 13 miles north of Pittsburgh
Includes the Dr J Freeride Trail and Freeride Skills Area
A free, unique outdoor public facility designed by volunteers
Closed during winter/spring until April or May opening date is announced

Location

PTAG Park Steward(s)

Jamie Pfaeffle

Maintenance

The NPFR Build Crew consists of more than 30 volunteers who put in over 2,000 hours. Design and installation were led by Dr. J (Jamie) Pfaeffle, Bill Kirk and Dave Brunger. The NPFR Build Crew will continue to grow and be active in the installation and maintenance of the North Park Freeride Area, the only one of its kind within hundreds of miles. Workdays are announced on our Events page and on our Facebook page. In 2012, work is planned on the Dr J Freeride Trail for maintenance and a re-route of the middle section with additional features. A new jump line is planned for the Skills Park.

Profile

The North Park Freeride (NPFR) Area is a unique outdoor freeride and skills area. NPFR consists of the Dr J Freeride Trail and the recently completed Freeride Skills Area.

Dr J Freeride Trail

The Dr J Freeride Trail is an advanced trail for intermediate level freeride enthusiasts. The trail is fast and flowy with elevated wooden bridges, drop-off features, jumps, banked turns, a rock garden and skinny wooden bridge features.

Freeride Skills Area

The new Freeride Skills Area was installed by a dedicated group of volunteers during 2011. The purpose of the Skills Area is to help beginner freeriders increase their skill levels to be able to ride the Dr J Trail. The Skills Area offers four short trails with features of progressive difficulty for beginners to "session" and refine skills. There is a line with drops, a line with skinnies, a beginner jump line and an intermediate jump line. All lines flow to the bottom of the Skills Area and where there is a return trail to get to the top.

The NPFR Area is located next to Sharon Shelter (Pie Traynor Field Area), near North Park Pool. Note: The Freeride Trail is closed in the Spring until April or May to repair spring thaw damage and permit mud to dry out. Please check back in the spring for opening dates.

Photos