Construction is continuing this season on a three-mile expansion of the mountain bike trail network at New Glarus Woods State Park, with trained volunteers working alongside a professional trail builder as the larger system continues to take shape.

The latest work follows completion of the first one-mile segment of the network, which is already open on the eastern side of the park. New Glarus 360 previously reported that the full network was designed as an 8.6-mile system, with the remaining trails intended to be constructed in phases as funding and approvals allowed.

The current expansion is also changing how some of that work is being done. CORP Trails said trail steward Ben Neff and volunteer Karl Wigdal spent three months this summer training with Mike Riter of Trail Design Solutions at Wild Oaks Preserve, learning sustainable trail construction, equipment operation and how to turn planned trail routes into finished singletrack.

Those skills are now being put to use at New Glarus Woods. CORP Trails said volunteers will work alongside a professional during the three-mile expansion, allowing them to continue developing the skills needed not only to build trails but maintain and expand them in the future.