Take a Ride at Gators Bike Park in Worthington

Kids trade screens for spokes at Gators Bike Park in Worthington, which has a mission of getting kids off their tablets and behind a pair of handlebars. Surprised by a lack of bike riding among his students, Rick Armstrong saw opportunity in a patch of woods behind Granby Elementary School, where he teaches physical education.

“We cleaned it all up, got ourselves a nice trail and — boom — it took off like crazy,” Armstrong says of the effort that began in 2013. “Kids were just loving it.”

The concept quickly gained traction and volunteers and the park’s nonprofit, the Trail Gators Booster Association, built out the trails even more. Today, the park has around a mile of trails featuring obstacles for all skill levels, such as rocks, logs, hills, bridges and gravity-defying banked berms. There’s also a pump track featuring a roll-in deck where kids can hang out, cheer on friends or drop into the track. 

Open to the public, the park is also home to the Gators Bike Team, consisting of 300 kids who learn biking skills from 76 coaches and compete in the Gators Race Series. While kids learn bike skills on the trails, Armstrong says it’s often about gaining the confidence to try something difficult that’s the real lesson. 

“We got things out there that are challenging and a kid will try and try and when they finally get it, their face lights up,” he says. “They’re taking pride in working hard and persevering.” 1490 Hard Rd., Columbus 43253, 614/450-4500, thetrailgators.org

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