It’s official. Wake County is leasing 151 acres of land for mountain biking trails from the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority . The land, known as the “286 property,” will become an extension of Lake Crabtree County Park .
According to Wake County, cyclists have already been building and using trails at 286 for years without RDU’s permission.
The county will pay $5.26 million over the next 10 years for the public to be able to use the property, located north of Interstate 40 near William B. Umstead State Park. The lease could be renewed three times, for a potential total of 40 years.
At the start of the lease on Jan. 1, 2023, the county will begin to prepare the site as part of a master plan. Approx. $3 million could be used to rebuild seven miles of trails, add a parking lot, and develop a small picnic shelter and event area. Unpermitted footbridges and other structures will be removed.
The official opening date has not yet been announced.