Mountain Biking Comes to Greystone

We love introducing fun new classes each summer at Greystone, and the majority of our class ideas come straight from our campers. At the end of each session, our campers fill out a paper survey during our Banquet day all-girl assembly (yes, we still do those!), and for many years, our campers were requesting a Mountain Biking class. After missing camp in 2020 and wanting to provide some new and fun activities for the girls in 2021, the time was finally right, and we officially offered our first Mountain Biking program at Greystone during our 2021 summer.

Due to COVID restrictions in 2021, all of our campers traveled to their classes with their cabin group, trying each of our different program options. This made it a perfect year to introduce Mountain Biking, as every camper would take the class. It also allowed us to see if the program would have the elements to stick around for the long haul after that restricted COVID summer.

In that first year in 2021, we learned so much! We quickly realized that riding a bike down the Lower Road as the Mountain Biking staff played your favorite Taylor Swift tune from a portable speaker was SUPER fun (a tradition we still do today!). Girls also loved this new way to travel on the River Trail - flying by on two wheels! Campers were able to figure out beginner biking skills on our wooden bike features (all built by our maintenance crew - here’s looking at you teeter totter!). But most importantly, we learned that Greystone Girls love Mountain Biking.

Since then, Mountain Biking has ranked in the top 5 program departments at every session, with classes continuing to grow in size. At Main Camp, our Bike Club also has quite the following (IYKYK)! Due to its growing popularity, we knew it was time to expand the program options beyond wooden elements and the River Trail.

In 2023, we contracted with one of the industry’s best trail builders and created a pump/flow track near Archery; this was a huge improvement for the girls as they could practice their stances after learning primarily on flat ground. Needless to say, the campers loved this pump track addition.

In 2024, we called back the same crew, asking if they would build a biking trail network on Apple Hill. The result is truly epic for our campers! If you are a biker yourself and have ever ridden in Dupont State Forest, Greystone’s new Apple Hill trail system is similar to a mini “Ridgeline.” The trails are fun, challenging, and end with a more advanced wooden wall for the girls to traverse.

In 2023 and 2024, we also took our more advanced riders out of camp for Mountain Biking trips. We traveled to Dupont so the girls could experience a longer section of trail riding. To see the pride on these girls’ faces was one of the greatest joys of our summer! Completing these trips was such an accomplishment for these campers while also fun for them to see other camps out on the same trails.

We are counting down to 2025 when our campers can shred the trails again!