So what is the Economic value of mountain biking in Washington County?
This is an important question and one that is usually difficult to answer. Fortunately, in 2016 the BLM collected recreational use data with electronic trail counters. We now have good numbers at least on BLM trails.
There are a number of formulas for estimating how much mountain bikers spend. Washington County estimated $175 day per visitor. The BLM estimated spending by local riders averages around $35 per person per day. Spending on things things like bike shop purchases, bike maintenance, food, and gas. It’s broken down by use type.
COMMERCIAL USE: (Guided mountain biking)
Total Number of Mountain Bike Guiding Permits: 25
Total Number of Clients (annually): 1,368
Average Number of Clients per permit: 54.75
COMPETITIVE EVENTS: (Mountain Bike Races)
Total Number Competitors = 2,560
Gross Income reported: $937,500
Other activities to consider are things like The Red Bull Rampage, Snake Hollow Bike Park, gravel grinding etc. that are not on BLM-managed lands, and so not included in these estimates.
REGULAR OLD RIDING WITH YOUR BUDDY
Total visitors counted on BLM Mountain Bike Trails in 2016 = 149,142. This number is definitely low because it only counts users on established singletrack trails. Nor does it include use on non-BLM trails like Boy Scout, Lake Shore, Kentucky Lucky, etc.
So, if you were to add all those numbers together…..you get 183,070 individual mountain bike visits every year. WOW.
The grand total for the local economy is between 16 and 21 MILLION DOLLARS every year. Whew…
