Blue Mountain Resort, in the foothills of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, announces Blue Mountain Bike Park will open to the public today and remain open through October.

Boasting Pennsylvania’s highest vertical and largest bike park, mountain bikers - from beginners to experts - can navigate 29 thrilling bike trails including its newest trail, Ripple, all serviced by the high-speed Comet Quad Lift.

Ripple is an exciting, intermediate course with berms, rollers and “side hits” that alternate with slightly harder options or jumps, starting on the mountain’s east side alongside Shakedown Street. The 2022 season opens with the top half of Ripple completed - with the remainder being finished this summer.

Ripple joins the collection of challenging trails including ones introduced in 2021 such as Upper Empire, rated the most difficult jump trail with its large tabletop jumps and large wooden drop. Upper and Lower Empire are the park’s most difficult freeride trails, created for serious bikers comfortable with challenging jumps and drops. Also last year, the park opened The Swartz, a black diamond technical trail - a rocky, loamy singletrack found off Boulevard.

For new riders, the resort is offering beginner downhill lessons on Thursdays and Fridays at 1 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online.

All riders must wear a certified bike helmet, and anyone under 17 must have signed permission from a guardian. Full suspension bikes are recommended. Bike rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Season passes with lots of perks are $379. One-day youth tickets (17 and under) are $39, and one-day adult tickets are $52. All tickets must be purchased online at https://www.shopskibluemt.com/mountain-biking.

For more information, mountain bikers can visit https://skibluemt.com/outdoor/mountain-biking/.

Blue Mountain Bike Park’s famous trails are a draw for championship bike racing. Some of the prestigious races Blue Mountain Bike Park will host in 2022:

• Eastern States Cup Jr Championship on July 16 and 17

• Eastern States Cup Showdown weekend on Aug. 27 and 28

• Mid Atlantic Super Series Enduro on Sept. 18

• PICL XC (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League) on Oct. 1 and 2 (still in planning stages).