Bike path near Lake McClure a finalist in $100,000 grant contest

A proposed bicycle path near Lake McClure has been chosen as a finalist in a nationwide contest for grant funding after winning a regional online voting contest in April.

The local Exchequer Mountain Bike Park is now a regional finalist in the nationwide contest for a $100,000 grant from Bell Helmets. The Merced-area project beat out similar proposed projects in Oregon and Nevada, according to Merced Irrigation District spokesman Mike Jensen.

Jensen said the project will next compete with similar proposals from the central and eastern United States. The final voting is expected to begin around the end of May.

The bike park near Lake McClure is managed by the parks department of the Merced Irrigation District.

The trail in the Sierra foothills would be a “downhill double-black-diamond trail,” according to a news release. Such trails are considered to be among the most extreme in the sport.

If Exchequer park is chosen, the new trail could help attract visitors from across California and beyond, Jensen said.

This story was originally published April 30, 2015 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Bike path near Lake McClure a finalist in $100,000 grant contest."