Cyclists Host Fundraising Event For Gilcrease Museum Trails

Cyclists in Tulsa are steering major changes in the northwest part of the city.

On Wednesday, a group held a fundraiser for the Gilcrease Museum's new mountain bike and hiking trails, which are still in the works.

Gilcrease Museum Executive Director Susan Neal said the more than 400 acres west of the museum will be re-worked into 14-miles of mountain bike and hiking trails.

“The number one recommendation was for Gilcrease to incorporate the grounds into the visitor experience. And trails were just fundamentally at the top, you know so important to everyone," she said. “When you are looking to retain and attract talent to your community, one of the ways you do that is through creating great public spaces.”

Neal said the main drivers of the project are Tulsa cyclists.

W.C. Jones' fundraising event at his business just two miles away from the Gilcrease museum is helping to introduce the trails to the biking community.

“Introduce Gilcrease and all of their projects to mountain bikers," he said.

The fundraiser held Wednesday afternoon helps pay for amenities on the trails. That means things like benches and bike racks for the hikers and cyclists to use.

“This event tonight grew up out of the excitement and the passion that the cycling community has for this particular project," Neal said. “The trails themselves are paid for, but we do need to find a way to fund a few of these additional amenities to make it happen.”

The event is bringing in hundreds of dollars for the trails.

Neal expects construction to start next year and said the trails should be finished by 2024.