The Beginning
Did you know you can bike at a defunct ski resort? Well now you do!
Highland Mountain Bike Park is currently located on the same property that The Highlands Ski Area was once located on.
The Highlands was never really a mountain that flourished while in operation, instead it really just survived until it closed in 1995.
It started out as a family friendly environment under the Elliott family but once they sold it the ski area tried to expand it into something bigger.
The ski area had its debt mount up so high that the electricity got shut off in 1993 and had to use a generator to stay open.
While it wasn’t the main factor in The Highlands closing, Gunstock being nearby and receiving roughly $100,000 in government funds while The Highlands sign was removed off of I-93 certainly did not help things.
The mountain was bought in 1995 by Dan Enwright who did not realize that the snowmaking system was completely busted, lodge in disrepair, and the electric system was a mess.
Ski areas attempted to purchase the chairlift, but The Highlands held onto it and it was eventually developed into a bike park called Gravity Mountain which was founded by Mark Hayes.
The Bike Park
Highland Bike Park is not only surviving, but thriving after becoming just a bike park and brings in thousands of visitors each summer.
There have been some rumors about skiing returning to the mountain, there has not been anything concrete.
There is still a rough infrastructure still there such as a chairlift and base lodge if they were to choose to add skiing again.
Highland Bike Park offers a variety of terrain including free ride trails, technical trails, XC trails, jump and skills parks.
The Central Park area operates Friday to Sunday and offers jump and skills parks.
It is typically open 10-5 on weekdays with operations going until 7 p.m. on Fridays while on the weekends they open at 9 and go until 5.
Closing Day is currently slated for November 17th so there is still time to get there.
Highland Bike Park is located at 75 Ski Hill Drive, Northfield, NH.