Youth Mountain Bike Camp 2025 Recap

Youth Mountain Bike Camp 2025 Recap

Brown County State Park | June 9–13 | Ages 6–12

WOW—what an incredible week on the trails! From June 9–13, we hosted 24 young riders for our annual Youth Mountain Bike Camp in beautiful Brown County State Park. Each day brought new challenges, big smiles, and some seriously impressive growth from our campers, ages 6 to 12. Whether it was learning to ride more confidently, mastering a new skill, or simply making new friends on the trail, every kid had a chance to shine.

“This was the best week of my summer! I didn’t want it to end.”
—Asher, age 6

Each day began with a bike safety check and then rolled right into skill sessions, trail rides, and team-building games. We introduced techniques like cornering, braking, balance, and trail awareness through fun drills and coach-led instruction. Fan-favorite games included Rock Dodge, Bike Limbo, and our legendary Cardboard Skid challenge! Campers even got hands-on with basic maintenance—everyone learned how to lube their chains and took home a sample of Muc-Off ceramic lube, one of our favorite bike care brands.

One of the highlights of the week was a visit from a Brown County State Park naturalist, who brought in live snakes and a stuffed rattlesnake for an up-close wildlife lesson. That same day, two different groups spotted black snakes while riding—talk about a WILD experience! We used the opportunity to teach how to safely observe wildlife on the trail.

"Great week at Brown County Bikes Kids Mountain bike camp at Brown County State Park. Rad Dads got to ride everyday while the kids practiced their skills! Huge thanks To Danielle Wolter Nolan and Kate Nolan for putting on such a great a great event!"
—Dane Crowder, parent of 2 campers

By midweek, we celebrated with our legendary water balloon party (a major hit!) before transitioning to a new section of the park—Hoosier’s Nest—for the final two days of camp. This move gave us access to fresh trails and new features, perfect for building on the progress we had made.

“I tried new skills I've never done before. My coaches gave me the confidence to try it, and I'm such a better rider now!” 
—Charles, age 10

What stood out most this week wasn’t just the new bike skills—it was the community. Campers encouraged one another, celebrated wins (big and small), and showed real grit when things got tough. As coaches, we were blown away by the growth we witnessed. Some of the key takeaways we saw in our riders:

• Increased confidence

• Gained resilience and grit

• Improved mountain bike handling skills

• Teamwork and encouragement

“So thankful to Kate Nolan and Danielle Wolter Nolan and Brown County Bikes. Dylan had the confidence to hit Gnawbone on the last day of camp. Five hours a day all week—you’d think they’d be ready for a break. Neither of them wanted it to stop. They are hooked. If you missed the kids summer camp this year, don’t miss it next year. It’s a Brown County treasure.”
—John Tiernan parent of 2 campers

We’re already counting down to next summer! If you missed this year, be sure to join our email list and follow us on social media to stay in the loop. Check out one of our recap videos from the week on Instagram. We also offer private and group coaching throughout the year—perfect for adults looking to keep up with their kids or for young riders who want to keep building skills.

Next up: Our free Family Bike Ride on Sunday, July 13th at 1pm. Meet us at the Upper Shelter in Brown County State Park and join the fun. RSVP today!