Joe Klocek, ‘98, a Pennsylvania native, started mountain biking in 1997 as a junior at Lehigh.
He’d ridden a bike before, but this was his first time riding down wooded hills above Sayre Park Village. He said he’s been an avid biker ever since.
Now Lehigh’s director of planning, design and construction, Klocek is helping develop those same trails into Forest Park, which is a network that will connect the Asa Packer, Goodman and Mountaintop campuses.
As a part of Lehigh’s master plan, the university is developing Forest Park to give students, faculty and staff expanded access to research, recreation and restorative spaces.
“Trails sort of evolve and change over the years, but the one we’re opening is the one I used the most back then,” Klocek said.
He said the tentative name for the trail is the “Blue Trail,” which connects Sayre Park Village to South Mountain.
Klocek said one of the biggest challenges was determining policies for how the trail network would be used.
He said a steering committee made up of facilities, campus safety, faculty and administrators has been working on the project for six months. He also said the group will continue evaluating the trails after they open.
“Part of that process over the last two years was really just engaging with the Lehigh community and discussions about what are the resources that Lehigh has (and) ideas for the future,” he said.
Klocek said the first piece of the project includes blazing and signposting several trials, which are expected to open within the next month.
He also said a trailhead kiosk built at Lehigh Design Labs will be installed at Sayre Park Village as the main campus access point. Another trailhead at South Mountain Park will serve as a community entrance.
“We’re not necessarily inviting the community onto campus simply because we don’t have the ability to accommodate parking and those types of things,” Klocek said. “But, we’re getting an alternate option for them at South Mountain Park, which Bethlehem owns and already has parking able to access trails.”
He said the opening will serve as a trial run to evaluate how the trails are used.
He also said mountain biking will be permitted on most trails, though some will have restrictions for safety.
Klocek said he’s excited to open trails that many people may not know exist.
Elliot Munson, ‘27, vice president of the Cycling Club and current trail user, said he’s also excited about the new system.
He said he enjoys mountain biking because of the community surrounding it and hopes to expand the Cycling Club.
Munson said the club is currently semi-dormant and plans to collaborate with other student organizations to increase awareness.
He said the group hopes to organize a trial-building day to teach participants how to maintain stable, erosion-resistant trails.
Still, Munson said he has some reservations.
“If there’s no interest (in) mountain biking, and that’s not something a lot of people on campus are doing or have interest in doing, I don’t see a need for Lehigh to invest a lot of resources in trail building or things like that,” he said. “But on the other hand, I think that having those opportunities is a fantastic way to create more community at Lehigh, and to get people active and get people outdoors and meeting new people.”
Munson said he hopes to see the biking community grow on campus and South Mountain.
Klocek also said the earth and environmental sciences department already established an arboretum and experimental forest decades ago to conduct research on South Mountain.
Michelle Elise Spicer, ‘12, an assistant professor in the department, said she joined the steering committee as a forest ecology expert.
She said her master’s research focused on long-term changes in the forest community on South Mountain.
Her lab now maintains 16 long-term forest research plots on Mountaintop, including some within Forest Park, with a focus on improving forest diversity management.
Spicer said the habitat is distinct and offers strong potential for research in biodiversity and forest management.
“I am grateful to be a part of the team that’s thinking about how we use the forest,” she said.
Spicer said she’s optimistic that the university is investing in the forest as a valuable campus resource.
Klocek said the department plans to install signage explaining the natural landscape throughout the park.
Klocek also said the project could open opportunities for research sponsorships, conservation and forest management.
Ultimately, he said the goal is to connect all of Lehigh’s campuses through trails.
“It may be a long hike, but it could be done,” he said. “So it’s really kind of cool from that perspective.”
He said he’s especially excited to return to the trails he once rode as a student.
Comment Policy
Comments posted to The Brown and White website are reviewed by a moderator before being approved. Incendiary speech or harassing language, including comments targeted at individuals, may be deemed unacceptable and not published. Spam and other soliciting will also be declined.
The Brown and White also reserves the right to refuse the publication of entirely anonymous comments.