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Markham Park Info

91K views 746 replies 85 participants last post by  475856 
#1 ·
I am planning on heading down to Ft. Lauderdale this weekend and was thinking of trying out the trail at Markham Park. I heard that the trail may be underwater due to the recent rains, is this true? Should I wait for another time to go for my first time, if so is there another park nearby I can hit while I'm down there? Thanks
 
#430 ·
Finally made it back to Markham...also had to pay the pipper....$53 bones.....

ATTENTION:
If you go to Markham DO NOT FORGET THE BUG SPRAY! Holy mosquitoes that look like freaking birds!
Bummed that Rt 66 was closed, almost went around the block, but Oscar's posts were punching me in the nads.....

Lots of big loose rocks in the middle of some of the trails, can only imagine it was from the race on Saturday....also that nice little gap jump on section 2 of the Outback is all jacked from the kOOks locking up their breaks instead of jumping it.

The new section of Alligator Alley is really nice tho, breaking in.....
 
#431 ·
Just a reminder that there will be someone at the gate to check for the new required passes this entire week! They are getting tough on it again. Outback extension has been destroyed by peeps who ride their brakes and not the trail..:madmax: It will be repaired shortly and if I have a say in it....:D, parts will be paved to prevent excess wear on that trail and the crew rebuilding it. We need to do some serious cutting back of the vegetation and if the weather is bad this weekend it may happen since there won't be too many peeps complaining about work being done...:smallviolin::smilewinkgrin:
The trails are in decent shape considering the races and weather we have had.

The annual "Rumble in the Jungle" will happen August 4!!!! The funds raised go to the trail and if the stars align we may be able to buy a Toro Dingo and not have to rent a BobCat anymore!!
 
#432 ·
Hello Oscar,

Thank you for your efforts with the trails at Markham. I have been a regular ever since I started off trail riding back in 1997 with my Gary Fisher Kaitai! I have seen the evolution of the trails since then and it is for the better. This past weekend ride I was notified by park staff about the new fee that surprised me that it was not done earlier; it takes much effort, time and money to maintain trails while on the hot - humid South Florida sun with the official state "bird" (a.k.a. The Mosquito) keeping you company does not make it a very fun venture. The trails have provided me with hundreds of hours of great rides and a fit body to experience life with. Continue the great workmanship.
 
#433 ·
You're welcome! I wish the fee would go directly to the trail but it doesn't. However, we are getting to use the county equipment in return so that works out very well for us. The park manager has been a great supporter of the trail-system by getting us as many materials as his budget allows. This coming sunday is TM day and we hope that we have a decent turnout since there is a lot to do before the 'Rumble in the Jungle' race on August 4th This fundraiser race is totally dedicated to the trail build fund and all proceeds are for trail maintenance equipment and materials. Hope to see you on the trails!!
 
#441 ·
Hello Oscar,

Thank you for the reply. I hit the trails this past Saturday mid-day and was told by your fellow "red shirts" that you were working. Just wanted to thank you and your team in person and hope to help out with the trails when I move to Sunrise in the near future.

Maybe this was posted before on this thread but here is a relatively up to date map of the trails at Markham for those who are not familiar. Currently there are a few new trails but this map will guide you well. Also here is a shot of my ride this past Saturday (perfect riding day). Enjoy!



 
#435 ·
TM is every first sunday of the month and all you need to bring is what you want to drink, eat and snack. Work-boots, long pants and long sleeve shirt as well as work gloves are recommended. We have all the tools and we meet at the trail head at 8:30. There are guys in MTB Patrol shirts around who will divvy up the work. If you have specific skills or pet peeves you want to address, you can let someone in 'charge' know. Unless there is priority project that requires a lot of work and people you can usually do your 'thing' after you run that by the peeps in 'charge'... It is a community effort and every volunteer has a voice. If something makes sense the group will agree and proceed. You'll get ribbed if you have a dumb idea..:lol: It is all in good humor and we all want one thing....better trails!
Hope to see you on a TM day!
 
#439 ·
Great, now I know the day and time I'll make sure me and my son make it out! Do you work for a couple hours then ride, or is it strictly work?

Whats up with Rt 66? Just cause it's wet or are there other issues...it's one of our favorite trails and I love the black section towards the end.
 
#440 ·
Some guys ride before TM work starts and we work till noon 30 or beyond depending on the work load. Nobody wants to leave an unfinished job, as that could lead to a trail being temporary closed.
Rte 66 is closed because it is the lowest point in the park and it floods bad as a lot of water ends up there. The skeeters are super bad in there, as is the vegetation since nobody is doing cut back until the rainy season is over.
 
#443 ·
Reminder for the "Rumble in the Jungle" !! On August 4 we will host the big annual fundraiser that will allow us to do all the trail work! We have big plans for a few of the trails and with enough $$ we can make them come true sooner rather than later.
Thank you for your support!!!!
 
#448 ·
66 is still closed. It is totally overgrown and since it is raining today, it will remain closed for a while. If the rain isn't too heavy today the trails should be perfect by Saturday! We need to do some serious cut-back on all the trails. I was gone for 2 weeks and some trails are a real jungle but still passable, just wear glasses to protect your eyes!!!
 
#449 ·
To recap a few things at Markham. We are getting a real bathroom and a pavilion of our own, courtesy of the county! When that will happen is not exactly clear but it is coming fairly soon. Peeps were out here with blueprints and measuring devices.
The Rumble was a great success and we were able to purchase a trailer and a Toro Dingo. This is a walk behind mini Bobcat. With this tool we can make bigger strides in repair, rebuilding and adding new trails. This Saturday we are going to build an all new skills area near the pump track. Today the area was re graded using the Dingo and the county dozer.
 
#458 ·
You're Welcome! It takes a lot of work from a small dedicated group of volunteers to get all the work done and we can always use more help, specially on TM days.
Sept 1 is the big day as we need to trim all the trails and we will focus on that work only. There will not be any heavy lifting done AFAIK..

Can anyone inform on the new fee. I have the year pass and I ride twice every week. But for the last week or so I've had to sit it out due to bent chainrings. But I planned on coming out this up coming week. I would hate to get turned away at the gate.
As others have stated already, you're good to go. We have had sporadic gate checking lately, but the county is working on a 7 day a week gate person being there. Enjoy your rides! :)
 
#459 ·
hi OscarW -

i'm a bit of a noob and i'm loving what you guys are doing out at markham. i've been out there most weekends for the past year and its great to see all the repairs and improvements happening out there.

i'm still learning my way around and which trails are suitable for my limited experience and riding skillz. my question is...does anyone have a better/updated map of the trails with their names and difficulty rating? while many of the trails are clearly marked a few are a little harder to identify for a noob. of course once located, its much easier to find my way back the time...the map on the broward county website is i bit hard to decipher.

thanks in advance
 
#460 ·
A new map will be forthcoming as soon as we have built the Adaptive MTB trails as they need to be on the new map too, (the layout is not 100% set in stone). We are waiting for the weather to cool down some to start that huge project as we will add almost a mile of trail that is accessible for the 3 wheeled bikes.
This coming Sunday we have a Trail Maintenance day and we will have to do a lot of cutting back which will make the trails more visible as well. If you can lend a hand you will also learn more on where the trails are at too..:smilewinkgrin:
 
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