All photos courtesy Sticks & Stones TrailCo

Building singletrack is expensive. As we’ve covered trail system development over the years, we continue to see the cost of building trails rise. Depending on the technicality of the trail built and the surrounding terrain, adding a mile of singletrack can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.

Covering that kind of expense is beyond the reach of many trail organizations and small municipalities. Townships like Quarryville, Pennsylvania, may want a trail system, but the funds just simply aren’t there. Fortunately for mountain bikers in Quarryville, trail builders like Sean Smith are willing to do the work, regardless of pay.

Sticks & Stones TrailCo.

To be clear, Smith isn’t alone. Yes, the owner of Sticks & Stones TrailCo is volunteering his time and equipment to build a new trail system, called “The Local,” in a neighboring township. But he isn’t alone in his endeavor. Smith is backed by a team of volunteers who are also giving their time.

“I started out kind of accidentally and fell into it, really,” Smith told us. “A friend of a friend wanted a pump track in his backyard, and it just took off from there. The next thing I know, I’m [working with] local trail organizations.”

What started as a word-of-mouth endeavour, building pump tracks here and there, turned into a part-time job and a passion for Smith. While he still has a day job, Sticks & Stones has taken him around Pennsylvania and some neighboring states.

He has also had the opportunity to work with nearby trail organizations, such as the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA) in Central Pennsylvania and Berks Trail Works. Smith is a member at Berks, and the club has shown up, volunteers in tow, to help dig and shape trails at The Local.

New MTB trails coming to Quarryville, PA

“In my area, there’s little opportunity for mountain biking whatsoever,” Smith said.

Smith explained that places like Quarryville and neighboring townships have very little public land available for proposed trails. And, where there might have once been public land, different agencies and conservancies have purchased the land, often banning activities such as mountain biking.

Mountain bikers in Quarryville often have to drive about an hour to reach a proper trail system. Smith shared that many head toward trail systems closer to Philadelphia or travel north to the other side of Lancaster.

While there may have been social trail systems here and there, Smith recognized a need for sanctioned trails closer to home. This was exacerbated by what he said was an influx of “kids coming out of the woodwork on bikes” during the pandemic.

With a piece of property in mind, Smith approached his local township to begin a conversation about trails.

Working with the city

Across the country, we are seeing a theme of communities connected via old rail trails — decommissioned railroads that are often converted into pedestrian trails. Quarryville and its neighboring small townships are tied together by the nearly 30-mile Enola Low Grade Trail, a former rail corridor now serving as a popular multi-use path. Just off this trail, Smith spotted land that could become a trail system. 

“It was known,” Smith told us. “It was in use for the most part. Between motorcycles and kids back there, you know, digging and building jumps.”

Smith rolled the dice, approaching his township manager about building a proper, sanctioned trail system on the land they owned. Fortunately, local leaders received the initial conversation well, asking Smith to put together a proposal. 

Everything progressed smoothly; however, they ran into one significant hurdle. While local leaders loved the idea, the reality was that the town couldn’t afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars a trail system like this would cost.

Smith’s response — he’ll just do it for free.

“I started this business, and I saw an opportunity in my own town. I’ve been blessed between my two businesses and everything else in life. Why not give back? Why not just do it right here in my hometown with my friends?” Smith said.

Other volunteers, from kids to adults, were also willing to dedicate time to help establish a trail system in their area.

The Local currently offers 4 miles of singletrack

Before trails could be added, some of the social trails required attention. While sections could be incorporated in some instances, other portions needed to be closed down. Smith spoke of massive gaps with huge dig pits next to them — the work of kids trying to build a trail, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully.

Smith told us that many of those kids hung around and became a part of the volunteer force, learning how to build tails properly.

Currently, The Local has roughly four miles of singletrack. Two and a half of those miles are dedicated to three cross-country loops that fall within the beginner/intermediate category. Smith said they aren’t working with a ton of elevation, so they tried to create more advanced options where possible. To accomplish that, wood features such as skinnies and bridges were added, along with some rock tech sections. Building trails that anyone can ride was a priority, so these advanced sections also have easier, go-around options. 

The other 1.5 miles is divided between five gravity-oriented flow trails. Of the five, there are three main trails — a green, a blue, and a black — allowing for steady progression. The remaining two trails serve as connectors. 

Each trail is long enough to have multiple features but short enough to session. Smith shared that the green trail consists of mellow rollers and smaller tabletops, while the blue trail features larger tables. “[The black trail] has some pretty sizable hits for a public space,” Smith told us. “I’m actually really grateful we’re even allowed to build something like this.”

More to come

Not only will Smith and the crew of volunteers add more trails at The Local, but more infrastructure on the nearby Enola Low rail trail is also expected. Smith spoke of the possibility of a new restaurant opening along the path and a general boost in people, including visitors, using the Enola Low. They hope that having The Local along the corridor will also bring visitors.

For The Local specifically, Smith said the work is not yet complete. They are currently working on additional gravity trails, one of which will be an intermediate trail that is more natural and hand-built. 

While The Local is currently open for riding, Quarryville will host a grand opening for the new system on September 6, 2025.