‘What Idaho living is all about.’ New mountain bike park opens in Eagle

From the top of Milkshake Meadow in Kevin Pavlis Park, you can see Avimor taking shape. Dipping down onto the trail, I gripped the handlebars tightly. I had never been mountain biking before, and all the athletes at the bottom of the hill agreed this is a great place to learn.

As I picked up speed, the tires shifting in the dry track beneath me sent jolts of adrenaline through my arms as I guided the bike through fast turns and rolling hills. I was still panting from the climb up the trail, affectionately named “Stairway to Kevin,” for the late Idaho native outdoorsman who inspired this addition to the Gem State’s mountain biking scene.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Tanya Pavlis, Kevin’s sister. “Getting outside, enjoying the fresh air and making sure there are no barriers for anyone who wants to experience this for themselves is what Kevin lived for.”

Kevin Pavlis, who died in 2009 at age 39 after being struck by a vehicle while cycling, was known in Idaho’s cycling community as an advocate for expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for adaptive athletes who have a range of disabilities.

Nearly two decades after Pavlis died, the new trail system bearing his name opened Saturday in the Foothills north of Eagle. More than 60 athletes and supporters came out to celebrate the grand opening.

Like its namesake, the sprawling 5.5-mile network of trails is centered on accessibility, said Brooke Behmke, vice president of the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association, commonly known as SWIMBA.

“Kevin believed deeply that trails should expand what’s possible, not limit it, and that belief is embedded in every turn, every feature and every mile of this trail system,” Behmke said.

In the case of mountain biking, this includes athletes who use customized bikes with additional support, e-assist motors, hand-operated controls, and three or four wheels, allowing athletes in need of some extra leverage over the terrain to maneuver comfortably and safely alongside friends and neighbors on two wheels.

As a coach with Boise Adaptive Snowsport Education, or BASE, Pavlis dedicated years to helping athletes with disabilities get out and enjoy nature year-round.

The project has been in the works for more than five years and broke ground in October. Located at the end of Kirsten Way in the northeastern hills of Avimor, the trails are designed to meet adaptive mountain bike standards, ensuring that riders using three- and four-wheel bikes, as well as adaptive e-bikes, can enjoy high-quality trails.

“It’s essential to give adaptive riders and the support riders who sometimes bike with them room to enjoy these spaces and challenge themselves when they want to,” Behmke said.

The project was built by the Avimor community and SWIMBA, with significant donations by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, Blue Cross of Idaho, REI and Titus Trails, along with numerous other donors and volunteers. With the trails completed, SWIMBA is looking ahead to adding lockers, changing rooms, bathrooms and more to the site in the coming year.

“If it weren’t for people like Kevin, there would be a lot of people at home doing nothing,” said Becki Walters, the director of BASE’s winter programming and herself a lifelong adaptive athlete. After losing her leg to a rare bone cancer as an adolescent, Walters pursued sports and found a calling in helping other athletes with disabilities do the same.

“A lot of people with injuries or illnesses get caught at home feeling like life stinks because of their condition,” Walters said. “But it’s programs like ours and spaces like this park that let people who are less physically able go out and kill it on the hill.”

Even at its most accessible, mountain biking requires intense focus. As I tore down the dirt path, a garter snake sunning itself on the edge of the trail darted out of the way as I hurtled past it. A quick sloping turn seemed to encourage me to let the bike ride the high camber of the curve as it fed me into a long straightaway, and butterflies filled my stomach.

I launched the bike off a small dirt ramp, sending me into the air just high enough to glimpse the beer tent in the unfinished lot below. Without realizing it, I was yelling and hooting, feeling a wild grin cover my face as I began to chase every feature ahead of me.

“There’s nothing like it,” Walters said. “This is what Idaho living is all about.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM with the headline "‘What Idaho living is all about.’ New mountain bike park opens in Eagle."