Look at a map of Chicago and tell me if you can find “Big Marsh”. What about the South Deering community area? Okay, you can at least find Lake Calumet on the far south side, right?
On Sunday I went to the opening day of the Big Marsh bike park. The name “Big Marsh” isn’t new, as the city identified the large wetland in a habitat survey in the early 2000s.
You can find the area on the east side of Lake Calumet, at 11599 S. Stony Island Ave. The Pullman community area is on the west side of Lake Calumet. Hegewisch is southeast of Big Marsh. There are only two routes in, from the north and the south.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced in 2014 that the Chicago Park District and its partners would build a bike park there. A bike park has trails for mountain bike riding and jumping, and cyclocross riding.
Read more about the Big Marsh bike park on my urban planning blog Steven Can Plan.