Washington Wheels Park Was Built for Competition. Its First October Arrives With Rampage.

Washington Wheels Park opened on March 28, 2026, and Washington City designed it to host competitions from the start. Six months in, its first fall overlaps with Red Bull Rampage. The 2026 Rampage returns to its original site on Kolob Terrace Road near Virgin, with women riding Thursday, October 8, and men riding Saturday, October 10.

The two events come from the same plan. Washington City says the park is meant to make the city "a premier regional destination for action sports." The city also points to its Olympic-style qualifying course as a venue for "advanced training, regional competitions, and future events." This is the park's first fall. It is also the first time the park and the region's biggest bike week have been on the calendar together.

A Regional Park on Land Nobody Could Build On

The park started with a small question. In a May 2026 Mayor's Message, Mayor Kress Staheli wrote that a former student of Kurt Ivie asked "Where can I ride my skateboard?" Ivie was a 5th grade teacher then and is a city councilman now. The project took nearly four years from that question to opening day.

The site explains how a 15-acre park ended up there. The city looked at several locations and chose privately owned land that couldn't be developed because it sits in the floodplain of the gypsum debris basin. The owners gave that land to the city. "Honestly, with the cost of land these days, that donation alone could be considered a miracle," Staheli wrote. St George News identified the land donors at the ribbon-cutting as Carl Wright and Doug Dennett.

The money came from several sources. In March 2022, the City Council authorized up to $10 million in sales tax revenue bonds, and part of that money was meant for the Wheels Park. At the 2023 groundbreaking, a news report said the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office had donated $1 million. The same report named Aaron Spohn of Spohn Ranch as the designer. Staheli's message says Spohn has been involved in skateboarding and BMX since the 1980s and helped pioneer modern skate park design. FOX 13 reported that construction took 13 months.

Opening day was a regional event too. The city estimated about 5,000 people came to the March 28 ribbon-cutting. Skateboarders Christian Hosoi and Steve Caballero rode with other pros, and Staheli arrived nearly an hour early and still had to park on George Washington Boulevard. At the ceremony he spoke to the kids in the crowd. "I just want to say to all the 13-year-olds out there right now, you don't need to build a half-pipe in your backyards anymore," he said. "We've built one for you."

What the 15 Acres Hold

The city's park page describes three main areas. The skate park has bowls, flats, transitions and street-style features for every skill level, plus the Olympic-style qualifying course. The dirt area has a BMX track, skills courses, progressive jump lines for mountain bikes and BMX, and pump tracks. The family area has a splash pad, a large playground with all-inclusive play structures, a climbing wall, a ninja-style course and a 40-yard dash.

STG Newsletter's event listing gives the split between riding surfaces. It says the park has 65,000 square feet of concrete skatepark and another 65,000 square feet of dirt for bikes. In his May message, Staheli described the splash pad's design, with water that comes out of rocks, shoots into the air and runs as a stream before it is recirculated.

Each of the park's three pavilions sits next to a different part of the park. That matters if you're planning a birthday party or a team gathering around one activity.

The city's park page says each pavilion has electrical outlets. Reservations cost $50 per four-hour block. Requests are due at least seven days before your event and can be made up to six months ahead. City permit rules require a reservation for commercial activity or for groups of 25 or more.

Rampage Week, From Rolling Rock Drive to Kolob Terrace Road

The week's schedule shows how the park fits into the regional bike calendar.

1. Tuesday, October 6, 4 to 6 p.m. STG Newsletter lists a free "Red Bull Evening at Washington Wheels Park," hosted by Washington City and Red Bull. Riders can bring bikes, skateboards, inline skates or scooters, and Red Bull plans product giveaways while supplies last. We didn't find this event on Washington City's own calendar or on Red Bull's site, so confirm it before you go.
2. Thursday, October 8. The women's Red Bull Rampage competition.
3. Saturday, October 10. The men's Red Bull Rampage competition.

This year's Rampage venue is new to many current fans. Red Bull says the 2026 event goes back to the original site on Kolob Terrace Road, across the valley from the recent venues. Riders will use the old ground along with new terrain above it. Fans call it the "OG" site. Twenty-five years ago, downhill racers, dirt jumpers and early freeriders first rode ridgelines and cliff drops there on 40-pound bikes.

If you want to watch in person, plan ahead. Red Bull sells public spectator tickets. STG Newsletter's Rampage guide says how you get to the venue depends on your ticket type, and personal motorized vehicles can't drive to the venue. Both days will also stream live. Red Bull's event page lists Red Bull TV and the Red Bull Bike YouTube channel, while its spectator guide says the U.S. broadcast is exclusive to ESPN+. Check the U.S. platform with Red Bull closer to the event.

Washington City, Greater Zion and Rampage are connected beyond the calendar. Greater Zion's tourism office, which put $1 million toward the Wheels Park, is part of the same visitor economy that brings a world-class freeride contest to the county's backcountry each October.

Rules That Matter With a Bigger Crowd

A competition-grade course draws riders of every level, and the city's guidance reflects that. These are the basics before a busy week:

• Hours. Washington City parks are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Overnight parking isn't allowed.
• Protective gear. The Washington City Fire Department recommends helmets, knee pads and elbow pads, and gear that matches the rider's skill level. It also encourages adults to supervise young children. The department posted that notice on April 9 after crews practiced emergency response at the park.
• Etiquette. The park's posted skate etiquette guide asks riders to take turns, follow the flow of traffic, ride within their skill level and step off the riding surface when taking a break.
• General park rules. Dogs must be on a six-foot leash. Smoking, alcohol and littering are prohibited.
• Splash pad season. The Wheels Park page doesn't list operating dates for the splash pad. Another city splash pad, at Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park, runs March 31 through October 1, so call Parks staff before you bring swimsuits this month.

The mayor's account suggests the busy times aren't only on event days. "The Wheels Park is used at all times of the day," Staheli wrote in May. He added that even city officials were "blown away at how much use and popularity it has already attracted." On opening day, he watched riders aged 4 to 64 on skateboards, bikes, scooters and rollerblades "spin, weave, and glide without running into one another." The etiquette rules help keep it that way.

The Road Out Front Is Changing Next

The Wheels Park sits off George Washington Boulevard near the Southern Parkway interchange. St. George City is building a bridge that will extend that boulevard to Crosby Way and link St. George and Washington. Work began in February 2026, and the city expects to finish in summer 2027.

The bridge will have two lanes in each direction, seven-foot bike lanes on both shoulders and a 12-foot trail along its south side. In the city's September 12 construction update, crews were placing rebar across three spans and preparing for deck pours. For now, Crosby Way has one southbound lane and two northbound lanes with a 30 mph speed limit. Trail users are asked to stop at signs for construction equipment. The city hasn't said whether the bridge will connect directly to the park. It will add bike lanes and a trail to the boulevard the park sits on.

At the ribbon-cutting, Councilman Ivie described the project in terms of the next generation. "It's about coming together for these little people right here," he said. "We are a community that looks out."

Projects like the Wheels Park and the George Washington Boulevard bridge change how Washington City works day to day. Following them is part of how we advise buyers and sellers around the city. If you'd like to know how new public projects factor into what a home here is worth, Nikole Andersen offers a complimentary market consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.