Allegheny County opens bouldering park, BMX pump track in Boyce Park

Chris Doyle of Plum has been riding bicycle motocross, or BMX, since he was a child.

Now, thanks to Allegheny County, its Regional Asset District and local partners, Doyle’s children have a great place to get started if they want to follow in his footsteps.

County officials cut the ribbon on a newly built bouldering park and pump track, next to the existing skate park at Boyce Park in Monroeville.

“With BMX, you almost don’t want to pedal,” said Doyle, 43, who spent 20 years as a professional BMX rider from 1998 to 2016. “You want to use your core to gain speed.”

The pump track, at first glance, looks like it would be an awfully bumpy ride, with small hills all along its length. The goal is to use the topography to build momentum. Doyle said the tracks have become much more popular over the past decade.

Next door to the track is another new feature, a bouldering park, a group of climbing-wall-style “boulders” with handholds and footholds, surrounded by a soft, shredded rubber landing area.

“Bouldering and indoor climbing has seen a surge in popularity,” said Allegheny County Councilwoman Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, who was on hand with County Executive Sara Innamorato, RAD officials and others recently to cut the ribbon.

“The county heard from residents and took action to support what they wanted to see in our parks,” she said Thursday.

RAD board member Dusty Elias Kirk said the new features represent the future of Allegheny County parks.

“It’s not just walking trails and jungle gyms,” she said.

RAD put $500,000 toward the $4.7 million project.

“Having something like this not just for me, but for my 5- and 7-year-olds, to try out is great,” Doyle said before taking a few more runs down the pump track before the ribbon-cutting. “It’s a great building block to get more people into BMX.”