Turkey Mountain is a much bigger park than it was five years ago. River Parks Authority completed the $19 million Turkey Mountain Master Plan in 2025. Under that plan, crews built about 30 miles of new trail, bringing the mountain's total to roughly 45 to 50 miles. Annual visits went from about 160,000 to nearly 300,000 over the same period, according to the Tulsa World.
The 4th annual Cold Turkey Mountain Bike Festival runs November 13 through 15. It is the one weekend this year when the whole bigger system is in use at once, with a course laid across it and spectators invited at no cost.
Twice the traffic, and a few more license plates from out of state
The Tulsa World numbers explain why a weekend at the mountain can feel busier than it used to. Ryan Howell of River Parks has overseen the master plan since it started in 2020. He told the paper that roughly 12% to 14% of visitors now arrive with out-of-state plates. Executive director Jeff Edwards explained the goal in the same article. The old trail system leaned toward blue and black difficulty ratings, and the new build was meant to welcome riders who aren't comfortable at that level. It was also aimed at riders in northwest Arkansas, about two hours away. Private sources paid for 48% of the $19 million.
All of this changes what the mountain is for people who live a few minutes away. Cold Turkey shows that change clearly because every event is built around the new layout.
Friday night is built for people watching from the side of the trail
Watching is free at every Cold Turkey event, and the organizers encourage noise makers. You only pay if you race. Friday, November 13, is the evening on the schedule meant for watching, and it runs in roughly this order, per the festival site:
- A guided Enduro pre-ride hosted by Ripple Effect, then a shakeout group ride with Team Soundpony.
- A free cookout.
- The Friday Night Lights Jump Jam, held at the Skyline session area. The jumps are lit, and the downtown skyline sits in the background.
- Whip Off and Best Trick competitions with a $250 prize.
- Zingo Unchained, a timed race on the Zingo trail, which is strung with lights. Riders run it with their bike chains removed, and entry costs nothing.
The River Parks calendar lists the festival starting at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The same Friday, the Art Crawl on 66 is listed for the Historic Red Fork District at 2615 W. 40th Place, according to TulsaPeople. It's an open-air art market with local art and music. You can catch both in one west-side evening, and the Art Crawl is listed again for December 11.
Saturday's course covers the new ground
Saturday's 5 Stage Enduro Party shows how big the mountain has become. Its five gravity stages are spread across the whole system. With the untimed transfers between them, the full course runs about 14 miles. Racers can ride the stages in any order and repeat them as often as they like, and only the best time on each stage counts. Some features on the course were built just for this event. For newer riders there's a 3 Stage Mini Enduro, and an XCC Short Track race lasts about 20 minutes and decides front-row starting spots for Sunday.
Saturday has the most to offer if you aren't racing. Specialized runs bike demos, and Bike Club Tulsa hosts a free youth clinic with loaner bikes available on request.
That 14-mile course passes through terrain the mountain didn't have until recently. The largest piece is a different place entirely, on the other side of the road.
The Sanctuary is a separate park across 61st Street
River Parks opened The Sanctuary on July 9, 2025. It's an 89.5-acre addition south of 61st Street and west of Elwood Avenue, and it brought Turkey Mountain to nearly 750 acres. A two-lane road separates it from the main park, TulsaPeople reported. Plans called for two pedestrian crossings with rapid flashing beacons to connect it to the existing trails and parking. Different outlets list the acreage a little differently. News On 6 rounded it to 90 acres.
Each of the two main entrances has a "Moongate," a large circular stone structure modeled on Roman-era bridges. Past the gates are about six miles of single-track, cross-country trail with wooden bridges, benches made from fallen trees, and three ponds. Every trail leads to the Treehouse Hub, an elevated platform under a large oak on a peninsula in one of the ponds. The Darryl and Julie Christner Family Foundation paid for the trail and infrastructure work with a $2 million gift. Rock Solid Trails, a builder based in Bentonville and Copper Harbor, Michigan, built it.
Josh Christner, the foundation's executive director, explained the name to TulsaPeople:
"We named the trails 'The Sanctuary' because a sanctuary is a place of peace, refuge, and protection - something really important in today's world."
At the same ribbon cutting, Edwards called the six-plus miles "new technical trails" designed for "a more demanding and immersive Turkey Mountain experience." That puts the Sanctuary closer to the mountain's original character than to the easier trails added elsewhere. For a long walk, the Moongates and the Treehouse Hub make a good destination.
What's open and what's still coming
The master plan is done, but the park is still changing. Here's where things stand as of mid-October 2026:
| Piece | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The Sanctuary | Open since July 2025 | TulsaPeople, News On 6 |
| Rock Yard jump park | Open; the live status page lists it as open | Tulsa World, River Parks |
| Parking lot near the Rock Yard | Substantially complete and in use; contractors on punch-list items | City of Tulsa, August 2026 committee transcript |
| Upper parking lot | Closed for electrical line work; all cross-country trails open | River Parks trail status |
| BOK Hub visitors center | $8 million project; $3 million secured, River Parks aiming to raise $5 million in 2026 | Tulsa World, News On 6 |
| 71st Street Connector Trail | Utility line relocation underway with River Parks; no completion date announced | City of Tulsa |
The Rock Yard is a twisting, turning jump park built in 2025. The new parking lot near it is the most recent finished piece. In the City of Tulsa's August 2026 transcript, staff reported it substantially complete and moving toward closeout.
The visitors center would be built just east of the lower parking lot on Elwood Avenue, the Tulsa World reported. Edwards said construction would take about 12 to 18 months once fundraising is finished, and the building would have three full-time staff, one program staffer and two maintenance workers. BOK Financial made the $2 million lead gift when River Parks announced the BOK Hub in May 2025, per News On 6. Since no completed campaign has been announced, the building is best treated as planned, not scheduled.
Sunday adds a downhill race
Sunday, November 15, has the most racing. The XC course is a 3.6-mile loop with plenty of room to pass. At the end of every lap, riders go through the Yeti Yell tent, where they get cheers or heckling, depending on the crowd. The Lil' Shredders Kids Cup runs near the main festival grounds. Riders 12 and under race free, and they sign up on site with no preregistration.
The Downhill Race is new for 2026, added with help from Bike Club Tulsa. A shuttle starts running at 9 a.m. Riders take practice laps, pick up a timing chip, and get one timed run. The fastest time wins. A Foot Down competition finishes out the day. Every event depends on weather and trail conditions, and River Parks says the XC race will be rescheduled if it rains. Racers can register through BikeReg, and registration questions go to [email protected].
Before you head up Elwood
The upper lot closure is the detail most likely to change your plans. The River Parks trail status lists the upper lot as closed for electrical line work. It also says all cross-country trails are open and some downhill lines are under repair or muddy. Check the current trail conditions page on the morning you go, because dirt trails close when they're wet.
These park rules apply every day, not only during the festival:
- Curfew runs from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Pets must be on a leash.
- Class I and II e-bikes are allowed in pedal-assist mode only. Motor vehicles are prohibited, including e-dirt bikes, Surrons and gas mini-bikes.
- Riders heading downhill yield to riders climbing, and cyclists yield to pedestrians.
- Glass containers aren't allowed.
If someone in your house wants to try the trails before November 13, River Parks points visitors to Tom's Bicycles for rental bikes. Tom's calls itself the closest full-service bike shop to Turkey Mountain.
Zeeco Oktoberfest also runs October 22 through 25 at River West Festival Park, 2100 S. Jackson Avenue. Zeeco Family Free Day is Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Philip Shain follows west Tulsa through the same calendar his clients live by: the trail openings, the new parking lots and the November weekend when Turkey Mountain fills up. If you'd like to know how changes like the Sanctuary and the coming BOK Hub show up in the homes around Elwood and 61st, Philip Shain would be glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
