Who is Turkey Mountain for now? For years the honest answer was skilled mountain bikers. Edwards, River Parks' executive director, told the Tulsa World the old system "was more of a blue- to black-rated trail system." That changed when River Parks finished the $19 million Turkey Mountain Master Plan in 2025. The rebuild added easier trails for newer riders and opened lines at the top end that most riders shouldn't try.
The 4th annual Cold Turkey Mountain Bike Festival runs November 13 through 15, and its schedule covers both ends. It has free races for kids, a beginner-friendly mini enduro, and for the first time a Sunday downhill race with a shuttle. It's also almost exactly a year since the Rock Yard opened.
The Rock Yard Turns One
River Parks held the Rock Yard ribbon cutting on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 1 p.m. at 121 W. 71st St. S. The date was chosen on purpose. Singletracks reported in the days before that River Parks planned to open the park in time for the 2025 Cold Turkey festival, which expected 300 to 400 riders. So this November's festival falls on the jump park's first anniversary.
Some of what the Rock Yard is made of came from this side of the river. News On 6 reported that it was named for the giant boulders used to build it, which were left over from 71st Street construction decades ago. The $1.5 million project was paid for by donors and grants, and Progressive Trail Design built it. The lines are named after parody rock bands. Depending on the source you'll see spellings like Janis Droplin, Jimi Sendrix and Steezy Nicks.
River Parks now calls it a three-acre, bike-only park. Six trails start from two stone hubs and drop 80 to 90 feet toward the Arkansas River. The trail builders were clear about difficulty. Jason Stouder of Progressive Trail Design told Singletracks, "There is no easier line than a blue." River Parks suggests beginners start at the Skyline Jumps or Bomb Cellar areas before trying the Rock Yard.
The entrance is on 71st Street between the river and Elwood Avenue. Pedestrians can't ride the lines, but they're welcome in the viewing areas. The park is open regular hours and closes when it rains or the ground is muddy.
What the Rest of the Rebuild Added
The Rock Yard gets most of the attention, but Singletracks called it the final piece of a much bigger trail project. Most of that project went into making the mountain easier to ride:
- Cross-country trails: A 20-mile revamp of the cross-country system.
- Downhill-only trails: Nearly five miles of them, including Boomtown and Black Gold.
- Bomb Cellar: Four downhill skills trails built so riders can step up one at a time.
- The Sanctuary: Nearly 90 acres added to the park in 2025, with six miles of new trails.
Edwards described the goal plainly to the Tulsa World:
"Somebody who's not comfortable on a blue- to black-rated trail now can come over to Turkey Mountain and enjoy it. Before the implementation of this, you couldn't unless you were a very skilled mountain biker."
More people are now on the trails. Ryan Howell has overseen the master plan since it began in 2020. He told the Tulsa World that annual visits have grown from about 160,000 to nearly 300,000 over that time. He also said license-plate reader data shows roughly 12% to 14% of visitors have out-of-state plates. According to Edwards, 48% of the $19 million came from private sources.
Cold Turkey 2026, Day by Day
The festival's program follows the same pattern as the rebuild, with something for each skill level. River Parks Authority presents the event at 6800 S. Elwood Ave.
Friday, November 13
Friday includes packet pickup, a guided enduro pre-ride hosted by Ripple Effect, and a shakeout ride with Team Soundpony. Riders get back in time for a free cookout and the Friday Night Lights Jump Jam. The jumps at the Skyline session area are lit at night with the Tulsa skyline behind them. A $250 prize goes to the Whip Off and Best Trick contests. The night ends with Zingo Unchained, a timed race on a trail strung with lights, on bikes with the chains taken off. Entry is free.
Saturday, November 14
The 5 Stage Enduro Party runs "party-lap style." Riders can take each stage as many times as they like, and only their fastest run counts. With transfers between stages, the full course covers about 14 miles across the whole trail system. The 3 Stage Mini Enduro is built for beginner and amateur riders. An XCC Short Track race lasts about 20 minutes, and riders who race it get front-row starting spots for Sunday's cross-country race. Specialized brings bike demos. Bike Club Tulsa holds a free youth clinic with loaner bikes available on request. The clinic meets at the West Parking Lot.
Sunday, November 15
The cross-country race is laps of a 3.6-mile course. At the end of each lap riders pass through the Yeti Yell tent, where they can expect cheering, some heckling and drinks. The Lil' Shredders Kids Cup runs near the main festival grounds. Kids 12 and under race free and can sign up that day with no preregistration. A Foot Down competition rounds out the day.
The downhill race is new for 2026, and Bike Club Tulsa is helping run its shuttle. The shuttle starts at 9 a.m. Riders take practice laps, then pick up a timing chip for one timed run, and the fastest time wins. The BikeReg listing puts the timed run at 11 a.m. and offers a $20 shuttle-only option for riders who just want the lift. Organizers haven't said which trail the downhill race uses, so don't count on it being the Rock Yard.
Two more details apply to the whole weekend. Helmets and signed waivers are required for every race, and spectators are encouraged to bring noisemakers. The festival also invites riders to camp on-site. That's a one-weekend exception, because River Parks' standing rules ban overnight camping at Turkey Mountain.
Two Weekends in a Row
Before the bikes come the runners. The Turkey Shuffle is Sunday, November 8, at Turkey Mountain Park, 6850 S. Elwood Ave. The Kids Dash starts at 8:55 a.m., and the 1-mile, 5K and 10K all start at 9 a.m.
That puts two Sunday-morning events at the Elwood entrance a week apart. Neither event has published a parking plan or trail closures for people who aren't racing. River Parks posts Turkey Mountain trail conditions online. Its trail updates page points people to its social media channels for the latest news. If you're planning a regular hike or ride either weekend, a few things help:
- Check the Turkey Mountain trail conditions page that morning. Dirt trails close when they're muddy, and the festival says every event depends on weather and trail conditions.
- Expect the most cars at the main Elwood lots on Sunday mornings, when both events start.
- Bring a rental if you want to try Bomb Cellar or Skyline during the festival weekend. River Parks lists Tom's Bicycles for mountain bike rentals.
- Follow the trail rules on busy days. Cyclists yield to pedestrians, riders going downhill yield to riders climbing, and glass containers aren't allowed.
The Next Project Isn't Built Yet
The next thing River Parks wants at Turkey Mountain wasn't part of the master plan. It's an $8 million visitors center. As of early 2026, Edwards had raised $3 million and hoped to raise the remaining $5 million during the year. The Journal Record reported in May 2025 that the building is called the BOK HUB and that groundbreaking will wait until fundraising is done. It would go just east of the lower parking lot on Elwood Avenue. Edwards estimated construction would take 12 to 18 months once the money is raised, and the building would have three full-time staff, one program staffer and two maintenance workers. No public update since early 2026 has said whether the fundraising goal was met.
Until fundraising is finished and building starts, the lower lot on Elwood stays a parking lot. The festival weekend uses the trails as they are today, with Bomb Cellar for newer riders and the Rock Yard for experts.
At CG Realty Group, we think having a trail system like Turkey Mountain nearby matters. If you want to know which South Tulsa streets are an easy ride or drive to the Elwood and 71st Street entrances, we're glad to help. Contact Us. We'd love to talk trails, neighborhoods and whatever comes next for you.
