The Calabazas BMX Course reopened Wednesday, Aug. 12, after weeks of city-funded repairs.
Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, San Jose Parks and Recreation and volunteers worked together on a long list of improvements that include a beginner-friendly pump track; an intermediate zone with rollers and berms that lead into the advanced section of the park; new berms to help clarify riding areas; resurfacing; and drainage improvements. The project took approximately seven weeks to complete.
Calabazas BMX Park is one of two BMX parks in San Jose. The BMX course opened in 2007 after encouragement from local BMX rider and Calabaza Cyclery owner Robert Carnahan, who died from cancer in November 2025. “This place was always unique, built by the riders for the riders,” said Carnahan from a 2007 interview by The Mercury News reporter Patrick May.
Children and bikers of all ages showed up in support of the reopening. Jessica Tseng, a mountain bike coach from San Jose said, “Kids cannot often reach the trails to ride their bikes, so this is a great urban space to practice.”
Children watch Matt Stuck, of the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, go off a jump on his bike at the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Beck Poltronetti, 17, of Cupertino, rides on the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Matt Stuck, of the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, who rebuilt part of the track, goes off a jump on his bike at the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Julian Liao, 6, of Campbell, rides his bike on the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
People watch the press conference for the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Beck Poltronetti, 17, of Cupertino, rides on the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Councilmember Rosemary Kamei and Jessica Tseng, of Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers, speak during a press conference about the remodeling of the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Councilmember Rosemary Kamei cuts the ribbon for the reopening of the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Julian Liao, 6, of Campbell, rides his bike on the BMX course at Calabazas Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)