This Western Victorian town, like many other small towns in this region, was founded during the gold rush in the late 1800’s, and throughout the decades since, has shaped itself based on its local industries such as mining, timber, farming and ranching.

But besides these industries, Republic also has another hidden gem, and that is its proximity to a variety of recreation opportunities, including arguably some of the states best backcountry riding available on the Kettle Crest.

Residents of Republic and the surrounding area of Ferry County recognized this, and in 2018, Ferry County applied for a grant to help build a new recreation park for youth engagement, citing a lack of parks in the surrounding areas for youth to be encouraged to play and be active.

Hesse Park, located right on SR 20/21 just east of the Republic School, was originally intended by former County Commissioner Nathan Davis to be much different than what it has evolved into. 

A WRRP Grant Application (18-1666) shows the concept of the area that was intended to be for a pump track, mountain bike and hiking trails, sledding hill, and other amenities such as a gazebo, bathrooms, and even touring campsites for adventure minded cyclists and hikers of the Pacific Northwest Trail. 

Davis being the main driver behind the project, left a vacuum when he stepped down from his position, and the grant, while approved for $106,000, went mostly unused in his absence except for some expenses for land clearing of overgrown brush and the purchase of a storage shed leaving a blank canvas for development.

This is where multi-generational resident of Republic Daryl Fritts comes in.

Fritts in 2024 with permission from Ferry County, reimagined the parcel of land as being a complement to the recently completed Skate Park just up the road across from the Republic School, and Golden Tiger and Ferry County Rail Trails which are accessible from Hesse Mountain Park directly across from SR 20/21 via an access path.

Citing a lack of family friendly mountain bike progression in the area, he set out with support from community businesses and self-funding a progressive mountain bike park in the location.

Fritts, who retired from Ferry County Roads Department, has transformed the space over the last 2 years, from a barren parcel to a great example of what can be done with a small piece of land to support mountain biking recreation in the region.

It’s hard not to notice the park when passing by on SR 20/21, with its variety of wooden structures such as A-frames, whale tail, skinnies, teeter toter, and even a large wall ride at the exit of one of the parks trails “Hesse Corners”, to the beginner jump lines, and additional trails weaving its way around the park.

I had a chance to meet up with Daryl in Republic while he was constructing a stryder course. 

He states his motivation is to get kids on bikes, and provide them and their families with a safe, and easily accessible space to grow and progress before taking on the challenging backcountry trails in the area.

He also is humble enough to admit he really doesn’t know what he is doing, and most of everything he has built has been by trial and error, feedback from local youth, and hours studying other ride areas on YouTube as well as visits to Gold Mountain outside of Chewelah.

Besides some common mistakes that even veteran trail designers and builders make on the trail construction side, you wouldn’t know this was his first attempt, as the park's features are well built, and ride extremely well.

Fritts candor is to the point and welcomes the opportunity for feedback on how he can make the trails and features better and more sustainable.

We discussed many topics ranging from his vision to improvements to support a wider variety of riders such as reducing the grade and downhill conflict on the climbing trail, which takes you from the parking lot to what Bill Chamberlin of the Ferry County View wrote in his October 2024 article “a small and unremarkable peak known as Hesse Mountain”.

And while Chamberlin may have described it as unremarkable, he also contrasts his statement describing the rewarding views from its summit such as the Sanpoil River Valley, and Mt. Gibraltar to its south and southeast, and is the start of the “Hesse Corners” trail, as well as a currently unnamed downhill jump trail built by Fritts and local youth engaged in mountain biking.

Fritts has more plans for the park, and more trails, including a trail that takes off south from the summit, which has been flagged out for construction this fall when moisture returns to the ground, as well as use of an excavator that gets donated to him by Slotts Construction.

So if you’re traveling through Republic on your next tour of Washington, or you want to plan a vacation to the area to enjoy the immense outdoor opportunities, museums, and scenery, stop by Hesse Mountain Park, take some laps, and smile knowing that even in the most remote parts of our great state, there are those wanting to ensure that Washington is one of the greatest place to ride.

Photos & words by Mic McLane, Trails Program Manager (Eastern WA)