Coldwater Mountain rises south of downtown, its forested slopes providing an emerald backdrop for much of Anniston’s cityscape.

The peak normally remains in the background, but an enthusiastic local group and some excited outsiders are making plans that could make Coldwater the center of a massive recreational resource and a big tourist draw.

Organizers from the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Club on Monday hosted representatives of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, giving them a tour on foot and by helicopter of the land they hope soon will be home to one of the largest mountain biking centers in the Southeast.

The plan is to construct a network of 40 to 50 miles of biking trails atop the mountain over several years. The first step in that plan may begin this month. Mike Poe, a member of the local cycling club, said the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, through its Forever Wild Program, plans this month to begin construction of a road and parking area that will allow the public to access the 4,000-acre tract atop Coldwater Mountain.

The mountain land in 1998 became part of the Forever Wild program, which purchases land from private owners to preserve it from development and establish public recreational opportunities.

But the recreation plans foundered. More than a decade passed without the city developing a plan for public access or parking, so the state is pressing ahead with the parking area, near the Anniston Water Works and Sewer Board’s Coldwater Springs pumping station. That could be complete by this fall, Poe said.

Meanwhile, the local cycling club and IMBA are working on the next step: applying to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for a grant through the Recreational Trails Program. In the neighborhood of $100,000 annually, the grant would pay for design and construction of the first phases of the trail.

Chris Bernhardt, who works in trail design and construction for IMBA’s Trails Solutions Division was clearly excited about the opportunities at Coldwater after a helicopter buzzed him and others around the mountain Monday. Chances to design and build 40-50 miles of trail from scratch on 4,000-acre tracts don’t come along often, he said.

“To do it with a blank slate is a great opportunity,” Bernhardt said.

Tom Sauret, IMBA’s Southern region director, also seemed excited as he discussed the mountain’s terrain with Bernhardt. Two large, bowl-shaped depressions in the mountain’s hardwood-coated southern flank in particular appeared to offer challenging rides.

The two said there are few sites in the Southeast and not many in the country that can offer the amount and variety of biking trails Coldwater could host. And few to none of those were built from scratch as bike trails, Sauret said.

“We have a lot of trails in the Southeast, but there’s not a place like this where … it’s purpose-built,” Sauret said.

In addition to the opportunity to grow the sport, Poe and the IMBA officials said, the potential economic benefit to Anniston and the region is large. Mountain bikers typically are a well-off demographic, and tend to spend a week’s worth of vacation time per year traveling to cycling destinations, they said. Bernhardt in March visited a trail in Arizona. Sauret recently traveled to Park City, Utah, to cycle. He rented a condo there to rest in when he wasn’t grinding out on the trails.

The group, along with local bike shop owner Patrick Wigley, pitched the plan to two members of the Anniston City Council at a work session called specially to coincide with their visit. They told Mayor Gene Robinson and Councilman David Dawson that Anniston could become a big draw for mountain bikers.

“I think this is going to be a regional if not a national destination, if it’s done properly,” Bernhardt told the council members. “You are setting yourselves up to be a major mountain-biking tourist destination.”

For their part, Dawson and Robinson seemed sold.

“The potential for this city is just about to explode,” Dawson said. “We’ve got to find a way to make it happen.”

All agreed that the mountain’s proximity to downtown Anniston makes it unique among biking centers, and position the city to capitalize on the trail. Restaurants and lodging in the city could cash in, they said.

While the planned Coldwater Spring trailhead is miles from downtown, multiple trailheads —including one closer to the heart of the city — would be desirable for such a large site, the IMBA officials said.

Dawson and Robinson said it would be a requirement for Anniston’s participation in the project.

Under the plan, IMBA’s Southern region — The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association — would be the grant recipient. Any required local match could be made up from a combination of money being spent on trailhead development and other efforts. Volunteer labor could count toward the totals, Poe said.

Volunteers will do much of the trail construction work, especially in later years, Bernhardt said. IMBA staff would design and build the first phases, demonstrating the techniques to volunteers. About 10 miles could be built per year, he said, depending on the available funding.

Jim Plott, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, said the agency has been in talks with the Coldwater group. He said ADECA awarded $1.4 million through the Recreational Trails Program in 2009. Most projects were awarded between $60,000 and $80,000, Plott said. Examples include new trail at Gadsden’s Noccalula Falls Park and an all-terrain vehicle trail in Cullman.

The City Council is set to discuss the project at its regularly scheduled work session this afternoon at 2 p.m. at City Hall.

Contact Metro Editor Ben Cunningham at 256-235-3542.