BMX is coming back to Yucca Valley
BMX is coming back to Yucca Valley. A formal lease agreement approved at Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting will net the town one dollar in revenue, as well as a proven non-profit sponsorship and a group of residents ready to operate the track which has been shuttered since mid-2023.
Recreation Supervisor Jakub “Kuba” Kusmieruk gave some background to the Town Council, saying that outreach began in the Fall of 2025 to recruit a new operator. That’s when a group of residents under the name Yucca Valley BMX expressed interest in managing the facility.
Under the lease, Yucca Valley BMX will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the BMX program and facility, payment of utilities serving the facility, routine maintenance checks and upkeep of the BMX track. The lease term will begin July 1, 2026 and continue through June 30, 2027, with automatic annual renewals unless the lease is terminated by either the Town or Yucca Valley BMX.
The Town will retain ownership of the track and the responsibility of site infrastructure such as perimeter fencing, parking, drainage and landscaping around the property. The town will be provided annual reports regarding facility use, organization status, and financial conditions.
Heather Quintana is a Yucca Valley resident and the Director and Chairperson of Yucca Valley BMX. She’s also on the board of Basin Wide Foundation which has recently celebrated 30 years in the Morongo Basin. Quintana told the Town Council that the community is excited to get back to the track, which she says will be a gathering place for families and local youth to ride, stay active and form positive relationships.
The Town Council agreed, with Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Schooler and councilmembers Jeff Drozd and Robert Lombardo approving the lease. Mayor Merl Abel recused himself due to a conflicting business interest, and Councilmember Rick Denison wasn’t present due to an excused absence.
Z107.7 caught up with Heather Quintana after the meeting to talk timelines and when people can expect to get out on the track. Quintana says that “we’re going to start announcing on the Facebook group when people can come in and start volunteering. We have secured insurance for volunteers and things like that through Basin Wide Foundation, so things are going to start moving rather quickly.”
She says there will be insurance for the riders as well, and they have secured contractors to help with the rest of cleanup and construction. Quintana says they are thinking long-term, and the fiscal sponsorship of the long-running Basin Wide Foundation aims to keep the track open and sustainable for “many generations.”
“I think that the youth of Yucca Valley really need an outlet and a safe space to be able to develop life skills, and BMX is that outlet,” Quintana says.
Boardmember John Willis showed up to the meeting with riding gloves and helmet, and says that action sports like BMX is a net positive for the community. “It definitely brings all the kids together… parents, too. It gives them camaraderie to learn how to work together if they’re on a team or even be independent as a racer for themselves, too. It also just gives them confidence, keeps them in shape, stuff like that.”
Willis also wants to see the track stay open to provide a place for kids to send it, saying “I was there when it was open before, and I hope that it never closes down again.”
You can follow Yucca Valley BMX on Facebook and we’ll share volunteer opportunities and track updates as the group moves toward opening day.