Wake County bids for Umstead State Park land, owned by RDU

Wake County is also asking the airport to consider an offer by the conservation fund, an environmental non-profit that is offering $6.4 million dollars to buy another piece of RDU's land to expand Umstead State Park.

"So, what we want do is we want create more opportunities for people to recreate and we want to preserve natural places so we can expand that natural Umstead State Park even larger than it is today," Chair Sig Hutchinson said.

Cyclist Clyde Bond said he is very familiar with the area..

"This part back here is excellent for hiking but it's really great for mountain biking," Bond said. "And anything they can do to increase that particular use of it I think would be really good."

With the deadline to enter bids on Monday, the county says it's working with RDU to come up with the best possible plan.

"Not only do our citizens get this great opportunity to expand the recreational experience even more, but it's five minutes from the airport," Hutchison said. "So you think about those tourists that can fly in from anywhere in the world and experience some of the best mountain biking on the east coast."