The Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act was signed into law on January 4, 2025, as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The BOLT Act’s core mandate is that federal land management agencies must identify at least 10 existing and 10 potential long-distance bike trails of no less than 80 miles on federal public lands and report to Congress on their findings.

Following the passage of the BOLT Act, PeopleForBikes partnered with Bikepacking Roots and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to form the BOLT Coalition, alongside regional and local partners, with the mission of ensuring that rider and trail steward voices shape the federal prioritization process for BOLT trail recognition.

Led by Bikepacking Roots, the coalition surveyed the cycling community, built a database of eligible trails, and analyzed more than 60 submissions against key BOLT criteria. The result is "Long Live Long Trails," a report that gives federal land managers a powerful starting point.

The report outlines:

• 20 existing trails covering 5,232 miles across 12 states on U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and National Park Service (NPS) managed lands
• 13 potential trails currently covering 5,077 miles, with the potential to reach 7,778 miles when completed, across 10 states on USFS, BLM, and Department of Defense-managed lands

To qualify, trails must be at least 80 miles long, located primarily on federal recreation lands, built primarily on natural surfaces, and legally open to bikes.

As for what BOLT recognition does, it is not a new trail designation. Instead, recognition under the BOLT Act raises awareness, opens the door for additional resources to support trail sustainability, strengthens relationships between land managers and trail stewards, and drives economic development for the communities connected by these routes.

For riders, this means more protected, and better supported long-distance experiences. For gateway communities across the U.S., it means a boost to tourism, jobs, and investment.

Long-distance trails represent a growing and underserved segment of the American bicycling market, from bikepacking to adventure cycling. The BOLT Coalition report is an important step toward strengthening the partnerships between riders, local communities, nonprofit organizations, and federal land managers that make iconic trail experiences sustainable for the long term.

"The BOLT Coalition report and recognition have the potential to elevate the importance of long-distance trails within the broader outdoor recreation ecosystem and demonstrate the economic, community, and recreational value these experiences provide," said Rachel Fussell, senior manager of recreation policy at PeopleForBikes. "We see this report as an important step toward strengthening partnerships between riders, local communities, nonprofit organizations, and federal land managers to support the long-term sustainability and connectivity of these iconic trail experiences across the country."

Your Next Step: Nominate a Trail

The BLM and USFS launched a public-facing portal where riders and advocates can view trail data and submit nominations for BOLT recognition. The federal agencies are expected to release their official report to Congress by August 2026. Nominations will be accepted between July 2 and August 3.

SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION TODAY

PeopleForBikes will continue to engage with BLM and USFS as the official trail recognition process takes shape and will share updates as the federal report to Congress moves forward.

Read the full BOLT Coalition report, "Long Live Long Trails," and submit your nomination to the BLM and USFS here.