We make sure that bikes are considered in new projects, encourage communities across city lines to pursue funding together, support ballot initiatives dedicated to outdoor recreation, andlobby for federal funding for path and trail development.

We support local groups focused on increasing outdoor participation, help cities rethink how to provide more opportunities for close-to-home bike riding, foster the development of pocket bike parks and force the prioritization of bike trails and parks in underserved communities.

We work with state departments of transportation to add or improve shoulders on major county and state arterial roads, work to require that funding for highway projects is contingent on adding/improving shoulders, and ask state departments of transportation to prioritize road improvements that improve bicyclists safety and benefit bike riders.

We help prioritize projects that serve historically underserved and disinvested communities, advance bills that provide financial incentives to recreate by bike, connect bike riding with health and wellness outcomes, force equity considerations in planning and value electric bicycle access on the same level as traditional bikes.

Bike riding opportunities in rural, non-urban areas are revenue raisers for local communities through tourism. We support funding and policy measures that help build out trail systems, connected bike networks and the infrastructure needed to cater to visitors and residents alike.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 immediately protected 9.1 million acres of land in the U.S., including the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana, Linville Gorge in North Carolina and Mount Hood in Oregon, among many others. The act is most known for its definition of wilderness: 


"A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

While this may be a romantic and murky definition, what it does make clear is that “wilderness” does not include people. The protection of these places is wonderful and necessary, but it narrows access to wilderness away from those who can’t venture far enough to reach it. It creates a binary where there can’t be wild things where there are people. But does it have to be this way? Can wilderness be simple and nearby rather than vast and far away? The Urban Wilderness in Knoxville, Tennessee, challenges this dated definition by playing home to more than 50 miles of trails, all in the middle of a city.

Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness spans multiple parks, historical sites and other public lands, all in the southern part of the city, where the creators saw potential in an area spanning more than 1,000 acres from the Alcoa Highway up to the Tennessee River. The Wilderness connects 10 city parks, three Civil War forts, a large nature center, a climbing crag, a 500-acre wildlife management center, a world class mountain bike park, multiple roads, greenways and private land easements, many connected by the 12-mile South Loop System. The area has revitalized South Knoxville, which now includes nine breweries, multiple restaurants and will soon include a campground specifically made for mountain biking — the Drop Inn. The idea for the Urban Wilderness all began with two organizations and a vision.

Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) began the Urban Wilderness with a map. In 2008, Brian Hand, then president of AMBC, looked at the city from his South Knoxville farmhouse and saw potential. Mountain bikers had already been building trails and riding in the Appalachian foothills of Knoxville. While the legality was often dubious, it gave them an understanding of what local mountain biking could be. The rugged karst geology of the region made it difficult to develop, leaving undeveloped green space across South Knox. Hand started talks with Carol Evans, head of Legacy Parks Foundation, who helped formulate a plan to secure funding and public support. They began with a  fundraising goal of more than $1.5 million for the first round of land buying and were surprised to come up with the money in just eight months during a recession. The continued success  led to the city putting $10 million towards a gateway park and entrance to the trail system.

Evans credited this success to creating support across different user groups in Knoxville. She believes Legacy Parks’ ability to be flexible, communicate often and create the trails incrementally are the biggest factors in the success of the Urban Wilderness. The AMBC created the trails, most being moderate, multi-use trails good for riders of all skill levels. Neighborhoods surrounding the trails have embraced them for everything from birdwatching to hiking to dog walking and, of course, biking. The ability to get out and play before work, during lunch or in the evenings has changed people’s perceptions of the city. Knoxville can now identify and take pride in being an outdoor town, rather than just a college town on the way to the Smoky Mountains. This sense of community is particularly strong among AMBC members.

The AMBC has since grown to three full-time staff and one part-time staff member who maintains the Urban Wilderness. When a fallen log or washed-out berm is called in, it is usually fixed within the week if not the day. AMBC has a humility and blue collar attitude towards the trail system. Executive Director Matthew Kellog said their goal is to be “quietly really good” and they are constantly looking for improvements through their memberships in the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association (SOBRA) and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). The organization supports a free youth development program where kids can race in NICA and USAC races at all levels. A grant from Bell Cycling helped create a women’s cycling group, and a grant from Santa Cruz’s PayDirt program recently went towards multiple new all-weather trails.

The city has seen cycling grow in popularity and become an integral part of Knoxville’s culture. Downtown was closed for a few days in late June 2022 when the USA Road Cycling National Championships zoomed across its historic streets. NICA has held multiple interscholastic races in the Urban Wilderness, and ROAM Fest, a womxn-only mountain bike festival, held one of its stops in Knoxville. The other locations? Mountain bike meccas Fruita, Colorado, and Sedona, Arizona.

The Wilderness has also helped shape the identity of the University of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Outdoor Pursuits (UTOP) Director Josh Elder is an avid mountain biker and whitewater paddler who helps decide where to program university-sponsored trips. He says that UTOP uses the Urban Wilderness for 2-4 hour activities about 12 times per school year. More than guided trips, the ability to give a low-entry introduction to biking through rental mountain bikes has led many students to discover and fall in love with the sport. It’s easy to rent a bike in the morning, ride 15 minutes to the trails, explore the Wilderness and be back in time for afternoon classes. “The Urban Wilderness is a glue that holds things together through accessibility for everyone,” said Elder.

The Urban Wilderness challenges the notion that an experience in nature has to be hard to reach, or has to be devoid of people. Legacy Parks Foundation and AMBC have made a trail system for all. Visitors, who bring in up to $52 million in tourism revenue, or locals, who have a daily opportunity to be outside, can equally enjoy the Urban Wilderness. It has helped create a city where more than half of residents can walk to a city park. Wilderness can co-exist in cities and can enrich them through community, recreation and adaptability. The opportunity to find meaning outside has been ensured in an unlikely place, for whoever wants to come experience it.

The Urban Wilderness Transforming Knoxville

Like many towns across the U.S., a change in the way we do business has led to a loss of jobs, local economies and even pride. Places that once relied on logging or mining are now left without industry and struggling to maintain once-thriving population centers, all while also coming to terms with the need for a more climate-resilient economy. The Lost Sierra region of Northern California — which includes communities in California’s Plumas, Sierra, Butte and Lassen Counties — is no different.

The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS), a nonprofit that builds and maintains multi-use trails in the region, wants to rethink how its towns do business. The organization developed a Trails Master Plan for Connected Communities, funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which puts forth a vision for a recreation-focused lifestyle through community investment, shared stewardship, economic opportunity and new local jobs. 

The project includes building a new 600-plus-mile trail system, dubbed the “Lost Sierra Route,” which will ultimately connect 15 mountain towns that span from Truckee northward to Westwood, near where the Sierra Nevada end and the Cascade Range begins. The landscape is nothing short of spectacular and once completed, is sure to become a destination for outdoor adventurists near and far — and a home for all of the business they tend to bring.

Mountain bikers riding from the town of Quincy pose on Mt. Hough before descending into Taylorsville below for an overnight stay. (Photo credit: Patrick Cavender)

“We’re not trying to replace the logging or mining industry. We still need industry, but we feel like recreation can complement things,” said Greg Williams, executive director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. “We create jobs, opportunities, apprenticeships and trainings — we’re trying to retain working families here and retain talent.”

With wildfires increasing every year, the project also seeks to strike a balance between fuel management, recreation, healthy watersheds and public education. Williams is Northern Sierra Miwok and telling the story of his Indigenous ancestors, as well as others like the Washoe and Maidu, is another important part of the equation, not only to honor the original stewards of the land but also to draw inspiration from the less-extractive ways they continue to interact with it. 

A longtime bicyclist and former shop owner, Williams founded SBTS in 2003 after a big winter left a lot of trees down and trails damaged. With the Forest Service losing a good deal of its funding, Williams and a group of volunteers took the initiative to take care of the trails. Since then, the organization’s employees and volunteers have built more than 120 miles of trail, maintained more than 1,479 miles and collectively contributed well over 100,000 hours of labor to the surrounding National Forest lands. There are currently 66 full-time and seasonal employees, 24 of which are high school students from throughout the region. 

Employees and volunteers have worked on everything from garden-variety singletrack to wilderness portions of the Pacific Crest Trail to ADA-compliant paths to multi-use flow trails. The Connected Communities Project, which is slated for a summer 2030 completion date, will include the creation and maintenance of multi-purpose trails that allow for all dirt trail travelers, including eMTB and traditional mountain bikes, hikers and trail runners, equestrians, hunters, fishermen and, of course, wildlife. When possible, the trails will be ADA accessible.

“We're not saying no to any trail user that can fit on a trail,” said Williams. “It’s about inclusion, equity, diversity and access — not just in people but how they recreate.”

The trail will include mainstreet connections in the 15 mountain communities it serves, as well as traverse the headwaters of the Yuba and Feather Rivers, critical watersheds that supply more than 65% of California’s drinking water. The master plan also includes designated recreation zones, or areas that are on Forest Service land close to commercial centers. These areas will provide close access to trails for locals, helping them avoid having to drive to trailheads, as well as convenient downtown parking for visitors, which will help generate business.

The recreation zones were the result of community feedback from some 16 town hall meetings, 100 virtual meetings and in-person park sessions, complete with big dry-erase boards and maps where residents could draw in their dream plans. SBTS also opened up an online public survey and solicited takers using kiosks and booklets strategically placed at gas stations and businesses. All in all, the nonprofit got almost 1,200 people throughout the region to take the survey and some 800 took the time to draw on the maps to showcase their vision. 

It was through that public process that SBTS was able to gain support from other organizations, including the Forest Service, individual cities, counties and members of Congress. A strong partnership with the Forest Service is particularly important, as all of the proposed trails are susceptible to an environmental review. Importantly, SBTS is sure to always contract with local folks — whether that be biologists, hydrologists, archeologists or trail builders — in order to support the local economy and help build investment in the network.

Kelly Tan of Taylorsville provides input to members of the Sierra Buttes Trails Stewardship on the Lost Sierra Route. 

“We want this project to be like a recipe book — a national model for how communities can engage with land managers,” said Williams. “At every step of the way, we're documenting the pitfalls we’ve experienced and some of the really great things we did, and we'll be sharing throughout the nation how we did it. Hopefully, we can save people some grief and also inspire them to take it to another level.”

As part of that commitment to being open and transparent about the project, Williams is scheduled to speak at PeopleForBikes’ Electric Mountain Bike Summit on September 15, 2022, in Olympic Valley, California. For Williams and SBTS, allowing eMTBs on the trail system is an important part of keeping it inclusive and accessible to everyone. Like many things pertaining to good trail use, education is key and that’s why good signage, maps and informational kiosks are a key component of the Connected Communities master plan. Industry partners, shop owners and land managers all also have a role to play in making sure e-bikes are used responsibly.

“We want people to be able to ride e-bikes up here and we’ve been working with the National Forest and our industry partners to get bikes up here and take land managers out,” said Williams. “We want to give them an experience riding so as they’re making decisions, they have a good understanding of what an e-bike is.”

The Connected Communities project has a long list of industry partners, including Shimano, Santa Cruz Bicycles and Fox, but SBTS always welcomes more support. While the project has received the green light and secured some $2.6 million in grant funding to date, it will require an estimated $40 million total over the next eight years. For a team that’s committed to building trails — and doing so in a way that’s low-maintenance and won’t require a lot of additional money down the road — fundraising, while necessary, can be exhausting. For a volunteer-driven nonprofit, that time is better spent on outreach, education and trail building.

“To bring an economy to towns that desperately need it, $40 million isn’t that much,” said Williams. “Especially when you consider all of our programs, how many people we reach and the jobs and opportunities we create.”

It’s that impact that’s gotten most folks in the region on board. Pushback, in general, has been minimal and tends to dissipate once people realize the ways a recreation-based economy can help keep grocery stores and restaurants open, as well as motivate future generations to stay in place. After all, hikers and bikers aren’t the worst sorts of visitors, having an innate desire to protect the places where they play. Although there are sure to be some pressure points, the ultimate goal is a region with diversified recreation opportunities that connect communities and provide economic stability. A place where all people, especially youth, can learn about the environment and where climate resiliency is top of mind. 

“What we’re trying to create is multigenerational pride and a workplace for people to be able to come back to and raise their kids, and this is our chance, through recreation,” said Williams. “I’m confident that Connected Communities will be built in such a way that it’s going to change people’s lives — this will last, generation after generation.”

PeopleForBikes’ inaugural eMTB Summit will take place September 14-15, 2022, in Lake Tahoe, California.

PeopleForBikes is excited to announce our upcoming Electric Mountain Bike (eMTB) Summit, taking place September 14-15, 2022, in spectacular Lake Tahoe, California, at the Resort at Squaw Creek. Our dedicated eMTB Summit is a gathering for anyone interested in the future of electric mountain bikes. Industry leaders and electric mountain bike advocates are all warmly invited to attend. Lake Tahoe is not only a world-class mountain bike destination with a stunning backdrop, but also one of the best examples on how to successfully allow eMTBs on public lands.

REGISTER FOR THE ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE SUMMIT

During the Electric Mountain Bike Summit, participants will network, attend educational sessions and ride some of the nation’s premiere mountain bike trails. The summit will focus on some of the most important issues surrounding electric mountain bike access. Session topics include how to increase access for eMTBs on public lands, eMTB’s positive impacts on rural economic development, their role in reshaping mountain biking culture for the better and current user perceptions and research on eMTBs. 

Ample time will be allocated for discussions among stakeholders and industry members about the current state of eMTB management, challenges, opportunities and partnership possibilities. Our keynote session will include insights and lessons from the U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe National Forest, where we will hear from local land managers and experts on how eMTBs gained access to traditional mountain bike trails on public lands.

In addition to the Electric Mountain Bike Summit, we have several exciting activities lined up to enhance the attendee experience. We welcome everyone to join us for an eMTB ride with staff from the Tahoe National Forest on Wednesday, September 14, exploring the trails and networks where eMTBs have been allowed and chatting with U.S. Forest Service staff to better understand their process and outcomes. Other activities include networking events like a happy hour at Sandy’s Pub at the Resort at Squaw Creek, morning yoga before the summit and a post-summit eMTB and mountain bike ride.

Join PeopleForBikes at the Electric Mountain Bike Summit

Twenty years ago, the small, Northwest Arkansas city was relatively unknown. Today, it’s the mountain biking capital of the world.

Bentonville, Arkansas, tucked in the heart of the Ozarks in the northwest corner of the state, is probably most well known as the birthplace of Walmart. Over the last 15 years, however, thanks in large part to investments made by the Walmart-founding Walton family, the city has dubbed itself the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.”

Some die-hard mountain bike enthusiasts may throw up their arms at that statement and say, “What about Moab, Whistler or (insert said enthusiast’s favorite local trails here)?!,” but those who have visited Bentonville can attest that the city has truly done an incredible job of growing a strong community of dedicated cyclists, all within recent memory.

For 2022, Bentonville ranked #1 in Community Score in PeopleForBikes’ annual City Ratings. The program, which evaluates, identifies and compares great places for biking, determines a city’s score by combining its Network Score, measuring the quality of a city’s bike network, and its Community Score, measuring how people feel about biking in their city. While the Network Score may be worth 80% of a city’s overall rating, the Community Score offers an important look into understanding local resident’s perceptions of bicycling where they live, work and play.

With a Bicycle Network Analysis score of 43 and an overall score of 48, Bentonville sits right on the cusp of being considered a great place to bike by City Ratings standards, with an overall score of 50 being that gateway to greatness. However, touting a Community Score of 70, the Northwest Arkansas hub offers many potent lessons on fostering a community of bike-minded residents. 

Bentonville’s journey began relatively recently, with the city’s first five miles of singletrack opening in 2007 on the north end of town. By 2010, those five miles grew to 17 miles, and the Slaughter Pen network of trails stretched further south, connecting to the heart of downtown Bentonville. Over the next 10 years, the region’s network of trails continued to expand, with 100 more miles of trails opening in Bella Vista, Bentonville’s northerly neighbor. Today, Northwest Arkansas is home to more than 500 miles of trails, stretching from Bella Vista to Eureka Springs.

But Bentonville’s success lies in more than just building miles and miles of trails — according to Gary Vernon, senior program officer for the Walton Family Foundation, the organization responsible for funding a majority of the trails across Northwest Arkansas, the key is building trails for all types of riders. 

“When the first few miles of trail were built, it wasn’t just a check written by a family foundation. Tom and Steuart [Walton] were out riding the trails in the community and building the trails that most benefited those who lived in the community,” said Vernon. “We wanted to build trails that connected communities, both physically and socially, and that are able to be enjoyed by riders of all skill levels. We wanted to get families out riding together that normally wouldn’t. Instead of packing up the car and driving a few hours to ride, you can roll out of your driveway in Bentonville and be at a trail in minutes. We like to say that the best trailhead in Bentonville is your garage.”

For Vernon, accessibility, connectivity and progression are the key pillars to introducing new riders and welcoming more people to the fun of mountain biking. “Just start with that first 10 miles of trail and build them in a way that there’s trails that are fun for all skill levels,” he said. “Build trails that parallel greenways so parents can ride on pavement alongside their kids riding dirt for the first time. You don’t need 150+ miles to be successful; if you have 10-15 miles of fun, connected trails, you can be successful.”

While Bentonville trails may lack the one-way distances of other mountain biking meccas out West or in the Northeast, Vernon also points to the “lapability” of local trails as another benefit to Bentonville’s success in growing riders’ confidence and love of biking. 

“Growing up, we would build one jump and hit it 1,000 times. That’s how we got better,” said Vernon, noting how Bentonville’s dedicated climbing tracks sprinkled throughout its trail networks make it easy to hit the same lines again and again and again. “You don’t get better by hitting a different jump every time you ride. Beginners can benefit so much from repetition, and when you can hit the same line five times in a row, you’re going to be a lot more confident on the bike because of it.”

Don’t just take Vernon’s word for it either — Bentonville’s investment in biking has proven to be instrumental in growing the number of residents who love to ride. Based on a 2021 survey conducted by PeopleForBikes, 26% of Benton County residents reported riding more than 35 days a year, placing them in the “enthusiastic rider” category. The study also found that a resounding 79% of residents either agree or strongly agree that bicycling is good for the community and 70% think that bicycling in their area has gotten better in the past three years. For any cities on the fence about community response to an investment in biking — hard work pays off. 

While Bentonville is still breaking ground on new off-road trails every year, the city’s biggest push now is turning all of that community support for recreational riding into support for more safety for on-road riding and biking for transportation.  

“We want to be the safest place in the Heartland to ride a bike,” said Hunter Garrison, Bentonville’s bike and pedestrian planner. “We want people to be able to access the entire city — trails, restaurants, bars, you name it — without ever having to get in their car.”

Bentonville’s first on-street protected bike lane is slated for completion later in 2022, and Garrison says changing the image of non-recreation biking is essential to continuing similar projects in the future. 

“In Bentonville, schools don’t provide access to a bus if you live within a mile of a school system. That means we have hundreds of kids biking to school,” said Garrison. “When all people see are adults in lycra, they don’t really care as much about those on-road facilities. When they see kids biking, they feel the need to support the creation of facilities that get them to school safely.”

Garrison also says that even if people don’t care about bikes, everyone cares about economic boosters, and it’s hard to look past what bikes have done for economic growth in Northwest Arkansas. In 2017, a study showed that bicycling brought $137 million in economic benefits to the region. Bicycling put Bentonville on the map, and with how cheap bike investments are compared to similar infrastructure projects, Garrison says you can’t prove a better civic investment when it comes to ROI than bikes. 

Building on the city’s efforts to improve biking for transportation, PeopleForBikes founded its Northwest Arkansas Bike Business Innovation program in 2020 to coordinate workplace programming, incentives and infrastructure changes to grow the number of employees riding bikes for commuting and transportation in Benton County. 

“This is an opportunity to build on the public sector and philanthropic investments in biking in the region as well as put a new lens on our work,” said John Paul Shaffer, PeopleForBikes’ Northwest Arkansas business innovation director. “We’re looking at the private sector with major employers in the area and how they can meet their own goals around sustainability and employee health while also supporting PeopleForBikes’ own mission of getting more people on bikes more often.”

PeopleForBikes is assisting Walmart, the largest employer in the region, in their goal of getting 10% of Home Office associates to commute to work by bike by 2023, and Shaffer thinks that’s just the beginning. “If we can expand that mission and get 10% of all Benton County residents to commute by bike, we can start rivaling the Portlands and other U.S. leaders in that space. That community of dedicated recreation riders already exists, now it’s working to build the infrastructure and culture to incentivize them to ride for transportation.”

There are many reasons why Bentonville is a great place to bike, but they all have one thing in common: community. By prioritizing investments that build and center a sense of community and lower barriers to entry, any city can welcome new riders and grow public support for bicycling.

Join PeopleForBikes in Bentonville October 18-20, 2022, for SHIFT'22 — a dynamic, peer-to-peer gathering surrounded by a can’t-miss week of bicycling events. By bringing current and future leaders together, we're moving the bicycle industry forward. Register and book your hotel today.

The Secret Behind Bentonville’s Success

New study looks to understand the impacts of allowing Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs on trails in the Green Mountain State.

PeopleForBikes, in partnership with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and Fellowship of the Wheel, the Hinesburg Town Forest Committee and the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies, is excited to announce a new electric mountain bike (eMTB) pilot project on singletrack, non-motorized mountain bike trails in Vermont.

In early 2022, PeopleForBikes sent out requests for proposals to all Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VBMA) chapters in the hopes of securing a partner and trail network that would allow us to study the social and environmental impacts of Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs in New England. From this proposal process, we officially selected Fellowship of the Wheel (FOTW) as our eMTB Pilot Project trail partner. FOTW identified the Hinesburg Town Forest, near Vermont’s most populous city, Burlington, as the multi-use trail network where the pilot project will be conducted. 

Project partners will conduct a pilot study during the summer of 2022 to better understand the impacts of allowing Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs on trail networks in Vermont. For the months of July and August, all multi-use trails that currently allow traditional mountain bikes in the Hinesburg Town Forest will include access for Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs. 

While the mountain bike trails in Hinesburg Town Forest are already open to Class 1 eMTBs, the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies will create and execute several surveys as part of the project, including the collection of three distinct survey tools. This includes a pre-implementation survey (May), a trail intercept survey (July-Aug.) and a post-implementation focus group (Sept.-Oct.). These surveys, along with eMTB demo days, will be scheduled to gather data regarding perceived impact on physical trail conditions, diversity and inclusion implications and potential social impacts related to the introduction of Class 1 eMTBs on non-motorized, multi-use mountain biking trails.

In addition, a newly created regional stakeholder group will meet at regular intervals throughout the duration of the project. Stakeholders include partners and representatives from across Vermont.

Please reach out to Rachel Fussell, PeopleForBikes’ eMTB policy and program manager, at rachel@peopleforbikes.org with any questions or for more information on ways to get involved. 

Electric Mountain Bike Pilot Project Coming to Vermont

In North Carolina, mountain bike trails on Cherokee land are improving citizens’ quality of life and transforming the local economy.

There are some 16,000 enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a sovereign nation located on more than 57,000 acres in the western part of North Carolina. The area, known as the Qualla Boundary, is mountainous and forested and its main town, Cherokee, serves as a gateway to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a number of recreational opportunities. 

In early 2015, Tonya “Tinker” Jenks, a tribal member and employee, received approval to start building trails on 212 acres within the Qualla Boundary. Rates of obesity and diabetes are high amongst the Cherokee and her goal was simple: provide another option for enrolled citizens to connect with nature and stay active. When Jeremy Hyatt, the tribe’s secretary of operations and an avid mountain biker, took over the program later that year, he expanded on Jenks’ vision to include 10.5 miles of singletrack. The Fire Mountain Trails opened in June 2017 and they quickly became a regional destination. 

“I’m excited about building outdoor infrastructure in general and being secretary, I’m always trying to find the low-hanging fruit,” said Hyatt, adding that outdoor initiatives tend to be significantly less expensive than other tribal expenditures.

Designed by trails specialist Valerie Naylor and built by Trail Dynamics, based in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, the Fire Mountain Trails system was paid for with revenue from Harrah's Cherokee Casino, the tribe’s main economic driver. Although it’s been optimized for mountain bikers, the trail system also accommodates hikers and trail runners. The latter makes up about 10% of the mountain’s users and so far, there hasn’t been any conflict — bikers yield to hikers no matter what, and everyone yields to the elk. 

While the goal was to keep the entry point low, the naturally steep terrain of Fire Mountain means it’s not great for all beginners. There are two green trails — one of which is aptly named “Tinkers Dream” — a handful of blues and one black diamond. Riders love it because it’s not too technical and a ton of fun, with top-to-bottom runs that offer a groomed, flowy ride. Plus, electric bikes are allowed, making tough uphills more accessible.

“We were surprised and taken aback by how popular it’s become,” said Hyatt. “It’s not just a tourist destination — it also improves the quality of life of our tribal citizens.”

According to Hyatt, the trail system has brought together the community in new ways, facilitating the intermingling of the tribe and surrounding Jackson and Swain counties. This is especially apparent on Thursday nights during the summer and fall when enrolled members and other locals come together around a love of mountain biking. Hyatt notes that the handful of tribal members that were already avid riders have helped spread the word, encouraging more people to get involved.

“There are several folks who haven't ridden a bicycle since they were 14 and they started riding two years ago,” said Hyatt. “They've lost weight, their health has gotten much, much better and they’re racing now — they're getting on the podium. They're doing well there and they're spreading the word to their friends, their family and their community members.”

Participants take a break during one of the Thursday night group rides.

Bicycling in general — and mountain biking in particular — can often be intimidating for those just starting, especially if you haven’t ridden a bike since childhood. You might not know the lingo or what to even ask when inside a bike shop, and that’s if you even make it there at all. When trusted members of your community make the introduction, however, the whole experience becomes more accessible. This is especially true in a tight-knit tribal community where people are rightfully wary of things. 

“We’re an Indian tribe that has fought for this land for millennia, that has taken the scraps off of the [Bureau of Indian Affairs] (BIA) table for generations,” said Hyatt. “It’s created a general suspicion of anything new.” 

Having buy-in from locals around a healthy, community-building activity has helped generate pride and bring in new business. The Fire Mountain Trails are accessed through the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a replica of an 18th-century eastern Cherokee community, and the routes connect to different parts of Cherokee proper. Three years ago, Motion Makers Bicycle Shop opened a branch in town, and in 2020, Bryson City Outdoors followed suit, opening its Fire Mountain Outpost. During the busy summer season, the trail system also brings in around 2,000-2,500 visitors each month, which has its own economic impact.

“In terms of the local input into the economy, I’ve estimated it to be about $100,000 to $150,000 a month on those big months,” said Hyatt, noting that his data is conservative and based on national averages. “That’s nothing to sneeze at.”

When considering the implications for Cherokee, Hyatt was particularly inspired by his trips to Bentonville, Arkansas, which has become a go-to destination for mountain bikers of all skill levels. Not only has Bentonville invested heavily in beautiful purpose-built trails, but it’s done a lot of work around activation, education and getting various community members involved, including beginner and differently-abled riders. Part of the rationale for allowing e-bikes on Fire Mountain — other than the fact that they’re a ton of fun and the largest growing sector of bike sales nationwide — was to increase accessibility. 

“If you don't get children or families involved, trails aren’t going to do the job they're supposed to,” said Hyatt. “That's to keep everybody active and create another aspect of community that they’ve never had before. That's something we're still working on.”

The trail system’s success has made it easier for Hyatt to push for more outdoor initiatives. The 18-hole Fire Mountain Disc Golf Sanctuary opened in March 2022 and an additional 12-plus miles of bicycling infrastructure is currently in the works. Located just a quarter-mile from the Fire Mountain Trails on land that’s steep and unusable for housing, the tribe is building out more advanced gravity trails, as well as an asphalt pump track, skills park, tot track and bicycle playground. There will also be a shaded, family-friendly area for hanging out, as well as a storefront. The facility is being built in partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and is slated to open in 2024. 

“We'll be able to accommodate both the super-advanced rider and also, on the other end of the spectrum, the little guys and their families who haven't been on a bike in a while,” said Hyatt, who’s committed to carrying out a community vision. “I’d also like to include some sort of representation of tribal folklore, whether it be a painted installation or part of the pump track — something that is legitimately and truly Cherokee.”

Although other tribal nations have embraced mountain bicycling, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is the first to lay down purpose-built singletrack. It’s a decision that’s not only put the Qualla Boundary on many riders’ bucket lists but it’s also helped build local affinity around exercise, well-being and the outdoors. Naming the trail system Fire Mountain was fated in its own way — not only does the land have a history of literally catching fire but it also speaks to the enthusiasm that’s ignited around bicycling.

“Whether folks ride or not, the general attitude towards these trails is all positive,” said Hyatt. “If they’re not riding, they’re cheering on those that are."

Interested in learning more about the Fire Mountain Trails system? Jeremy Hyatt will be the keynote speaker at PeopleForBikes’ 2022 Electric Bicycle Summit, taking place in Asheville, North Carolina, on May 19.

Policy

Improving Recreational Access for Bikes

Securing Funding for New Parks and Trails

Helping Cities Build Great Places to Bike That Are Close to Home

Improving Road Cyclist Safety

Increasing Access for Kids, Veterans, Electric Bicycle Riders and Underserved Communities

Promoting Recreation-Based Economic Development in Rural Areas