This guidebook can be used to assist in successfully planning, designing, and constructing mountain bike trail systems, while keeping in mind that user issues must be addressed at every stage of development.
As a relatively new recreational activity now enjoyed by tens of millions, it’s critical that mountain biking is well understood by land managers and policy makers in terms of its impact on the ecological and social environment. This document is meant to be an assistive tool. It complements existing strategies, such as the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) National Mountain Bicycling Strategic Action Plan (November 2002), adding to our lessons learned in the field.
Field research, such as the project described in this guidebook, can provide managers and policy makers with specific information, especially with respect to construction, maintenance, user education and messaging, that will allow sustainable mountain bike use on recreation trails.
This guidebook can be used to assist in successfully planning, designing, and constructing mountain bike trail systems, while keeping in mind that user issues must be addressed at every stage of development. It’s important to understand what constitutes a high quality mountain biking experience and what benefits motivate mountain bikers if we are building a sustainable mountain bike trail system. It also provides necessary information for deciding among recreation and trail uses for any given site. The Lake Tahoe Basin case study is just one example of how recreation managers are successfully incorporating a user-based approach into planning for sustainable trail management. Responsible planning calls for inclusion of outside ideas. At the very core of this research design was the use of outside expertise and labor to collect data for planning and designing trails.
Published June 01, 2006
Recreational Mountain Biking: A Management Perspective
This study offers direction for future studies on mountain bike riding, including: characteristics of mountain bike riders and their use patterns, identification of resource degradation problems, identification and resolution of conflict issues, wilderness trespass issues, partnership issues, communication issues, and testing of management strategies related to mountain bike use.
Unauthorized Mountain Bike Trails: A Guide for Land Managers and Riders
This guidance has been created to help mountain bikers and land managers understand different perspectives on this issue, in the context of the Scottish access rights, and to suggest ways in which they can work together and try where possible to find solutions.
Mountain Bike Activity in Natural Areas: Impacts, Assessment, and Implications for Management
This report addresses mountain biking as a recreational activity by examining styles of riding and the corresponding demands of riders. It also identifies the major impacts of mountain biking and explores potential management techniques for developing sustainable mountain biking activities in natural areas.
