Trail News

Support New Singletrack at Big Bend National Park

IMBA and GHORBA are urging mountain bikers to support new singletrack in Texas’ Big Bend National Park. The park is requesting initial public comments — your input is crucial to the project’s success.

Take Action! Tell the National Park Service you support construction of this new shared-use trail.

Use the sample language at the bottom of this message to craft your letter to NPS, submittable online

Additional Information

This opportunity is the culmination of several years of hard work and collaboration between local mountain bike advocates and NPS staff. The Big Bend Trails Alliance has been vigilant in working with park staff to develop an appropriate proposal for new singletrack. Currently, only dirt roads are open to mountain bikers in Big Bend National Park.

The proposed trail would provide visitors with an exemplary park experience, easily accessed from the main visitor center and suitable for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians of all ability levels. The proposed corridor has been designed to encourage positive user interactions, control speed and provide good sight lines.

Big Bend is one of three pilot project parks identified by IMBA and the NPS to develop long-term partnerships and provide new opportunities for mountain bicycling. While many parks allow bicycling on some dirt roads or trails, the Big Bend project represents one of the most promising opportunities for construction of a new, shared-use trail. This trail will be a model of sustainable construction and exemplify best practices for shared-use singletrack.

Increasing the opportunities for mountain biking in national parks offers solutions to many of the challenges the NPS faces. Bicycling draws people out of their cars; away from congested roads, parking lots and trailheads; and out into the fresh air. Mountain biking appeals to young people and encourages their active involvement in national parks.

Mountain bikers perform nearly a million hours of volunteer trail stewardship annually — our contributions can bring new resources to Big Bend and other national parks.

IMBA and the NPS signed a formal partnership agreement in 2005. The document laid the groundwork for cooperation between mountain bicyclists and the agency and formally recognized mountain biking as a positive activity, compatible with the values of the park system.

Sample Language for your Comment Letters

Modify as you wish, but submit by September 20!

Dear NPS,
I wanted to take the time to submit this letter about a very important issue to off-road cyclists from Houston and around America.
The Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association supports the construction of a new shared-use trail, located in a non-Wilderness area of Big Bend National Park, for bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians.
This “Pilot Program” on NPS land is very important for the future of recreation and off-road cycling in America. This project needs your patience, time, and resources to give it a chance to be tested, and I’m sure to be successful.
What is at stake is no less than the future access to federal park lands for non-invasive, un-motorized, environmentally sustainable recreation.
Here in Houston we work closely with the National Forrest Service, the Sierra Club, and other entities to build sustainable multi-use trails on Federal land. We are able to design the trails in a sustainable fashion to IMBA standards in environmentally sensitive areas. The IMBA standards are nearly identical to the CCC trail standards that have been tested successfully over nearly 100 years.
I’m sure this approach, when implemented correctly, will succeed Park Service land as well. I’ve visited Big Bend National Park several times, and I can tell you there is not resource as precious for us living in this area.
This non-motorized, non-invasive form of recreation will open the park to a whole new group of park users to enjoy the park.
This project is consistent with the 2005 national agreement between IMBA and the NPS and has been thoroughly vetted with agency archaeological and botanical reviews.
Scientific research funded by the NPS shows the environmental impacts of mountain biking are similar to those of hiking and far less than other uses.
The proposed trail corridor has been professionally designed to minimize user conflict, reduce speeds and provide adequate sight lines for all user groups.
IMBA members recognize the backlog of maintenance needs for public trails and donate nearly one million hours of volunteer trail stewardship each year. Mountain bike volunteers are willing to help the agency construct and maintain this trail, bringing a new base of volunteer support to Big Bend National Park.
Please expand this Environmental Assessment to include the future phases of trail construction.The agency has identified a potential first phase of five miles and additions that would bring the trail to more than 11 miles.
Thank you for considering my comments as you develop the Environmental Assessment. This trail would be a terrific asset for Big Bend National Park.

View all Trail News

  1. Dear NPS,
    I wanted to take the time to submit this letter about a very important issue to off-road cyclists from Houston and around America.
    The Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association supports the construction of a new shared-use trail, located in a non-Wilderness area of Big Bend National Park, for bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians.
    This “Pilot Program” on NPS land is very important for the future of recreation and off-road cycling in America. This project needs your patience, time, and resources to give it a chance to be tested, and I’m sure to be successful.
    What is at stake is no less than the future access to federal park lands for non-invasive, un-motorized, environmentally sustainable recreation.
    Here in Houston we work closely with the National Forrest Service, the Sierra Club, and other entities to build sustainable multi-use trails on Federal land. We are able to design the trails in a sustainable fashion to IMBA standards in environmentally sensitive areas. The IMBA standards are nearly identical to the CCC trail standards that have been tested successfully over nearly 100 years.
    I’m sure this approach, when implemented correctly, will succeed Park Service land as well. I’ve visited Big Bend National Park several times, and I can tell you there is not resource as precious for us living in this area.
    This non-motorized, non-invasive form of recreation will open the park to a whole new group of park users to enjoy the park.
    This project is consistent with the 2005 national agreement between IMBA and the NPS and has been thoroughly vetted with agency archaeological and botanical reviews.
    Scientific research funded by the NPS shows the environmental impacts of mountain biking are similar to those of hiking and far less than other uses.
    The proposed trail corridor has been professionally designed to minimize user conflict, reduce speeds and provide adequate sight lines for all user groups.
    IMBA members recognize the backlog of maintenance needs for public trails and donate nearly one million hours of volunteer trail stewardship each year. Mountain bike volunteers are willing to help the agency construct and maintain this trail, bringing a new base of volunteer support to Big Bend National Park.
    Please expand this Environmental Assessment to include the future phases of trail construction.The agency has identified a potential first phase of five miles and additions that would bring the trail to more than 11 miles.
    Thank you for considering my comments as you develop the Environmental Assessment. This trail would be a terrific asset for Big Bend National Park.

    By: JulioC
    Sep 9

  2. Hey thanks for the comment but it’s unlikely the NPS will actually read our webpage :-) Please submit your comment to NPS on their comment webpage

    By: Veljko
    Sep 10