Long-distance biking could soon become more accessible in the backcountry. The federal government is asking the public to identify trails that are over 80 miles long and in need of attention.
The U.S. Department of the Interior will eventually choose at least 10 existing trails and 10 potential ones at some stage of development for more resources. They must be mostly for mountain or gravel biking, though they can have some road connectors.
Contenders include the Wyoming Range National Recreation Trail, Utah’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail and Colorado’s Ring the Peak, along with dozens more in the West.
“With that recognition comes signage, comes marketing, comes mapping and all of that, which sometimes it doesn't exist, sometimes it does exist at this point,” said Todd Keller, director of government affairs at the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
In a coalition with the groups PeopleforBikes and Backpacking Roots, Keller’s organization pushed for federal recognition of these trails in the 2025 Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences, or “EXPLORE” Act.
The act didn’t allocate any federal dollars for building or maintaining trails. Agencies will pay for signage and marketing out of their operating budgets. Keller said it will be on the biking community to bring newer trails into existence. But he hopes the federal government could put aside more money down the line.
“By highlighting the trail, by getting potentially more users onto the trail, then it becomes a priority for the agencies to say, ‘we have to get more money for this trail,’” Keller said.
He said the goal is to prevent these trails from falling into disrepair. It’s also to make them more accessible to locals and spur economic development in small towns.
Keller said the biking coalition plans to nominate the list of Western trails below, in addition to many more across the country.
The public has until Aug. 3 to submit nominations on an online Bureau of Land Management tool. Keller said that’ll help the feds and biking groups create a road — or trail map — moving forward.
Arizona
- Arizona National Scenic Trail
- Black Canyon National Recreation Trail
- Highline National Recreation Trail
- Verde Valley Circle Trail
Colorado
- Carson Continental Divide Epic (CO/NM)
- Colorado Trail
- Grand Loop (CO/UT)
- Kokopelli Trail (CO/UT)
- Paradox Trail
- Tabeguache Trail
- Ring the Peak Trail
- Tour de Poudre
Montana
- Alpine #7
Nevada
- Great Basin Trail
New Mexico
- Carson Continental Divide Epic (CO/NM)
- Monumental Loop
Utah
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail
- Grandview Trail
- Grand Loop (CO/UT)
- Great Western Trail (UT Section)
- Kokopelli Trail (CO/UT)
- White Rim
Wyoming
- Wyoming Range National Recreation Trail
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
