The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is excited to share the winners of its ninth annual Trail Accelerator Grants (TAG). These grants are designed to help communities across the country create better trails for both residents and visitors. They also support advocacy groups in building a lasting, positive impact on local and regional trail communities.
Trail organizations shared their top ideas for trail planning, design projects, as well as training programs for their leaders and members. We’re excited to welcome nine grantees from California, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, all of whom are passionate about enhancing outdoor adventures and community connections.
IMBA
The IMBA Trail Accelerator Grant offers a competitive opportunity for communities to develop or improve model trail systems and bolster related advocacy efforts. It provides professional planning and design support for new or existing trails, along with Trail Care Workshops, funding and campaign training, and in-person strategic planning to boost the effectiveness of mountain bike and trail organizations. To be eligible, projects must demonstrate strong partnerships among local leaders, government agencies, land managers, community partners, and mountain bike or trail groups such as IMBA Local.
“Since the TAG program’s inception in 2018, IMBA has awarded 56 planning & design grants and 20 education grants,” said David Wiens, IMBA Executive Director. “A mix of rural, suburban, and urban communities have leveraged the deliverables and training to attract support and funding for their projects totaling more than $13M. At least 18 TAG projects have supported youth cycling and NICA venues.”
The projects chosen in this TAG round will provide improved trails near their communities. Their goals include promoting health and wellness, offering enhanced outdoor recreation options for families and youth, and creating destination trails to increase regional visitors and strengthen the outdoor recreation economy.
IMBA
Communities such as Williamstown, MA; Sioux Falls, SD; and many others have benefited from IMBA program support. This includes partnerships such as TAG and IMBA Trail Solutions, IMBA Designations, and dedicated IMBA Local Organizations, all working together to bring their trail visions to life and reach their trail goals.
2026 IMBA Trail Accelerator Grantees for Education: Trail Care Workshops
Johnson City, TN – SORBA Tri-Cities will use their awarded Trail Care Workshop to further educate a key group of 20 trail stewards representing 18 regional trail systems. This effort will help establish a shared standard of trail care across the area and build the foundation for a future Regional Trail Corps, strengthening partnerships with municipal land managers and the U.S. Forest Service, while supporting a broad vision of resilient, world-class trail experiences that benefit local communities, outdoor recreation, and regional economic recovery.
San Diego, CA – Through their Trail Care Workshop, the San Diego Mountain Bike Association plans to scale their existing efforts to pair motivated volunteer leaders directly with land managers, expanding their ability to support these entities in reducing maintenance backlogs and combating erosion. The training will ensure consistent technical knowledge across the teams while strengthening trust and partnerships with land manager staff. Most importantly, this process will champion the addition of new legal trails and protect existing networks to improve trail access throughout San Diego County.
2026 IMBA Trail Accelerator Grantees for Education: Funding Services
Leadville, CO – Leadville’s popular “Back Nine” trail system needs a rebuild. The IMBA team will help Cloud City Wheelers strengthen its long-term fundraising capacity, diversify revenue streams, and ensure sustainable support for its trail systems and community programs.
Sugar Hill, GA – The City of Sugar Hill is fundraising for a 160-acre outdoor recreation park that will include more than 4 miles of multi-use trails in an ideal location to bring mountain biking to a densely populated area in metro Atlanta. The TAG will provide training and strategies for fundraising for mountain biking trail construction and upkeep.
Monterey, CA – Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) is championing the development of a bike park at the Laguna Seca Recreational Area in Monterey County, CA. The IMBA team will assist with MORCA’s major donor campaign.
Niles, MI – The YMCA in Niles is seeing growing demand for mountain bike programming, equipment, trails, and maintenance at Camp Eberhart – a 200-acre property that has welcomed campers for over 100 years. IMBA will work with the YMCA to strengthen its approach to funding for outdoor recreation and trail stewardship to expand opportunities for mountain biking at Camp Eberhart.
Lakeway, TX – The Lake Travis Trails Coalition is building a 5-acre neighborhood skills park and is seeking assistance from the IMBA team to develop an effective, sustainable fundraising program to help the organization scale beyond the current project.
2026 IMBA Trail Accelerator Grantees for Education: Strategic Planning for TrailOrganizations
Colorado Springs, CO – Through their strategic planning award, the Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates want to build on their long history of serving their community by creating a coordinated strategy for the next few years of their work. This approach will guide them in embracing new opportunities while navigating changes in land manager and funding relationships, all while improving their succession plan to make the most of their substantial institutional knowledge and skill development.
Cary, NC – As the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) enter a new chapter with the hiring of their first Executive Director after more than 20 years of volunteer-led leadership, this strategic planning grant comes at a pivotal moment for the organization. Through the process, TORC will develop a roadmap to strengthen organizational capacity, improve data collection and volunteer management systems, guide future trail advocacy and stewardship efforts, and build stronger partnerships with landowners and public agencies across North Carolina’s Triangle region.
2027 IMBA Trail Accelerator Grants Applications
Communities and organizations that would like to plan ahead for the 2027 Trail Accelerator Grant can access the Applicant Toolkit, FAQ, and other materials to begin preparing for the next application period.