Our Responsibility

Every time we take our bike out on the trail, we represent the mountain biking community as a whole. It is our responsibility as trail users to educate ourselves in proper trail use; especially when sharing it with hikers, horses, or motorized vehicles.

Start by learning IMBA's Rules of the Trail which are displayed below. Click the IMBA logo at the bottom of the page to view additional information.

Rules of the Trail

• Ride On Open Trails Only
• Leave No Trace
• Control Your Bicycle
• Always Yield Trail
• Never Scare Animals
• Plan Ahead

Share the Trail

• When sharing trails, take some time to put yourself in other user's shoes. Consider how they perceive mountain bikers and what we can do to reduce conflict.
• Be friendly and courteous. Make sure to announce your presence when approaching other users AND thank them when parting ways.
• Warn people when you are planning to pass. Use your voice to warn equestrians, not bells or horns. Bells or horns may frighten horses.
• When a horse approaches, move off the trail and ask the rider for instructions.
• Downhill traffic should yield to uphill traffic. When in doubt, give the other user the right of way.
• Anticipate other trail users around corners and blind spots.

Respect the Trail

• Use unpaved trails only when they are dry, not muddy or wet, to avoid leaving ruts.
• Be particularly mindfull of route selection in the spring and fall when snow and runoff is prevalent.
• If you do encounter puddles, stay on the trail to avoid widening it.
• Try not to skid your tires. Modulate your speed when entering turns.
• Learn how to volunteer for trail maintenance projects.

Additional Resources