Popularity: ridership, trail use, local chapters expand

By Polly Mikula

Mountain biking in Vermont is now the state’s fastest-growing form of outdoor recreation, according to the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) a nonprofit that provides advocacy, education, and community-driven stewardship statewide and to local chapters. 

“The growth of the sport has been exponential in the past — call it five years,” Mark Harris, a Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association board member said last summer. “It’s really hard for us to quantify what’s happening, but you can feel it.”

While the total number of rides or riders in Vermont is impossible to tally as there are no fees or trail counters on most trail systems, some do choose to log their rides on apps like Trailforks or Strava and resorts with lift-serve do require tickets (like Killington Resort) and by all those measures growth has been exponential. With many metrics showing ridership doubling in a few short years. 

VMBA has also grown, with over 9,600 members and 28 local chapters who steward 1,000+ miles of public-access trails.

With increased growth, however, comes increased impact and those at the helm of VMBA acknowledged the need for a long-term plan to support this growth and ensure sustainable trail riding.

“Taking stock of the state of the big challenges and opportunities for mountain biking here in Vermont, as well as the strengths VMBA has developed as an organization, allowed us to put together a plan that we believe will bring trail riding in Vermont to the next level,” said Nick Bennette, VMBA executive director.

VBBA defines success as:

More and better, sustainably-built trails

Quality riding experiences

Engaging events

Stronger relationships

Increased volunteerism

Healthy communities

A vibrant, sustainable outdoor recreation economy 

The model we’re really trying to establish is community-supported stewardship,” said Nick Bennette, VMBA executive director.

A good place to start is to become a member of VMBA and/or a local chapter and stay connected to future opportunities. For more info visit: vmba.org.