{"id":2162710,"date":"2026-09-25T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2162710"},"modified":"2026-09-25T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T07:00:00","slug":"27-miles-of-singletrack-proposed-for-marin-after-decades-long-bike-ban-on-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2162710","title":{"rendered":"27 miles of singletrack proposed for Marin after decades-long bike ban on trails"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: @marintrailstewards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mountain biking was born in the hills and mountains of Marin County, California, decades ago. Ironically, the same area is now one of the unfriendliest places for mountain bikers. Despite it being the homeland, mountain biking at Mount Tamalpais (Mt. Tam) and the Marin Watershed simply isn\u2019t allowed \u2014 on singletrack, that is.<\/p>\n

But groups like Marin Trail Stewards<\/a> (MTS), formerly Access4Bikes, have been fighting to change that. And after encountering roadblock after roadblock, they\u2019ve deemed redoing an entire roads and trails plan as the best way to finally open singletrack to mountain biking at Mt. Tam.<\/p>\n

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File photo: Jeff Barber<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Singletrack opportunities in Mt. Tam Watershed (or lack thereof)<\/h2>\n

The potential for Mt. Tam to open 27 miles of singletrack to mountain bikes is a tremendous step forward for the mountain bike community in the area. While we often cover stories of trail systems boasting 50-, 70-, and even 100-mile proposals, they are undoubtedly in less restrictive areas.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo biking is currently allowed on the entire fire road system \u2014 basically 60 miles,\u201d Vernon Huffman, Executive Director of MTS, told Singletracks. \u201cBut bikes have never been allowed on singletrack at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huffman also mentioned that even getting bikes allowed on those 60 miles of roads was a hard-fought battle.<\/p>\n

The initial restriction on bikes in the watershed, according to Huffman, was because it wasn\u2019t just a new user group, but a completely new use. In the 70s and 80s, when bikes were first taking to the hills and mountains of the Bay Area, there simply wasn\u2019t enough information about bikes\u2019 impact on trails.<\/p>\n

That said, many have a critical perspective of the organizations and governing bodies making decisions for the watershed. While information wasn\u2019t yet available, no one sought more information or figured out if bikes are indeed compatible on the area\u2019s singletrack. Rather, the district \u201cclamped down and shut it all down\u201d regarding two wheels.<\/p>\n

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Sunset on Mount Tamalpais. Photo: Maureen Gaffney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting more open-minded people in positions of power<\/h2>\n

Huffman isn\u2019t afraid to speak his mind \u2014 he\u2019s been fighting for mountain bike access for a long time. Without mincing words, he plainly said that the Marin Water Board of Directors had seen \u201cold guard\u201d and \u201cgood old boys\u201d style of leadership for far too long. One particular board member held their position for nearly three decades and, as Huffman put it, was \u201cholding board.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen these subjects came up to have increased bike access, it was just a hard \u2018no,\u2019\u201d he said. Huffman also mentioned that the board even discussed fencing the entire watershed to keep people \u201ccoming from out of town\u201d from accessing the trails during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Huffman feels like a major victory in bike access was finally not having this person reelected to the board of directors. He said two of the newly elected board members for the water district are mountain bikers themselves and \u201cunderstand the mountain bike community\u2019s need for trails to ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis changing of the directors changed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: MCBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trial period that wasn\u2019t really a trial period<\/h2>\n

One of the first victories was getting a trail called Liberty Gulch open to bikes. This is actual singletrack and a significant win for the bike community in the Mt. Tam Watershed.<\/p>\n

With a foot in the door, and the water district seemingly on board, the next logical step was to find more ways to expand mountain bike access. Since no impact study had really been done, the district decided to open roughly six miles of trails for a trial study.<\/p>\n

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