Since 2018, trail organizations have been applying for IMBA’s Trail Accelerator grant to help fund their local projects. According to IMBA, the grants “provide a jump-start to communities that have the interest and political support to do this work, but need assistance to get projects up and running or to develop their skills and resources along the way.”
Each grant cycle has two rounds. The first round of funding is for professional planning and design consultations for trail organizations of newly proposed or existing trail systems. The second round of funding provides education support through IMBA programs such as its Trail Care Workshops and funding campaigns.
Since IMBA kicked off the grant program, 56 planning and design grants and 20 education grants have been funded, totaling millions of dollars. This year, the nine recipients span rural, suburban, and urban boundaries, representing seven different states.
Those wanting to apply for IMBA’s Trail Accelerator grant funds for 2027 can do so here. The following is IMBA’s announcement of the nine 2026 Trail Accelerator grantees.
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 re-build. 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 welcoming campers for over 100 years. IMBA will work with the YMCA to strengthen their approach to outdoor recreation and trail stewardship funding in order 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 seeks assistance from the IMBA team to create an effective, sustainable fundraising program that will help the organization scale beyond the current project.
2026 IMBA Trail Accelerator Grantees for Education: Strategic Planning for Trail Organizations
Colorado Springs, CO – Through their strategic planning award, the Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates want to build off their long history serving their community by creating a coordinated strategy for their next few years of work. This approach will guide how they embrace 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.
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