Once reliant on mining and timber, the town of Mount Shasta, CA, is transforming itself into a hotbed of outdoor recreation, including mountain biking. Located approximately four hours from the Bay Area, three hours from Sacramento, and five hours from Portland, OR, Mount Shasta is the perfect getaway riding destination for residents of Northern California and Oregon.
Thanks to the U.S. Forest Service’s willingness to partner with several local and regional organizations, phase two of the Gateway Trails is adding an additional 46 miles of trails in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, for a total of 57 miles. More trails equal more ways for riders to enjoy the beauty of the area, and more tourism for the local towns that are relying on outdoor recreation for revenue.
To find out more about the project, Singletracks spoke with John Harch, the president of the Mount Shasta Trail Association (MSTA); Andrew Pellkofer, the owner of Trail Labs Co.; John Schuyler, a former board member of MSTA; and Andrew Braugh.
The restoration of bandit trails was the impetus for a bigger vision
Prior to 2012, there were no sanctioned mountain bike trails adjacent to the city of Mount Shasta. Instead, individual riders had created bandit trails in the area. According to Schuyler, who was a board member of MSTA from 2007 to 2023, Braugh helped secure a $100,000 grant from the California Parks Department. Braugh was the Regional Director of California Trout at the time and had a lot of experience with grant writing and fundraising.
The grant money was used to build seven miles of new trails and restore three to four miles of existing trails, while closing other existing trails down that were considered unsustainable. The project was known as Gateway I.
But the officers of the MSTA decided that more trails were needed. Using funds from a grant supplied by the Shasta Regional Community Foundation and help from the International Mountain Bicycling Association, MSTA put together a document called the “Mt. Shasta Conceptual Trails Plan.” Completed in November 2013, it served as MSTA’s guide for planning future trail development and earning IMBA Ride Center status for the area.
As Harch put it, “Timber was declining, and recreation was becoming more important. The view of the local population was that the youth didn’t have many job opportunities locally.” Building trails could be a huge benefit to the struggling local economy.
With a roadmap in hand, an MSTA member helped secure a major grant that kickstarted the project
Harch told Singletracks that Braugh then persuaded the McConnell Foundation to give them a $420,000 grant. The timing of the grant award was fortuitous, as the Forest Service’s funding had been cut back at that time. MSTA and the Forest Service partnered together, with MSTA using $168,000 of the grant money to pay for environmental studies the Forest Service required but couldn’t pay for. These studies took 2-3 years to complete.
Next, Braugh helped put together a grant application to the state of California, asking for $1.1 million to help build phase two of the Gateway Trail project, which would add 46 miles of trails to the 10.7 existing miles. The state approved the grant in 2020.
Additionally, the Friesen Foundation donated $50,000 toward the project, and local donors put another $400,000 into the pot. All told, over $2 million was raised for the project.
Once completed, phase two will bring an additional 46 miles of trail to the Gateway Trails
The Gateway Trail expansion project has been underway since October 2019. Currently, 35 of the 46 miles are complete, and Harch expects another three miles to be finished by the end of the year.
Phase two is divided into three zones: The Learning Zone, the Community Zone, and the Big Mountain Zone. The Learning Zone offers gentle, rolling terrain with scenic views that is ideal for families, children, and those new to trail-based recreation. The Community Zone is close to town and highly accessible to all user groups. It offers great access to a wide variety of trail experiences. The Big Mountain Zone is geared toward mountain biking as the preferred use.
Harch said that all the trails but two in phase two are multi-use. Currently, U.S. Forest Service regulations prohibit the use of e-bikes on any of the trails.
Schuyler was quick to emphasize the Forest Service’s role in making this project a reality. “It’s a huge deal that the Forest Service agreed to build this amount of trails. Their openness to the project can’t be minimized.”
The unique topography of the area is also the greatest challenge when it comes to sustainability
Because Mount Shasta is a volcano, the area around it is primarily composed of loose, sandy volcanic ash, which is very fragile, according to Harch. “It falls apart easily. You get dirty riding it and get dusted out when you follow another rider.”
Pellkofer described the area as one of the most difficult places he’s ever built trails. “The soils are not at all ideal for trail construction due to their volcanic composition, and deep layers of duff which have accumulated from many years of fire prevention.” Additionally, Pellkofer said he only has a two- to three-month build window each year where conditions are optimal for trail construction.
To make sustainable trails, Pellkofer told Singletracks he employed several techniques. He focused on keeping the grade of the trails in the 5-7% range, making supportive corners that zeroed out user speed, built sections that rewarded pedaling and good line choice, and created fun rock elements that slowed down riders. All these techniques are designed to combat mechanical erosion from heavy braking, which is the biggest threat to the volcanic soils in the Gateway Trail System.
In addition, MSTA has been appealing to riders not to skid on the trails and to ride other trail systems during the summer months, when the region is typically dry. Any new trails that are built remain closed until they have gone through a full winter season to help firm up the trail.
MSTA has a plan to address the universal issue of maintaining trails
Harch said that, up to now, trail maintenance was mainly done by local volunteers. However, with the addition of so many new miles of trail, that is no longer a feasible option.
To address the issue, MSTA is establishing a trail endowment fund that will pay for a professional trail crew to help maintain the trails. Harch said that the endowment fund is currently at $150,000. He would like to raise at least $1 million for the endowment fund.
The Gateway Trails will give riders another great option in Northern California
Northern California has an abundance of trails. Adding the Gateway Trails to the mix will only increase the area’s reputation as a major riding destination.
As Braugh put it, “we’re on the map for mountain biking on the West Coast.” He has seen a tenfold increase in the number of riders in the area thanks to the new trails. But Braugh thinks it is just the beginning. “There’s still a lot to be done. We could connect these trails to other towns in the area, like McCloud.” It will be exciting to see what the future holds for Mount Shasta and if it will one day rival other cities in the region, like Redding, in miles of trails.
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