New MTB Access in Marin County Proposed

California State Parks proposes opening 4 miles of trail on Mount Tamalpais to mountain bikes

By Jeff Barber
May 28, 2009 Last Updated: September 17, 2024

3 comments

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Ok, so this is BIG news. For those who don’t know, Marin County is basically where mountain biking was invented but for the last decade or so mountain bikers have been kicked off just about every trail in the area. Mount Tamalpais (Mt. Tam) in particular hosted many of the first (informal) mountain bike races and has been off limits to mountain bikes for years.

Now the California State Parks department is proposing opening 4 miles of trail in the foothills of Mt. Tam to mountain bikes and is soliciting public input. That’s where we come in.

Take a minute or two and fill out this comment form letting California State Parks know you support mountain biking in Marin County. Read more details below (from IMBA) so ya know what you’re talking about (also note the part about hiking and equestrian groups vowing to fight the proposal).

California State Parks has announced a proposal to open singletrack for mountain biking in Marin County, on the shoulders of Mt. Tamalpais. The agency plans to permit bicycle use on the 4-mile Bills Trail segment and is soliciting public commentary on the project.

This landmark opportunity is the direct result of more than three years of partnership building with the parks department by IMBA California, Access4Bikes and the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin. A successful opening of Bill’s Trail will set the stage for bicycle access to several other singletrack trails in Marin, which is widely considered to be one of the birthplaces of modern mountain biking. Despite its historic role, Marin has seen precious few opportunities for mountain biking open to the public in recent years.

Take Action! Tell California State Parks you support their decision to open Bills Trail to bicycles. The commentary period ends on June 26.

Located within the Mt. Tamaplais watershed in Samuel Taylor State Park, Bills Trail winds through native ferns, wildflowers and hazelnut trees. It averages a reasonable 7-percent grade, and its six switchbacks provide riders with multiple views of the surrounding landscapes. While it is expected that bike access on Bills Trail will be limited to alternate days at first, the parks department states that this stipulation will be open to further review.

California State Parks is expected to announce opportunities for bicycling on other nearby routes in upcoming months. The Diaz Ridge Trail, which runs through Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area property, is scheduled to receive a major reroute this summer. This project could produce shared-use singletrack joining State Parks and National Park Service properties.

A small number of local hiking and equestrian groups have vowed to fight against any new access for mountain biking in Marin County, despite plentiful evidence that well-designed trails can be successfully shared by various user groups, and that mountain biking is a sustainable, low-impact form of recreation. “I think that, broadly speaking, the community of trail users in Marin is ready for this,” says IMBA California Policy Advisor Tom Ward. “We have seen great success with our volunteer mountain bike patrol program there. Mountain bikers care deeply about protecting the gorgeous trails and natural areas in Marin, and we will continue working with like-minded groups.”

Update: “After 40 years, trails are opening to bikes on Mount Tamalpais, the California birthplace of MTB“

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3 Comments

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steve32300 2007
Jun 1, 2009

I took action and submitted my account for the liberation of Bills trail.Man what a dilema,some of those hikers and equestrians dont like mountain bikes at all do they,I just try to remember that those people are just the ones that just plain dont like othere people and that most us mountain bikers are people who like other people are willing to share and exist with one another on the trails.I know from riding in the mountains of colorado as a kid what it's like to have a trail all to yourself,I experienced it,and it does have a different feeling of freedom that is unhindered,but things change and theres nothing we can do about it.If they have somthin they love to do,we have somthin we love to do and theres only so many trails and so much land that we all have to share and make due.Those hikers and equestrians try to make the excuse that mountain bikes dont belong on trails,and although there has been horses and hikers longer than there has been mountain bikes,and they say they were using trails before the mtn. bikers is no excuse to have such an attitude.Those attitudes will only end up killing all our trail use privileges and then who will be enjoying the trails and mountains??

0 reply

Suvacrew California // 2008
May 29, 2009

IMBA does great things and this opening of Tam mayl be on par with Surfrider saving Trestles from the toll road. Already plugged my letter about the trails. To those that think you can poach the trails in Marin w/o getting busted..think again. Some of the volunteer patrol riders can dust you bad. Besides poaching jeopardizes the relationships IMBA has fostered. Until Mt Tam etc..gets pried open..Tamarancho Boy Scout trail is a great contained option..apart from China Camp. Cheers to IMBA

Asfyxiate 2007
May 28, 2009

Whoa, definitely. Even though I've never rode out there in Cali, I'll take the time to let them know what I think. Anything to help ease the suffering of those who live in an over-populated states that have a hard enough time trying to find somewhere to ride.

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