September is a time of year where trails across the country are at their prime. Temperatures are optimal and after a summer season’s worth of volunteer stewardship, the trail conditions are usually sublime. So it’s likely no coincidence that September is also when we collectively celebrate National Public Lands Day for the incredible gift we share as Americans; the millions of acres of public forests, deserts, mountains and grasslands. For mountain bikers and other trails enthusiasts, these lands mean more to us than just a scenic postcard backdrop, they are host to the trails that bring us adventure, exploration, renewal and connection to the natural world.

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National Public Lands day is an opportunity to take a step back from our daily rides and adventure destination vacations and collectively acknowledge how this legacy of public lands access is maintained both literally (through stewardship) and figuratively (through active support and advocacy). 

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Across the country, on Saturday, September 27th, thousands of trail stewards and public lands advocates will volunteer their time to give back to public lands. Mountain bikers have long embraced this ethic of stewardship. IMBA was founded on the idea of giving back to repair impacts and to earn the good will of the public to retain and expand access to trails across the country. National Public Lands Day is a day to celebrate the work that is done throughout the year during which mountain bike and trail organizations and others work to protect habitats, repair erosion, build and maintain sustainable trails, working alongside land managers to ensure continued access for today’s and future generations.

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These days, public lands face a host of challenges: climate change, crowding, shrinking agency budgets, and ongoing proposals that threaten to carve away the places that we cherish most. These threats, while real, also open up opportunities. Opportunities to show up, to grow community, to become something more than just trail users. Through this we become advocates, stewards, volunteers and partners with other passionate public land advocates. Mountain bikers have the opportunity to shape the future by showing how trails and conservation go hand in hand and that the demand for recreation is the greatest resource we have for conservation.

National Public Lands day provides an annual opportunity to celebrate not only what we have now, but to demonstrate the importance of how we should occasionally trade our helmet and riding gloves for a hard hat and work gloves to help build a better future for public lands together. We can lend our voices and penmanship to stand up and speak on behalf of the places we love. We can open our wallets and support the work of organizations we value. There are as many ways to give back as there are trails you ride.

Finding the ways to give back that work best for you is the same process as finding your ideal trail ride…..try them all and then decide over a beer!