Discovering Ely, Nevada
Thriving Trails Don't Maintain Themselves
When planning and designing a feature-rich trail system, it's important to also prepare for the education and training of the volunteers who will maintain those trails. Even our most-loved trail systems require ongoing care and attention. It might even be the continuous TLC that makes (enter your favorite trail system here) your favorite place to ride.
Nestled within Prescott, Arizona’s 250+ miles of singletrack lies the Bean Peaks Trail System, where the spirit of stewardship is thriving. The recent IMBA Trail Care Workshop in Prescott, held in November 2025, showcased the extraordinary dedication and passion of local volunteers committed to maintaining the area's trail networks.
However, on this occasion, all their efforts were focused on Bean Peaks. The enthusiasm and commitment were at level eleven.
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Getting Technical: IMBA Trail Care Workshops
Bean Peaks, situated within the Prescott National Forest, already receives regular maintenance on the fourth Saturday of each month from the Prescott Mountain Bike Alliance (PMBA), a vibrant and dynamic community of volunteers dedicated to preserving the trails they love.
"Volunteers have always been the core of general trail maintenance and trail builds."
- Jim Kominski, Volunteer Group Leader
Bean Peaks is currently the only trail system in Prescott that includes multiple bike-specific features such as berms, tabletops, drops, and steep landings, all of which require specific maintenance techniques. To enhance the effectiveness of the volunteers' hard work, PMBA recently organized and hosted an IMBA Trail Care Workshop. This in-person, hands-on training program is designed to equip volunteers and organizations with essential skills for maintaining their local mountain bike trails.
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Cory Callahan, Trail Solutions Handcrew, and Jeff Lehmann, Trail Solutions Construction Manager, led the workshop, focusing on the technical skills needed to keep Bean Peaks maintained and thriving. The workshop began with a classroom presentation that covered trail maintenance basics, blended with discussions of the unique challenges PMBA faces. Following the classroom session, participants hit the trail to practice hands-on skills tailored to address these specific needs of the Bean Peaks trail system, ensuring its vitality for future riders.
- Water Erosion: Managing Arizona’s monsoon runoff with careful rock work and drainage.
- Feature Upkeep: Specific maintenance techniques to keep berms, jumps, and landing areas safe and super fun.
- Vegetation Control: Cutting back fast-growing scrub and removing pine needles/cones for improved trail visibility, keeping trails fast and fun, of course.
- Year-round Riding: Mild climate means riders are riding (awesome)! However, this can lead to increased wear and tear, potentially causing volunteer burnout (not awesome). It's important for volunteers to prioritize projects and manage their time effectively.
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Keeping the Trails Alive
Like many volunteer organizations, sustaining a large enough crew is vital, but it's only part of the challenge. Training new volunteers and ensuring that all participants have the knowledge and skills necessary for trail maintenance is equally important.
And let's face it, Mother Nature loves a plot twist, y'all. Storms are unexpected, and brush grows faster than you might think. And while heavy trail use is a sign of a successful trail system, wear and tear are inevitable. If all of these naturally occurring things are left unaddressed, erosion and overgrowth can quickly diminish the experience for trail users.
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By tailoring the education to the specific needs of Bean Peaks—considering the soil and vegetation, rock, and desert weather —PMBA volunteers can gain confidence and effectiveness in their work, leading to better trail maintenance and more rewarding workdays for everyone involved.
"IMBA Trail Solutions not only does a wonderful job in designing and building these trails, but they're doing a nice job helping us learn how to take care of them."
- Brad Green, Volunteer Group Leader
The Magic Isn't Just the Dirt; It's the People
The lesson here is that “well-built” does not mean “maintenance-free.” Like anything worth preserving, trails will require some TLC from time to time. Exceptional trails often rely on the dedication and passion of exceptional volunteers, whose contributions extend far beyond merely maintaining paths through the woods. It's important to support and educate volunteers because not only do they nurture the communities that form around our favorite trails, but they are critical in maintaining those trails and caring for these public spaces we all love and enjoy.
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If you ride, hike, or run on trails, consider participating in a local workday, because the more the merrier. Even one morning a month makes a huge difference. And when you see local volunteers on the trail, give them a high five—they’re helping keep your ride, hike, or run the most fun.
If your local volunteer group wants to learn essential skills specific to your local trails, find out more about IMBA's Trail Care Workshops and how to bring one to your area.
