An IMBA Trail Town embodies the essence of a welcoming and vibrant locale, where the beauty of nature intertwines seamlessly with community life. It's not just a place, but an ethos—a commitment to fostering a diverse array of outdoor experiences within reach of every resident and visitor. Trails aren’t merely pathways in an IMBA Trail Town; they're the arteries of connection, inviting exploration and adventure.
Become an IMBA Trail Town
The IMBA Trail Town designation is more than a badge of honor — it’s national recognition that your community values trails and the people who ride them. The designation celebrates communities that have put consistent effort into their trails to make their towns great places to live, work and play. An IMBA Trail Town designation will help attract trail funding, grants and other economic incentives while connecting your community to IMBA’s network of resources.
Your Path to the IMBA Trail Town Designation
If your community has made an investment in its trails and fosters a culture around them, you may be ready to pursue the IMBA Trail Town designation. This designation acknowledges the hard work of your community and serves as a badge of honor highlighting your community as a great place to live, work and play.
Communities that achieve the IMBA Trail Town designation demonstrate a commitment to:
- Trail Infrastructure: A trail network, including a minimum of 25 miles of natural surface trails within a 30-mile radius of the town center. This network provides a variety of experiences for all skill levels.
- Trail Funding: A reliable and sustainable funding model for its community trails.
- Local Organization: The presence of an active local trail organization that serves as a trail champion in the community, advocating for the growth and stewardship of the trail network.
- Community Engagement: A culture of community engagement, demonstrated through organized events, programs, and outreach efforts that bring people together and foster a shared commitment to the local trail network.
- Trail Stewardship: A commitment to regular trail stewardship is demonstrated through a consistent plan for maintenance, ensuring the trail network remains safe, sustainable, and enjoyable for all.
Ready to see how your community measures up?
Step 1: Take the Community Assessment
This is the first step toward becoming eligible for an IMBA Trail Town designation. This comprehensive tool analyzes your trails and bike infrastructure through a broad lens of community development. After completion, you will receive an immediate score and a suite of recommendations to help your community prepare for the designation. If your community is eligible for the designation you will move to part two of the process.
Quick Details on the Community Assessment:
- Get Prepared: Download the community assessment preview as a guide.
- Saving Progress: Answers cannot be saved. Review/print the assessment preview before starting.
- Time to Complete: About 30 minutes if you are familiar with local trails; 30–60 minutes if you need to gather information.
- Group vs. Individual: Individuals can complete the survey, but stakeholder groups get the most value.
- Choosing a Center Point: Select the core of your community (downtown, city hall, or main gathering place).
- Calculating Mileage: Use drive times to trailheads within 30 minutes of the center point. Include all mileage starting from those trailheads. TrailForks is a useful tool.
- Uncertain Answers: Choose the response that best reflects the majority of your trails or the most typical scenario.
- More Mileage than Required? Communities with 50+ miles and supporting infrastructure should also consider applying for Ride Center designation.
- Bike-Only Trails & Other Users: Single-use trails are increasingly common to reduce conflicts and improve experiences. Communities often balance bike-only with foot- or horse-only trails.
Step 2: Achieving IMBA Trail Town Designation
To attain the IMBA Trail Town designation, communities must first complete the Community Assessment and achieve a qualifying score. After reaching a score of 275 or more, a community will be contacted by an IMBA Community team member to be invited to submit a detailed application. The application requires a complete trail inventory and map, along with supporting information on the community's funding, stewardship, local trail organizations, and community engagement.
IMBA Trail Town Designation Requirements:
- A qualifying Community Assessment score
- A minimum of 25 miles of natural-surface trails within a 30-minute radius of town center
- Demonstrated trail funding sources
- An active local trail organization
- Strong community engagement and consistent stewardship
Designation Timeline:
- Application Window: November 15 - January 15
- Trail Towns Announced: by April 1, 2026
Duration & Cost:
- Designation is valid for three years
- Community Assessment: Free
- Application Fee: $500
- Renewal Fee: $250 (renewal after year 3)
Before you begin, we recommend reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions and Preview the Community Assessment for guidance on who to involve and how to prepare.
Community Assessment FAQ
Review the FAQ
Preview the Community Assessment
Preview the Community Assessment
Take the Community Assessment
Take the Community AssessmentIMBA developed the Community Assessment in 2023 (formerly the Trail Friendly Community self-assessment) in partnership with West Virginia University's Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative and Extension Service, with the goal of creating a comprehensive assessment that analyzes trails and bike infrastructure through a broad lens of community development. IMBA thanks West Virginia University for making an investment that will support communities across the country.
