The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will hold its seventh year of Foundations Mountain Bike Trail workshop to create more model trail communities. This year in Minnesota, attendees will learn what it takes to make a mountain bike park and then return home with the knowledge to make it happen. In 2025, workshops will occur in Winona, MN, on May 7-8 and in Duluth on Oct 1-2. These IMBA workshops are designed to catalyze the next generation of great places to ride mountain bikes.
Mtn bike trail workshop includes
During these Foundations, IMBA staff, trail industry experts, and local stakeholders lead participants through planning, design, building, activation, promotion, and measuring success. Attendees will also get a firsthand look at components of an intentional and diverse mountain bike trail community through field visits. Individuals best suited to attend the workshops are land managers, community officials, recreation professionals, and tourism / economic development staff. Previous Foundations have occurred in Bentonville, AR, and Cedar City, UT.
For details on the workshop this spring in Winona, check registration here.
In Duluth, this fall, workshop details and registration are available at: https://www.imba.com/event/-2025-duluth.
More IMBA Workshops
IMBA also offers on-demand workshops for professionals (Trail Management Schools) and community members (Trail Care Schools), now open for 2025. These two-day trail workshops occur in the community and on local trails, where IMBA instructors deliver tailored classroom and trail-based instruction. Attendees gain knowledge and techniques for sustainable trails and learn to maximize the impact of their agency resources and volunteer efforts.
Rounding out new community tools, IMBA published its new Trail Friendly Community Self-Assessment in November. Communities aim to be amongst the best places to live, work, and ride, so IMBA developed this tool in partnership with West Virginia University’s Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative and Extension Service to create a
comprehensive assessment that analyzes trails and bike infrastructure through a broad community development lens.
Respondents receive an immediate score and recommendations, revealing what could improve their community’s trails and how IMBA can help, and gaining new leverage with local officials, stakeholders, and funders to accelerate trail and community development.
About IMBA
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a 501c3 nonprofit that creates, enhances and protects great places to ride mountain bikes. IMBA is focused on creating more trails close to home in 250 communities by 2025 to grow the quantity and quality of mountain bike trail communities, so everyone has access to close-to-home riding and recreation as well as iconic backcountry experiences. Since 1988, IMBA has been partnering with communities worldwide on trail advocacy, education, stewardship and sustainable trail solutions.