The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) awarded its eighth round of Trail Accelerator grants to 18 communities. The $142,000 in grants will help bring more trails close to home in Kentucky, Idaho, Wisconsin, Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Vermont, California, Illinois, and Nebraska.
IMBA’s Trail Accelerator Grant is a competitive grant offering for communities with visions of transformational model trail systems that need extra support to realize that vision. Projects must show strong partnerships between local leaders, government entities, land managers, property owners, community groups and mountain bike or trail organizations such as IMBA Local member organizations. New for 2025, the Trail Accelerator Grant has two rounds, each focusing on different aspects of trail development. The spring grant window awards professional trail planning and design consultation services. The fall round of grants provides support through IMBA’s education programs: Trail Care Schools, Trail Management Schools, organizational strategic planning consultations, and funding education.
“Trail Accelerator Grants spark momentum—helping communities fund, plan and build trails that transform places and people,” said David Wiens, IMBA executive director. “We’re thrilled to continue this work with 18 new communities.”
Trail Accelerator Grants have provided $817,000 to 66 communities nationally, leveraging more than $15 million in local support. Trail projects like those in Cedar City, Utah; Patten, Maine; in Appalachia; and in Erwin, Tenn., have quickly moved from vision to completion by receiving a Trail Accelerator grant and using the resulting professional trail plan to exponentially grow community support.
All 18 projects awarded in 2025 will bring better trails close to home for the local community. This increased local access will offer health benefits to residents, boost outdoor recreation economies, bring trail recreation to places with none, and offer opportunities for youth to get outdoors.