An uphill battle for equal trail access

In 1964, the U.S. Forest Service instituted a regulation that appeared* to ban bicycles from Wilderness Areas (*learn more). Subsequently, many Marin land managers denied bikes access to much of the local singletrack.

In 1999, Access4Bikes (A4B) was formed to give a voice to mountain bikers who felt shut out from the trails and the decisions being made about our public lands. Because A4B needed the ability to directly influence decisions affecting access, it was set up as an IRS 527 political organization capable of accepting and making donations to support candidates for elected public offices.

Nearly 20 years later, in 2017, the Access4Bikes Foundation was formed. A 501(c)3 non-profit, the Foundation was able to raise funds to sustain non-political activities including trail building and maintenance, advocacy, and community building efforts.

With the two branches working together, A4B could focus time and funds on its non-political efforts while making political moves when needed.

Access4Bikes 2.0

In 2023, A4B underwent a strategic planning process and experienced significant organizational growth resulting in the formation of an Executive team and Chair-led committees comprised of volunteers tackling key organizational areas: Advocacy, Trails, Outreach, Events, Fundraising, and Marketing.

In 2024, the Foundation’s expanded initiatives include a youth internship program, trail-work days, the Access4Women initiative, skills clinics, group rides, and events including Ales & Trails, Biketoberfest, and our now famous annual enduro race, Marinduro. It also led to the creation of a Membership Program offering our community unique opportunities to participate in our work. Finally, the 527 branch was given a dedicated website, Access4Bikes Votes, to allow for deeper community engagement in the political side of our work.

Marin Trail Stewards

In 2025, the Access4Bikes Foundation officially changed its name to Marin Trail Stewards to reflect a broader mission and evolving community identity. While the organization’s roots remain grounded in mountain bike access advocacy, its work had grown to encompass inclusive trail stewardship, community events, volunteer engagement, and sustainable trail development across Marin County. The new name honors this expanded scope—welcoming trail users of all types, and conservation-minded partners while staying true to its founding values of access, equity, and local leadership. Marin Trail Stewards signals a commitment not just to riding trails, but to caring for them, together.

Learn more in our “What we do” section.