The Northern Forest’s geological formations, rolling hills and thick forest landscapes make the region an excellent place to mountain bike – and communities here are embracing mountain biking as a way to give locals an exciting recreation option while also attracting new visitors and supporting local businesses.
The Center is promoting interest in mountain biking through its Bike Borderlands initiative— a collaboration among nine trail organizations working together to strengthen and promote their destinations.
The Bike Borderlands initiative has strengthened each network by providing small grants for trail construction, kiosks, maps, bridges, and tools. Special Borderlands events, contests, and social media engagement have helped hundreds of people who otherwise wouldn’t have ridden here to discover these destinations.
These nine trail networks demonstrate that they’re strongest when they work together. The groups are collaborating on a Ride With Gratitude campaign to build a more respectful mountain biking culture, which is critical to the successful growth of this activity. The Center is eager to help spread this positive message across the Northern Forest.
For more information on Bike Borderlands and the Ride With Gratitude concept, visit the Bike Borderlands website.
It takes commitment and vision to get high-quality recreational assets in a community.
A recreation challenge inspires western Mainers to explore their land.
The Center builds connections and collaborations across the Northern Forest region. We convene regional gatherings to shape and advance a shared agenda for the region.
Grants from the Northern Forest Destination Development Program will fund trail construction, remote paddling opportunities, waterfront parks, accessible trails, and more.
The Center has supported visionary economic development projects that sustain and create forest-based jobs while at the same time providing a range of community and environmental benefits through New Markets Tax credit financing.
