Wanted: Your Ideas for New Long-Distance Bike Trails

The International Mountain Bicycling Association's Biking on Long-Distance Trails Coalition is asking cyclists to submit their ideas for off-pavement long-distance bike routes throughout the nation.

The Long Live Long Trails survey is open through August 1 and aims to collect ideas for potential off-road bike trails that are more than 80 miles long. Following the passage of the bipartisan BOLT Act last year, IMBA, Bikepacking Roots, and PeopleForBikes formed the BOLT Coalition to help develop these new routes.

The BOLT Coalition's first task is to gather public-suggested long-distance trails. That will result in a detailed analysis and recommendations highlighting long-distance cycling trails that should be considered as candidates for BOLT recognition. This will include recommendations for both 10 current trails eligible for BOLT recognition and 10 potential trails

“Long-distance, backcountry trail connectivity is a cornerstone of the bikepacking experience," said Bikepacking Roots' Executive Director Noelle Battle. “At Bikepacking Roots, our advocacy focuses on protecting and expanding these routes as a means of connecting people to landscapes, communities and transformative outdoor experiences. We're proud to be part of the BOLT Coalition and excited to help celebrate iconic long-distance trails, and ensure their stewardship so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.”

The BOLT Act directs the Department of the Interior to create no fewer than 10 long-distance bicycle routes throughout the United States and identify 10 more potential routes throughout the country that incorporate existing trails and roads.

Trails identified and created under the BOLT Act will, in part, benefit from federally funded signage, maps and promotion. Communities along the trails will receive outdoor economic development funding and improved trail facilities.

The law defines a long-distance trail as being at least 80-miles of continuous trail and being mostly dirt or otherwise unpaved. Paved connecting stretches are permissible under the act.

The BOLT Act is part of the larger Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that passed both the House and Senate last year.

The EXPLORE Act also makes the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR) permanent, and renews the Every Kid Outdoors Act, a program created during the Obama administration that grants free entry into all U.S. national parks and federal public lands for fourth-grade students and their families.

The passage of the EXPLORE Act and signing into law saw rare Republican and Democrat cooperation in Washington. Proponents cited the $1.1 trillion economic impact and 5 million related jobs created by the outdoor industry. More than 100 hunting, conservation and outdoor recreation organizations supported the legislation.

Learn more about the process and prioritization criteria by visiting the BOLT Coalition’s webpage. The survey is open through August 1, 2025 until 11:59pm Pacific Time.