Chapter News
What’s happening in The Alliance
Alliance Announces New Executive Director and Lead Trail Specialist
LENOIR, N.C. (August 3, 2026) -The Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of Oliver Sendall as Executive Director and Josh Taylor as Lead Trail Specialist. These hires come at a key moment for the organization following a historic $4.5...
Alliance Announces New Executive Director and Lead Trail Specialist
LENOIR, N.C. (August 3, 2026) -The Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of Oliver Sendall as Executive Director and Josh Taylor as Lead Trail Specialist. These hires come at a key moment for the organization following a historic $4.5...
Historic Milestone: The Alliance Co-Awarded $4.5M to Restore Trails
[Lenoir, NC] -- [June 23, 2026] — The Northwest North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance (The Alliance), in partnership with the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), has been awarded a historic $4.5 million subaward from the National Forest Foundation (NFF),...
Northwest NC MTB Alliance Welcomes New Board Members for the Coming Year
The Alliance welcomes three new board members who bring deep local roots, trail stewardship experience, and a shared passion for growing and sustaining mountain biking across the region.
Alliance Board Members to Ride in Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival
Two members of the Alliance Board of Directors are set to ride in the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival on Saturday and Sunday December 7th and 8th. The event is being held to raise awareness and funding for the Old Fort Strong Fund, which aims to raise over $2...
Grandfather Ranger District reopens select trails on Friday, November 22
The Grandfather District will be opening several trails and additional roads on Friday, November 22, including some in Wilson Creek, Old Fort, and other areas. This follows the road openings announced last week, and marks another update to the closure order issued...
Trail Community Rallies After Hurricane Helene
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, many of our trail volunteers have joined hundreds of others to assist those in need. Incredible work has been done in our region. While our communities are still facing challenges, significant strides toward recovery have been made....
NC NICA Athletes Giving Back to Trails in ‘24
Have you heard? NC NICA athletes from the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League (NCICL) have big goals of giving back to local trails this year, aiming to complete over 3,000 hours of volunteer work this season. Currently they are over halfway there! Last...
Photo Gallery: Mortimer Fall Trail Weekend 2023 Success
Based out of the Mortimer Campground, this event supports the the Mortimer Trails Project which has brought significant funding, new trails, and a reduced maintenance backlog to the Grandfather District Trails in the Mortimer Area.
Alliance Chosen as Two for the Trails Grant Recipient
We’re proud to announce we’ve been chosen as a recipient of Athletic Brewing Company's Two for the Trails grant program! Athletic Brewing Company’s love for the great outdoors is why they created their Two For the Trails program, where they donate up to $2 million...
Photo Gallery: New Zacks Fork Gravity Trails
This past summer, over a year's worth of planning, volunteering, and contracted trail work led to completion of the Gravity Trails expansion at Zacks Fork Trails in Lenoir. The fundraising effort began in 2021, with some grant writing and the establishment of a budget...
Schoolhouse Ridge Trail Restoration Complete
This trail, rated “most difficult,” follows the historic alignment in many places, including several steep, rocky sections.
Old Becomes New On Yancey Ridge
New Reroute of Exit Now Open! The Alliance is pleased to share that the newly constructed exit of Yancey Ridge Trail is now officially OPEN! This 1.2 mile section of new trail reroutes the segment that was on private property onto US Forest Service land. The...
Mortimer Trails Project Update: June 2021
Big things are happening in the Grandfather District of Pisgah National Forest! The dirt is really flying around, and we want to provide some updates on the Mortimer Trails Project.
Photo Gallery: Yancey Ridge Trail Renovation
Photos from the volunteer and contracted machine work on Yancey Ridge Trail (TR 259), starting in late 2020 and continuing through the first half of 2021!
USFS: Trails in the Mortimer Area of Wilson Creek improved through partnerships
The public should use caution in the area and avoid active work zones.
Headwaters Hub Now Open at Warrior Creek
On March 13 over thirty volunteers polished out new trails at the Warrior Creek “Headwaters” area at Kerr Scott.
Public comment period open for the Old Fort Trails Project – Trails For All
Please help advocate for these additions by commenting during the 30 day window, which opened February 24, 2021. Comments will help guide managers as they move into environmental review of the proposed trails, with a potential final decision on the trail plans this fall.
Grandfather District Approves the Mortimer Trails Project
We’ve got some good news for you. The Pisgah National Forest Grandfather Ranger District has approved the Mortimer Trails Project. This means that planned relocations of existing trails and construction of new trails are officially authorized to proceed, which will...
Santa Cruz awards The Alliance PayDirt grant for work on Yancey Ridge
This funding will be applied to our work on Yancey Ridge Trail in the Pisgah Grandfather District, part of the larger Mortimer Trails Project in Wilson Creek.
Update on Forest Plan Revision
It is now time to submit comments on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan. Your comments will impact the decisions the USFS makes on how the forest will be managed for the next 20 years.
Trail Status Updates with Phase 1 Reopening
With the North Carolina stay-at-home order being eased with the Phase 1 reopening, several trail systems in Northwest NC have reopened.