In Pioche, Nevada, a new trail system is transforming more than just the landscape—it’s helping reshape the town’s identity. And they didn’t do it with big sponsors or flashy marketing. They told their story.

In our latest article, we explore how small and underfunded trail nonprofits, for-profit builders, and rural communities can use social media to build momentum, invite others in, and grow support—without needing a big budget.

In “Price & Purpose,” trail builder Dillon Osleger calls for a shift in mountain biking culture—away from commodified, copy-paste flow trails and toward restoration, local engagement, and ecological stewardship. He critiques the industry’s fixation on new trails as economic drivers and urges a deeper reckoning with the environmental and cultural impacts of trail development. Trails shouldn’t just be sold—they should serve people and place.

A few years back, I found myself riding in the Oakridge-Westfir area of Oregon at Mountain Bike Oregon. It’s the kind of place that makes you believe in second chances, not just for old logging towns, but for entire communities looking for a new way forward. The singletrack was (and is) world-class, and the ridgeline views were unforgettable. But what struck me most wasn’t the trail—it was the people. A small, tight-knit community that had weathered economic downturns and reinvested in itself through the simple act of getting people out on bikes.

That didn’t happen overnight.

If you’re a rural town dreaming about becoming the next trail destination, the reality is this: building a network of mountain bike trails is a long, bureaucratic process. It involves securing access to land, navigating environmental and zoning approvals, funding construction, and then maintaining those trails season after season. It’s not just dirt and tools. It’s diplomacy, funding cycles, and a whole lot of patience.

And yet, there’s good news.

It should be no surprise when we talk about building new trails as a potential catalyst for economic development in rural communities, it is met with opposing views. Some embrace it, particularly those who’ve been impacted positively by it. Then others decry it arguing it could very well lead to rural gentrification. Look no further than the Whistlers or Vails to validate this. Which is it?