Our first conversation is with Steve Brook, President of the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance (OTTA). The nonprofit stewards the Oregon Timber Trail, a roughly 700-mile backcountry mountain bike route that runs the length of the state. Unlike most trail systems, this isn’t a network near a single town or trailhead. It’s a corridor stretching from the California border to the Columbia River Gorge, crossing multiple forests, ecosystems, and rural communities along the way.

When the new Dollar Mountain Trail System officially opened in Grants Pass, Oregon, it marked more than the debut of 11 new miles of singletrack. It signaled the arrival of a new trail town. This feature explores how collaboration between city leaders, Visit Grants Pass, and RVMBA turned an overlooked hillside into a cornerstone of community identity and economic development. From morning coffee at Wheelhouse to post-ride beers at Weekend Beer Company, the anatomy of a trail town is taking shape … one ride at a time.