A rider crossing the Oregon Timber Trail’s Fremont Tier may remember the views, the solitude, and the sense of adventure that come from traveling through one of the most remote landscapes in the West.

What they may not think about is the work required to make that journey possible.

Volume 4, Issue 1 continues our mission to inspire, inform, and connect trail builders around the world around the common goal of building, maintaining, and advocating for more trails. What started as an idea to create a voice for trail builders has grown into something much larger: a global community of volunteers, professional builders, advocates, riders, nonprofit organizations, and industry leaders who believe trails matter.

There’s something happening right now in the trail world.

You can feel it.

It shows up in the stories that land in my inbox. In the DMs from readers. In the quiet momentum building in places most people would never think to look.

Different places. Same thread.

And in putting together Volume 4, Issue 1 of Trail Builder Magazine, that thread became impossible to ignore.

Across the country, nonprofit trail organizations are doing extraordinary work.

They coordinate volunteers.

Work with land managers.

Write grants.

Maintain access.

Advocate for responsible growth.

Most are doing it with limited staff and limited time.

At Trail Builder Magazine, we believe supporting trail builders means more than telling their stories. It means creating practical tools that help trail organizations become more effective.

Today, we’re releasing a new free resource built specifically for volunteer-led and small-staff trail organizations:

The Trail Organization Social Media Playbook: A Practical System to Grow Volunteers, Donors, and Community Support.

Many rural communities believe in trails.

What they often lack is not vision or volunteer energy, but capacity. Professional planning. Technical expertise. Strategic direction. The kind of groundwork that helps trail projects move from good ideas to fundable, buildable realities.

That is exactly where the 2026 Trail Accelerator Grants from the International Mountain Bicycling Association come in.

Trail building is evolving, and Volume 3, Issue 2 of Trail Builder Magazine reflects that shift through six feature stories on trail building, technology, tools, and global trail communities. From long-term stewardship to new jumplines, from digital design tools to remote trail networks, this issue explores how trails are being planned, built, and cared for today.

Sean Benesh, editor of Trail Builder Magazine, shares insights from his upcoming talk at the Spirit World fundraiser in Patagonia, Arizona. The event supports the Arizona Trail and highlights how gravel cycling can spark rural revitalization, strengthen communities, and build momentum for trail-based tourism and economic growth.

When I first started Trail Builder Magazine, the vision was simple: create a platform where the people shaping our trails could finally have their stories told. Riders, racers, and brands have always had a voice in mountain biking, but trail builders, the ones in the dirt, behind the tools, rarely did. That’s the gap this magazine was born to fill.

Our new free guide, Trail Towns from Scratch, walks you through the first steps … from building community support to putting on your first gravel event. Packed with real-world case studies and actionable insights, this is your starting point if you’ve ever looked around and thought, “We could build something here.”

A newly released report from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), developed in partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), shines a spotlight on something trail builders have long known: mountain biking trails don’t just create smiles—they create jobs, tourism, and opportunity.