marin mountain biking trailsThe International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) reports that California State Parks has announced a proposal to open a singletrack trail for mountain biking in Marin County, on the shoulders of Mt. Tamalpais. The agency plans to allow bicycle use on the four-mile Bill’s Trail segment, and is soliciting public comments on the project. The commentary period ends on June 26th, 2009.

Located within the Mt. Tamaplais watershed in Samuel Taylor State Park, Bill’s Trail winds through native ferns, wildflowers and hazelnut trees. It averages a reasonable 7-percent grade, and its six switchbacks provide riders with multiple views of the surrounding landscapes. While it is expected that bike access on Bill’s Trail will be limited to alternate days at first, the parks department states that this stipulation will be open to further review.

“I’m urging mountain bikers across the country to send comments in support of this project,” says IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “It’s hard to imagine a more important location than Marin, where mountain bikers have worked incredibly hard to regain access to the very trails that helped bring our sport into the world.”

IMBA has issued a call to action, asking mountain bikers to tell California State Parks that they support the decision to open Bill’s Trail to bicycles. Click here to go to IMBA’s webpage that has more information about this historic opportunity, including a convenient web-form for contacting decision makers and letting them know that you support opening Bill’s Trail to bicycles.