Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) collaborated with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and other partners to develop these Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience (GQTE), published in 2017. The guidelines will help improve the design, construction, and management of mountain bike trails all across the country.

The overarching vision for the GQTE is to establish key characteristics that will define a range of trail-based experiences. When applied properly, the trail features will form the foundation for an experience that meets the targeted trail objectives and outcomes. The GQTE documents the BLM’s evolution as a land management agency, provides internal staff and the public at large a resource to better communicate what constitutes a quality riding experience, and sets forth a process for ensuring that targeted experiences and beneficial outcomes are realized.

As a mountain biker’s quest for an extraordinary riding experience has evolved, so must the evolution of how trails are communicated, planned, designed, constructed, and managed.