Mountain bike riders have long been barred from everything but the tarmac in most of the US' National Parks - even fire roads are generally off limits. However, according to MTB access body IMBA, that's about to change after the organisation signed a five-year agreement with the National Park Service in which the service recognizes mountain biking as a positive activity, compatible with the values of the National Park system.
The agreement has the potential to open hundreds of dirt roads in National Park areas that have been closed to cycling. While National Park Service rules require a lengthy process to open singletrack to bicycle use, appropriate dirt roads may be opened with a more straightforward administrative process.
