Northwest North Carolina MTB Alliance Trail Association · Lenoir NC

The Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance (NWNCMBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA). The Alliance advocates for mountain biking and works to increase access to sustainable, well-planned trail systems throughout the mountains and foothills of Northwest North Carolina.

The Alliance's work centers on land access, trail preservation, trail development, and trail stewardship on federal, state, and local lands. It works with land managers, communities, volunteers, and mountain bike riders to advocate for trails, build and maintain trail systems, and promote responsible and sustainable trail use.

The Alliance serves a broad geographic area encompassing communities including Boone, Hickory, Lenoir, Marion, Morganton, and Wilkesboro, as well as surrounding mountain and foothill communities. Its work includes trail systems throughout the region and partnerships with the public agencies and local communities responsible for managing these lands.

Principal Trail Areas
NWNCMBA supports and advocates for a number of significant trail systems throughout Northwest North Carolina. Its principal trail areas include Watauga County and the Boone area, Rocky Knob Park, Beech Mountain, Grandfather Mountain and surrounding High Country trails, Fonta Flora State Trail and the Morganton area, Pisgah National Forest trail systems, and trail networks around Lenoir, Hickory, Marion, and Wilkesboro. The Alliance's trail portfolio continues to evolve as new trail projects are developed and existing systems are expanded and improved.

The organization has traditionally been powered by volunteers and member support, with volunteers contributing to trail construction, maintenance, advocacy, events, and community activities. In 2026, the Alliance began expanding its professional capacity, including the appointment of an Executive Director and Lead Trail Specialist, following a $4.5 million grant supporting major trail restoration and workforce development efforts in the region. (ridenwnctrails.com)

As a SORBA chapter, the Alliance is part of a regional network of nonprofit mountain bike organizations working to create and sustain access to quality trails across the Southeast. (sorba.org)

The Alliance's mission is reflected in its core values: Speak. Build. Respect. Ride. Through advocacy, trail building, stewardship, and community engagement, NWNCMBA works to ensure that Northwest North Carolina has accessible, sustainable, and progressive mountain bike trails for riders of all abilities.