Up in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, there’s a seismic rumbling growing larger and more pronounced—mountain biking. The Monday Lick Trail system has received funding and approval for more than 27 miles of new trails. It isn’t just the new trails but what they mean for the greater vision of the Snowshoe-Highlands Ride Center – to become West Virginia’s first IMBA Gold Level Ride Center. This made us curious: what does it take to become a certified Ride Center, especially a Gold one?
What is an IMBA Ride Center?
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) started back in 1988 with the goal to encourage responsible riding and reducing the land managers’ concerns about adding bikes to trails. Since then, IMBA has worked tirelessly to help increase the quantity and quality of mountain bike trails across the U.S. As part of these efforts, IMBA began to recognize outstanding places to ride with IMBA Epics, such as 44 Trail’s Surveyor’s Ridge, and large-scale mountain bike destinations with the Ride Center™ designation.
Something For Everyone
To be considered an elite Ride Center™, a trail network needs more than just being massive and containing rowdy terrain; it must offer something for everyone. Trails that provide backcountry adventures. A healthy helping of shuttle-served gravity fun. The opportunities must test your limits on expert-only terrain and yet there has to be plenty of relaxing rides that the entire family can enjoy. Not just a pit stop along the way, but a destination where you can ride for days and experience the best mountain biking has to offer.
An Elite Group
Earning this distinction isn’t an easy task. Any community can apply, but they must be fully vetted by trail professionals. IMBA has created three tiers of awards: bronze, silver, and gold. Achieving gold is especially challenging— as of 2024, there are only four gold-level Ride Centers in the United States!
Journey Is the Reward
Similar to mountain biking adventures, the IMBA application process isn’t just about the end result. The journey to get there is equally important. It serves as a blueprint to create a trail network and a community passionate about mountain biking.
How Do You Get On the Podium?
One key requirement for any Ride Center™—whether bronze, silver, or gold—is that all essential services must be within a 30-minute drive. From there, the designation is based on clear criteria. Some objective such as trail variety, overall trail mileage, and local services. And some subjective, like the quality of trail experiences. While a destination may not be perfect in every aspect, it has to achieve high marks across many areas. According to a 2017 evaluation criteria document, to achieve Gold Status, a Ride Center™ must score at least 220 points on a detailed 18-page evaluation with weighted scores based on the criteria mentioned above.
Taking the Full Journey
Pocahontas County hasn’t approached this lightly, they’ve evolved their mountain biking culture and community over time. Back in 2019, the Snowshoe-Highlands Ride Center™ was designated the bronze level award from IMBA. One year later, they received a silver-level designation. Since then, they’ve had a strategic plan to get Gold by 2025 and part of that effort was the Monday Lick Trail System.
Big MTB Culture… Getting Bigger
Home to nearly one-third of the Monongahela National Forest, Pocahontas County boasts over 375 miles of singletrack! Many of it being accessible via a shuttle from Greenbrier bikes. It winds and weaves its way through lush green vegetation. Past babbling brooks and countless vistas of the surrounding mountains. You’ll find plenty of classic East Coast-style terrain. This means rooty goodness, rocky creek crossings and plenty of steep grades. Alongside pedal-pushing areas like Tea Creek Mountain, there are also 40 downhill routes in the Snowshoe Bike Park. This was showcased during the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Finals—the first time the event was held in North America in 20 years!
Given all the hard work and community efforts, it’s only a matter of time before Pocahontas County joins other Gold-Level Ride Centers like Park City, Aspen, and Oakridge.
