About Us

For over two decades, the Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers (SBMTV) has provided some 2000 hours of volunteer work each year to care for the Santa Barbara trails. Founded in 1988, our mission is and has always been to maintain and improve our trails to reduce risk and increase the enjoyment of all users. Our mission and goals are to promote:

• responsible trail use, respect, and education of all trail users

• the design and maintenance of environmentally and socially sustainable trails

• provide responsible care for public lands through continued stewardship

SBMTV trail crew leaders are trained by the US Forest Service to make trail work safety their first priority. Our volunteers are trained in tool safety and sustainable trail work techniques. All SBMTV work events are reviewed and authorized by the appropriate governmental agency. These agencies include the US Forest Service, Santa Barbara County and the City of Santa Barbara . Our volunteers include hikers, equestrians, trail runners and mountain bikers.

Almost all of our trail work is done using hand tools such as Pulaskis, McLeods, hand saws, and brush loppers. SBMTV has a strict, “no power tools” policy during fire season or whenever conditions pose a risk of fire. Only select SBMTV volunteers who have received US Forest Service approval in their safe use may use power tools.