Teton Freedom Riders
The mission of the Teton Freedom Riders is to coordinate the growth of mountain biking in the greater Teton County, Wyoming area through sustainable trail construction, maintenance, advancement and safety.
The United States Forest Service was given a grant (The Gas Grant) to be applied to the trail system in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. This opened the door to the first “user-specific” trail system in the country. There was enough money for everything but the labor. The BTNF would only approve trails that were sponsored by a local business or organization; this lead to the birth of The Teton Freedom Riders.
Due to the increasing numbers of residents and tourists along with the rapidly growing popularity of trail related activities issues arose exponentially. User conflicts increased amongst mountain bikers, horseback riders, trail runners, hikers & dog walkers. Trail erosion and degradation was occurring faster than it could be repaired and maintained. These primary issues spurred a public outcry for a solution.
In October 2004 we became incorporated and begun working in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service. The Teton Freedom Riders fill the labor void with thousands of hours of volunteer labor via individual efforts and organized “Dig-Days.” The U.S.F.S. holds TFR responsible for trail design, signage, safety & education.
Since our inception a strong partnership formed between the Teton Freedom Riders, the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Friends of Pathways. Each member of this triad provides a niche skill set which generates a synergy that has a direct impact on the community. It is this triad which makes our progressive trail system possible.
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