Pennsylvania Kinzua Pathways proposes 30-40 miles of mountain biking trails in the area between Longhouse Drive, the Upper Reservoir, and Jakes Rocks.

Mountain bicycling has become a major activity in many national forests, and clear management
strategies are needed to ensure continued recreation opportunities and protection of natural resources. The goal of this project is to provide sustainable mountain biking recreation on the Allegheny National Forest.

Studies show that mountain bicycling is one of the fastest growing recreation activities around the world. One of the key areas of focus for PKP is to improve trail recreation for multiple users while promoting good stewardship of natural resources.

This can be accomplished by focusing on the following:

• Reduction of use conflicts among multiple users
• Protection of resources
• Reduction in the occurrence of user created trails
• Education of user groups
• Development of land and user ethics and standards
• Development of volunteer opportunities
• Adherence to geotourism principles

There are a number of examples available which describe how many managed trails have been adopted as the Forest Service acquired land or as use developed. Unfortunately, these trails were either not designed to receive substantial recreation use or were simply not professionally designed. Many opponents to trail systems, such as those recommended in these findings by PKP, point to the mountain bikers as the source of potential problems. Trail studies by Cessford and others have indicated that poor trail design and lack of management are the problems with these flawed systems.

PKP has initiated partnerships with local, organized mountain bicycling organizations such as Northern Allegheny Mountain Bike Association (NAMBA), governed by International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to address these potential pitfalls.

To aid the ANF in their creation and management of these multiple use trail systems, PKP recommends they follow similar limitations on National Forest System Lands as their counterparts in California:

• Local decision makers choose the makeup of their trail systems and where and when to add
new trails.
• Constructed features (i.e., teeter totters, jump parks, elevated boardwalks or ramps) are not
appropriate except under special use permit.
• Trails are generally multiple use.

The large land area between Longhouse Drive, Jakes Rocks and the Upper Reservoir represents a great opportunity to introduce mountain bicycling, more formally, to the list of ANF recreational opportunities. There are several key elements to the successful design, implementation and maintenance of a formal mountain bicycling system.