Sacramento Area
Mountain Bike
Association

Questions and Answers about mountain biking and planned improvements along the American River Parkway

Q.   It’s legal to ride mountain bikes on the American River Parkway, isn’t it?

Q.   Why is riding bikes on dirt trails illegal along the American River Parkway?

A.   The American River Parkway is governed by the city and county of Sacramento under a Parkway Plan, which was adopted in 1985.  The American River Parkway Plan contains specific language restricting bicycles to “designated bikeways, roadways and parking lots.”  It also states that “off-road vehicle courses, including off-road bicycle courses” are “incompatible with the Parkway” and “shall be prohibited.” 

Q.   What were the circumstances in 1985 leading to this?

A.   Back then, mountain biking was in its infancy as an adult sport.  Unregulated BMX tracks along the Parkway appeared unsightly and environmentally damaging.   The Parkway Plan specifically directs the removal of BMX tracks at Mullaney Grove and at Rossmoor Bar.  The small group of riders who did stick up for their sport were trumped by larger, wealthier and more politically connected user groups.

Q.   What else is banned in the Parkway?

A.   Hunting, target shooting, model rockets, league sports, skim boards, hang gliding and dog training, to name a few.  Many of the bans remain totally appropriate; for instance, we don’t want to give people a pretense to carry weapons in the parkway.  Furthermore, there are dozens of places to play softball and soccer in greater Sacramento.  According to the 1985 plan, the American River Parkway is specifically reserved for those activities which cannot be found elsewhere in the Sacramento urban area.

Q.   Aren’t there other places to go mountain biking in Sacramento?

A.   Not near downtown.  The most popular local trails for off-road bicycling are in Auburn and around Folsom Lake.  The shared use dirt trails around Lake Natoma are also legal.

Q.   Aren’t mountain bikes environmentally damaging?

A.   Even creating a path for walking is environmentally damaging.  Studies in New Zealand, New Jersey and elsewhere show that mountain bike tires and boot treads have about the same impact.  Trail steepness, soil type and amount of use were bigger factors in environmental damage than tires vs. treads.  The lower American River is mostly flat, which means erosion should be minimal.  Over the past 20 years, mountain biking groups have learned how to build trails which are fun to ride, but that are also easy on the environment. IMBA, the International Mountain Bike Association, has trail care crews touring the globe showing how to build and fix trails.  The crews have visited needy trails all over North America, and came to Sacramento in 2003.

Q.   What about conflicts between mountain bikes and other trail users?

A.   Appropriate trail construction techniques alleviate potential conflicts between bikers, hikers, equestrians and others.  The concept of "multi-use" trails has been implemented and accepted all around the world.  But bad judgment cannot be legislated, and any parkway user is capable of bad judgment.   By keeping mountain biking illegal, we may actually attract the folks more likely to use bad judgment, and deter the ones more likely to be polite and law abiding.  Times have changed, and mountain biking has gone mainstream.  We are your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, even your parents or your grandparents.   Allow us to put our best foot forward.

A.   According to the October, 2000 survey done by JD Franz Research for the Sacramento County In-Line Skating Task Force, the percentage of Parkway users who said they had ever rode a horse in the Parkway varied from .4 of one percent in the winter to a high of 1.8 percent in the Spring.  Truth is, even fewer equestrians use the Parkway west of Watt Avenue; there is very little property zoned for horses in the City of Sacramento.  Bikers accounted for 80-90 percent of the users surveyed by Franz.

A.   The American River Parkway Plan must be amended to remove the specific prohibitions on off-road bicycle facilities.  The County began the lengthy process to update the Parkway Plan in 2002.  There is still about a year to go.  Read the latest news on the Parkway situation here. 

Q.   What is SAMBA?

A.   A grassroots group of local citizens who would like to scale back the overly-broad restrictions on bicycle use in the American River Parkway.  We understand that with new liberties would come responsibilities, which include trail maintenance and responsible use.  We feel there are resources available in the off-road biking community, and internationally, which can facilitate the construction of high-quality off-road cycling trails.  Having such opportunities in the Sacramento downtown area would increase the recreational opportunities for some 1 million people who live near the Parkway, and possibly lead to healthier lifestyles for some of them.  The construction of a modest off-road bicycle trail network in the Parkway would also be a powerful boost for tourism and the economic health of the Sacramento region.

A.   In a lot of ways. 

• A new way for people to learn about and experience the beauty and diversity of our lower American River region, which will lead to better stewardship of the river environment.
• More car-free recreation options for families.
• More healthy recreation options for our increasingly sedentary and overweight youth.
• More environmentally friendly options for commuting into downtown.
• Increased protection feeling of safety in the lower Parkway because of more legitimate users nearby.
• More recreation options for Sacramento tourists, possibly prompting return visits.
• More lunch-hour recreation options for Sacramento workers.
• Steadier business for cafes, stores, bike shops, situated anywhere near the American River.
• Cleaner air from fewer bikers driving to Auburn and Folsom to ride, less car commuting, etc.
• More gate revenues for additional Parkway improvements

Q.    What else is afoot in the American River Parkway?

A.   The old landfill at 28^th and A streets has been reborn as Sutter’s Landing Regional Park.  The large multi-use building is currently being used by skateboarders.  Forty years of city refuse makes a grassy mound more than 60 feet above sea level; the highest point in the city.  It is currently off limits due to off-gassing and settling.  The city has opened part of the "Two Rivers Trail" linking “Tiscornia Park” (the beach area on the south side of the American river at its confluence with the Sacramento River, across from Discovery Park) with 12th street.  The trail currently ends there.  Ultimately, it may go all the way to California State University, Sacramento. The updated American River Parkway Plan, when finally approved, will do much to "activate" areas of the Parkway which currently don't see much use, particularly between Cal Expo and Discovery Park.

A.      Check the latest stats from the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) to see how bicycles are big business.