On Saturday, Nov. 2, 12 P.M., a group of approximately 200 mountain bikers gathered at the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais, protesting to “liberate Tam.” They contested a recent lawsuit from environmental groups that halted a proposed pilot program which would allow for more bike trail access. The lawsuit, citing environmental concerns, prompted attendees to advocate for balanced trail access for all users.
For over two years, the Marin Municipal Water District and prominent mountain biking figures had been working on a compromise with three environmental organizations: the California Native Plant Society, the Marin Audubon Society, and the Marin Conservation League. The project aimed to create a pilot program to open 6.5 miles of trails to mountain bikers, some for e-bikers, throughout the Mount Tamalpais Watershed. However, the day before the trails were planned to open to the public, the three organizations filed a lawsuit against the water district to halt the project.
The lawsuit cited environmental concerns expressing worries about potential damage to native species and plants, arguing that the project violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The organizations also cited safety concerns, fearful that bike access to certain trails may endanger hikers and other trail users. However, Access For Bikes (A4B) Executive Director Vernon Huffman added that hikers can access outside the trail boundaries, questioning the environmental organizations’ stance.
“You talk about habitat fragmentation, and about impacts to animals and plants and fish and wildlife. Why don’t you come out against off-trail hiking? You can hike anywhere on the watershed,” Huffman said.
The rally began as a rumor that circulated throughout social media and word of mouth. It gained support from key figures in the mountain biking community, including members of the A4B program.
The presence of Instagram influencer @nrml_mtber, known just as Sebastian online to preserve his anonymity, has over 350,000 followers on Instagram and helped draw a larger crowd by posting about it on his Instagram story. Although he no longer lives in Marin County, he felt it was important to attend to boost visibility and representation for mountain bikers in the area’s trail system—something he believes is long overdue.
“I really don’t know who organized this. I just saw a sign on the internet, and thought it sounded cool. I had a bunch of friends that were coming here as well,” Sebastian said.
The event featured speeches made by Huffman and A4B Head of Advocacy Bill Keene, who emphasized the importance of collaboration among trail users.
“We are the modern recreationists. We are modern conservationists. We’re going to fill that void, and take back Tam,” Huffman said in his speech.
After the speeches concluded, attendees began echoing this sentiment, chanting “liberate Tam,” the rally’s unofficial title.
Mountain biking has been on the rise globally in the past several years. According to Dynamic Cycling Adventures, “over the past ten years, use of mountain bike trails has increased annually by an average of 100%.” Sebastian believes that this rise should warrant greater trail access.
“It’s not 1975 anymore. The year is 2024, and bikes are not a rare thing in the world. And when you see more bikes on the trails than you see hikers it’s kind of a pretty obvious point that maybe we should open up more trails [for bikers],” Sebastian said.
This decision to halt the pilot program may also have implications for the Archie Williams mountain biking team. Bill Engelhardt, an attendee at the rally and team coach, highlighted the importance of new trails for training.
“Right now, [the Archie Williams mountain biking team] trains on fire roads, but we don’t race on fire roads. We race on single-track [trails]. So there isn’t very much around Marin for the team to be able to practice,” Engelhardt said.
Senior team member Elliott Garneau attended the rally, hoping that the protest would raise awareness and potentially change the minds of those opposing the project. He expressed excitement about the possibility of new trails, saying it would enhance the team’s experience.
“Trails being open would definitely help out,” he said. “I’m just trying to advocate for more trail access, which would… allow us to do a lot more.”
As the rally concluded, attendees rode their bikes down the mountain. With their voices united, the mountain biking community seeks a solution that balances recreation with conservation efforts in the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, promoting the call to “liberate Tam.”
