Advocate

The Jersey Off Road Bicycle Associations represents NJ’s mountain bikers. We advocate;

• All trails should be sustainable. Existing trails and roads should be upgraded ASAP. If they can’t be made sustainable they should be re-routed to accomplish this.
• Most trails should be multi-use by default. That said, we support single use trails for a unique experience(s) e.g. the Appalachian Trail, or a bicycle flow trail
• Every park that has hiking only trails should have mountain bike only trails.
• All existing woods roads should be multi-use. This includes un-mapped double track.
• Existing trail networks should be reorganized into stacked loops based on difficulty. Initially by blazing if possible, additionally by adding new trails.
• Where possible trails and trail heads, should connect people, places and parks.
• Overnight camping along leave no trace ethics should be allowed and encouraged.

Latest Advocacy News

• The Festival is Cancelled
  The weather is trending the wrong way, and we’ve come to the unfortunate conclusion that the 2023 NJ Mountain Bike Festival scheduled for September 24 is canceled. This is not a decision we took lightly, but felt it was best for the safety of our riders, vendors, venue, and volunteers. If you registered through BikeReg, … Read more
• Provide Input on Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan
  DEP Urges Public to Provide Input on Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Department is Committed to Robust Plan that Provides Equitable Recreational Opportunities for New Jersey’s Diverse Residents TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is announcing the start of a 30-day public comment period for the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) for … Read more
• The Hilltop Grasshopper Kids Bike Race
  The 12th running (riding) of the Grasshopper is in the books and we want to thank all who came out to make it a good day for kids on bikes Parents thanks for finding this kid’s bike event. Volunteers, lots of them, thanks for support. Cyclecraft made sure it was a safe biking day and … Read more
• Henry Hudson Trail Extension in Monmouth County Meeting 8/29.
  The County Park System’s acquisition of property in downtown Freehold provides an opportunity to extendthe Henry Hudson Trail into the county seat of Monmouth County. The trail follows a former rail line andwill be extended from its current terminus at County Route 537 (East Main Street) to the Freehold HubSite, a 19-acre acre property in … Read more
• Ryerson Lot Closed for Repairs 8/12.
  The Ryerson School Parking lot will be closed for repairs by Ringwood DPW August 12th. Please use the free parking in Ringwood State Park
• Sterling Forest Trail Build Sunday
  Join us Sunday, August 6th 8:30-12;30.
• Deer Park Road Closed
  Deer Park Road in Allamuchy is closed until further notice. This post will be updated with further information as we receive it.
• Black Run Preserve Poker Run
  Win prizes while helping to raise money in support of Friends of the Black Run Preserve
• Tell us how to spend funding for outdoor recreation in NJ!
  You are invited to help plan for parks and open spaces in your neighborhood!New Jersey, with its Outside, Together! partnership, wants your input as we update the State’s five-year Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.Please take this short, 10-minute survey to help us decide how we plan for and improve the open space and parks in your … Read more
• Auction to Support Palisades MTB Projects
• Marty Con Proceeds to Support JORBA’s New Green Rock Trail in Stephens
• Auction to Support the New Green Rock Trail in Stephens
  We are raising funds for a new professionally built trail is Stephens. All proceeds from this auction benefit the new Green Rock Trail in Stephens. Available for pick up at Marty Con. Even if you aren’t interested in these products, you can still support the project by making a donation below.
• Palisades MTB Information Session, Mingle, and Fundraiser
  Please join us on Thursday, April 13th, 2023 at Giovanni’s Bicycle Club in Englewood Cliffs for an evening of information on our current and new projects. This is a great opportunity to get informed while meeting fellow mountain bikers and trail users. Appetizers will be served and a cash bar will be open. There will be a fundraiser with … Read more
• JORBA in the News
• Sourland Bridge Repaired
  Bridge repairs went well but the dusting of snow made it interesting to find the bad boards.  There’s a lot of leftover lumber too so we will continue in the spring.
• Know Before You Go
  It’s that time of year again, this is the season where trail conditions are changing daily. Some are thawing out fast as the sun shines while others are closing down with muddy conditions. Now is the perfect time to update trail conditions on Trailforks. A lot of our local riders tend to know their area dry patterns, … Read more
• Sourland Trail Day November 19th
• Stags Adaptive MTB Ribbon Cutting
• Advocacy Alert: NY DEC Seeks Comments
  For Immediate Release: 10/26/2022 Contact: Stephanie Mossey | (845) 256-3154Stephanie.Mossey@dec.ny.gov DEC ENCOURAGES NEW YORKERS TO COMMENT ON DRAFT EAST OF HUDSON UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN Dec. 22 Deadline for Public Comments on Proposed Management Actions. DEC to Host Public Meetings on the Draft Plan Nov. 16 and 22. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) … Read more
• Advocacy Alert: Help Fund a World class BMX Dirt Jump Park in NYC.
  We have a huge opportunity from the city to bring in fresh clay and really develop the space into a world class BMX dirt jump park at Highbridge in NYC. The much improved resiliency of this material will free up a considerable amount of our maintenance capacity which will be better spent maintaining and improving … Read more
• High Bridge Flow Trails Receive GoHunterton Award
  Avid Trails, High Bridge Borough, the Jersey Off Road Bicycling Association (JORBA) and numerous community volunteers came together to create the High Bridge Flow Trails, New Jersey’s first downhill mountain biking trails on public land.
• Lewis Morris Trail Work October 15, 2022
• High Bridge Flow Trail Closure
  Emerald Ash Borers have forced the closure of the High Bridge Flow trails and pump track. Dead and dying ash trees in the vicinity of the trails and pump track pose a serious risk to users of the trails. Please stay out until the hazardous trees are removed.
• Allamuchy Trail Work Saturday 9/24
• Stephens Trail Maintenance Sunday 9/18
• Stags Stage 1 is Complete
• Festival T-Shirt Fundraiser
• Ringwood Trails and Tourism Survey
  Ringwood Economic Sustainability Trails & Tourism Plan is seeking input input from community members on issues related to walking and biking in Ringwood. We have created an Online Survey and Input Map available on the project website where members of the community can tell us about how they get around the borough, what they would like to see improved, … Read more
• Ringwood Ramapo Reroute 2022.08.27
• Allamuchy Lumpy Bumpy Trail Work
• NJ Mountain Bike Festival Registration is Live
• Grasshopper Kid’s Bike Race, August 13, YES KIDS ARE RACING!!
  The Hilltop Grasshopper Kids Bike Race is coming soon at the new location in Cedar Grove below the new Community Center on Fairview Avenue. August 13 at 0900 is the first start time for PRE K – Grade 1 Sign up right now at this link to Bike Reg http://www.bikereg.com/grasshopper-kids-bike-race-11th-annual All the details are included … Read more
• Dickerson Mine Brush Back Aug 2 at 5 PM
• High Bridge Flow Trails in the News
  The secret is out, High Bridge flow trails are fun. But they don’t happen without your support, please consider making a donation to the High Bridge Flow Trails, and if you’d like to see more of these trails near you please join JORBA. Read the full article here. Story also ran in all the NJ … Read more
• JORBA Receives Two for the Trails Grant From Athletic Brewing
  Stags Project JORBA’s Stag project in Jungle Habitat receives the Two for the trails grant from Athletic Brewing. Athletic Brewing The great outdoors is Athletic Brewing’s favorite place to be with an ice-cold brew. They created their Two For The Trails program to make an impact – Athletic Brewing donates 2% of all sales to … Read more
• Progress on Stags Tapawingo in Jungle
  The Stags section of Tapawingo is nearing completion.
• Wharton State Forest Trails Status
  As you probably have heard, Wharton State Forest was severely impacted last week by a wildfire that was started by an illegal campfire set along the Mullica River.   As a result, all recreational trails along the Mullica and Batsto Rivers between Atsion and Batsto Village suffered significant damage. State Park Service staff and volunteers … Read more
• Wharton State Forest Chapter Trail Maintenance Schedule 2022-2023
  For the Batsto Area MTB Trails Volunteer Trail Maintenance is done under the supervision of Wharton staff. Maintenance includes: brush backs, blowdown removal and trail tread repair. RSVP to wharton@jorba.org for the meeting/maintenance location. Please bring water, gloves, suitable footwear and a sense of humor. You will be required to complete and sign a waiver. … Read more
• Work Starts on Stags
• Flow Control on the Commons
• Augusta Mine Trail Nearing Completion
• NYNJTC Tread Construction And Repair Workshop
• JORBA is a Santa Cruz PayDirt Recipient
  Santa Cruz’s PayDirt initiative has named 11 organizations as the new funding recipients for 2022. Encompassing a wide variety of projects—from mountain bike mentorship programs to adaptive trail- and kid-focused trail building to all-weather trail networks. The new PayDirt recipients are stand-out additions to the program’s $1 million pledge to fund projects that create and … Read more
• Pearl iZUMi Supports JORBA with the 501 Trail Pledge
• Mobilization for Stags Starts May 19, 2022
• JORBA Awarded Fox Factory Trail Trust Grant
  The grant was awarded for Stags, NJ’s first adaptive mountain bike trail. Stags will be New Jersey’s first accessible trail for adaptive riders. Originally conceived as a reroute around an unsustainable section of the legacy Hewitt-Butler trail in Jungle Habitat, Stags was designed to reduce the number of turns to avoid building separate trails for … Read more
• Join Us for BIKEPassaicCounty’s Public Meeting: 5/11 (Wed) at 6pm
• Don’t Drop OTB (Off the Back)!
  Get the latest news, updates, alerts, carrier pigeons, trail builds, and other assorted New Jersey bike-related information by signing up for our FREE newsletter.
• Palisades MTB Spring Update
  Trail building training starts this March in Sterling Forest. (See below) Completion of the Upper Dwarskill Crossing in Alpine, NJ.  Continuing our work on Augusta Mine in Sterling Forest. Work on Redback Connector in Sterling starts in April. (We need funds for this project, see below).  Start of Takamak Long Path Bridge rebuilding in Blauvelt, NY.  … Read more
• Black Run Preserve Poker Run
  Come out and experience some of South Jersey’s JORBA work, which is part of the (JAR) Jersey Action Riders/Cherry Hill Chapter. Click the link for more details.
• High Mountain Meeting Update
  Trail counts: University Drive Trailhead: 4/7/21 to 3/2/22 Total: 14,932 Daily Average: 45 Reservoir Drive Red Trailhead: 4/2/21 to 3/2/22 Total: 5,767 Daily Average: 17 Here are the Highlights from Mondays meeting: Updates: New trail signs being made New trail map is being made to include mt bike trails, shared draft We agreed that e … Read more
• Membership, Volunteering, & Donations
  JORBA needs people. JORBA needs you.
• New Executive Committee Members
  The EC has voted in two new members, please welcome William Romollino and Norm Zurawski. We look forward to working with them.
• Sourland Mountain Preserve Park Report 2021
  2021 was a slower than normal year for trail work at the Sourlands due to the on-going pandemic, but also because all of the good sustainable work put in during prior years. The big project this year was a complete re-blazing of all the trails within the park. JORBA was not involved in this process … Read more
• JORBA Officer Elections 2022
  Tom HenniganPresident, Chairman Ken SeebeckExecutive Director, CEO Dave ClarkTreasurer Jason FletcherSecretary Mike ConfentiVice President Board Members and Staff
• Trail Planning and Design Hub
  Our colleagues at American Trails have put together a list of resources for trail planning and design. Please check it out.
• Wildcat Ridge WMA Chapter Report 2021
  The Wildcat Ridge WMA chapter of JORBA remains active. In 2020-2021 there was a joint effort with the NYNJTC to replace a dilapidated bridge across a brook within the WMA. This effort was completed and benefitted all trail users  as well as building good will between the two organizations. Due to above normal rainfall, vegetation … Read more
• Allamuchy Trail Review 2021
  268 hours Completed 4 Bump Alt. – Lumpy Bumpy re-route Rock armored wet sections of ‘Unblazed’ Trail on way up to 4 Bump Heavy tree removal throughout the year Extensive ‘brush-back’ at Deer Park and the Tranquility side of park Re-route of ‘Unblazed’ trail off the Orange Trail (closest to Rt. 80) Re-route wet section … Read more
• JORBA Board Meeting 2/16 7:30 p.m.
  Location:JORBA Board MeetingWednesday, February 16 · 7:30 – 9:00pmGoogle Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/nyv-aqif-yhjOr dial: ‪(US) +1 314-480-3654‬ PIN: ‪484 411 970‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/nyv-aqif-yhj?pin=3848620288047 Date:Wednesday February 16, 2022 7:30 p.m. Meeting Details We need to make a quorum, please register here. The event is open to all but voting is limited to board … Read more
• Please complete Bike Passaic County Questionnaire by January 31, 2022.
  Fill out the questionnaire Bike Passaic County questionnaire is closing on January 31, 2022 (Monday). Please share the questionnaire link or the graphic below with your friends, family, coworkers! Your input is critical as we identify what is working and the gaps in the existing bicycle network and develop recommendations for improving bicycling in Passaic County. 
• Let’s Find a Time for JORBA’s Annual Board Meeting
  Please let us know when you are available by completing the form below. Loading…
• Use Route Planner to Plan Trails in Trailforks
• Add a Waypoint in Trailforks
• Save a Map View in Trailforks
• Join the BIKEPassaicCounty’s Public Meeting: 12/8 (Wed) at 6pm
  The first public meeting for Passaic County’s first Bicycle Master Plan will be held on Wednesday, December 8, 6:00-7:30pm on Zoom. You can access the Zoom webinar link at publicinput.com/bikepassaiccounty 
• Thanksgiving Poem
  Thanksgiving is here and we wanted to say We’re grateful for our members in every way
• The Dirt Fall 2021
• COMPLETE STREETS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
  Sustainable Jersey, the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and Together North Jersey are offering free technical assistance to support implementation of complete streets at the municipal level. Complete streets are streets designed for all users, all modes of transportation and all ability levels. They balance the needs of drivers, … Read more
• NJ will fund Essex-Hudson Trail
  In case you haven’t seen the news yet: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/essex/montclair/2021/11/12/essex-hudson-bike-walk-trail-montclair-jersey-city-nj/6390837001/  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtk0eH0_YHE  https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/status/1459154256754270210  Please make sure you comment, share, tweet, and @ Gov Murphy letting him know how wonderful this is! 
• Bike Passaic County
  Give your ideas on the future of biking in Passaic County
• NJ Mountain Bike Festival
• Ida dunno what hit us, but we’re on it.
  JORBA crews replaced lost bridges at Six Mile Run.
• Sterling Forest Augusta Trail Fundraising
  Sterling Forest Augusta Trail The new trail in Sterling Forest needs your help to make it happen. You’ve heard about the new trail in Sterling Forest that JORBA Chapter Palisades MTB has been working on. Now you to make it happen. Your donation goes directly towards hiring a professional trail building company to expedite the … Read more
• Mechanized Training
  Northstar Contracting, King Trail Alliance and Marty’s Reliable Cycle have provided some training to JORBA equipment operators. Congratulations to Jason Fenton Art White Jeremy Klopper Tom Pannorfi Ken Seebeck Sandy Chapman Chris Chapman Marc Perez for succesfully completing the course. Mechanized Training After a safety briefing the training agenda included loading and unloading the JORBA Mini ex … Read more
• Regional News: CLIMB Long Island
  CLIMB is very busy building two more bike park projects. One is a BMX oriented park with two pump tracks, dirt jumps and a flow trail. The other project is at Hempstead Harbor Woods where we are building 2 additional miles through adjacent NY DEC wetlands where we are almost finished with 3/4 miles of … Read more
• Regional News: NYCMTB Second Saturdays @ Highbridge Bike Park
  Build mountain bike trails and then ride them during NYCMTB’s monthly welcome days at Highbridge park in Manhattan. Bring your friends and family for a day of fun in the woods and learn what it takes to build, maintain, and ride the most progressive urban bike park in America. Multiple Dates
• Regional News: NYCMTB
  The New York City Mountain Biking Association is building a new 1,800-foot trail, the Fort George Connection, in Highbridge Park where Manhattan’s only legal mountain bike trail network is found. The trail will act as a major junction, connecting three existing trails across the upper and lower sections of the park. This vital link between … Read more
• High Mountain Blazing and Signage
  The Nature Conservancy looking for help adopting the mountain bike trails at HIgh Mountain. Do all the trails need blazing or is signage at the intersections enough? Should signage include difficulty level? Should blazes be colors, or trail names? Are there any trails that should be one way? If you have any comments or ideas … Read more
• 2021 New Jersey Trails & Greenways Summit
  New Jersey’s first-ever Trails & Greenways Summit will be kicking off with a variety of webinars on September 22nd and continuing the 23rd, with weekend mobile workshops hosted by bicycle clubs and nonprofit organizations across the state. This FREE virtual summit, sponsored by @NewJerseyDOT and @NewJerseyDEP, is an opportunity to highlight the creation of robust trail and … Read more
• NEW Trail Approval in Sterling Forest State Park
  JORBA Chapter Palisades MTB now has approval to help build 5 miles of new trail in Sterling Forest State Park. PMTB will contract with Tahawus, a professional trail-building company, to speed construction of the new mountain bike optimized trail.  This project will also require volunteers and additional funding to see it through to fruition. If you are interested … Read more
• Wildcat Ridge WMA Bridge – COMPLETED
  From broken to built
• Sterling Forest Volunteer Trail Work
  We need your help. Please sign up and join us for trail work in Sterling Forest State Park this Sunday, July 18th from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. We will be working on Redback to address drainage, erosion and washout. Meeting at Southgate parking lot.  Click below to sign up! 
• Paydirt 2021
  Hello park and chapter reps, Hope you all are doing well and busy working in your parks. I just created the Jorba annual Paydirt volunteer hour log for 2021. If you are comfortable entering your own park hours for your volunteers, email me and I will invite you in for edit privileges. When you do … Read more
• Comment for Public Access Trails Connecting Sterling and Ringwood
  The Watchtower is building a A/V production facility adjacent to Sterling Forest and Ringwood State Park. Let them know you want multi-use public access trails. The property, along Sterling Mine Road, is a potential keystone connecting Ringwood State Park, in NJ, Sterling Forest State Park in NY and Sloatsburg, NY Multi-use Public Access Trails In … Read more
• MTB Survey for Moores Station Quarry
  Mercer County presented the draft master plan for the Quarry at Baldpate and mountain bikers were the #1 user group to respond. The community came through, BIG TIME and the “Adventure Sports” plan was voted for 2 to 1 over the other two options.  Thank you! After reviewing the presentation, you will notice examples of a BIKE PARK.  … Read more
• NEW JERSEY ACTION ALERT: Support the Essex-Hudson Greenway Project!
  A once-in-a-generation opportunity exists to create a nearly nine-mile long linear park and multi-use trail corridor following the abandoned “Old Boonton” rail line between Jersey City and Montclair. When complete, the Essex-Hudson Greenway is expected to create more than 135 acres of new green space and improve options for active transportation and recreation in Northern … Read more
• High Mountain Updates
  The trails listed below will need to be closed to all trail users to help protect endangered species. Some closures will be soft, some will include covering the tread with sticks and leaves other options like planting in the tread will be explored. The rest of the trails will be added as official trails and … Read more
• New JORBA Rep for Mine Hill Chapter
  Please welcome Jeremy Klopper as the new representative for the Mine Hill Chapter of JORBA. Jeremy is taking over for Jason Gonsalves. Jason has been the driving force behind all the trails at Dickerson Mine Preserve, none of which would exist without his tireless efforts building and maintaining them. Thank you Jason.
• 2020 JORBA Chapter Report/Ringwood State Park
  In 2020, the Ringwood Trail Crew recorded 612 volunteer hours. In April, James Bazzano and Tom Pannorfi organized work parties that Park Management permitted, while the Park was technically closed, due to Covid-19 restrictions. Strict mask protocol was observed, and social distancing encouraged. Standout projects include removal of a dilapidated 20+ year old bridge, that … Read more
• Allamuchy Trail Crew Review 2020
  215 hours Constant tree removal throughout the year Rock causeway (wet re-route) completed on White Trail Pink blazing on Lumpy Bumpy Extensive ‘brush-back’ at Deer Park and Tranquility side Kiosk maintenance Bridge repair on Allamuchy Pond Trail Continued closing of rouge trail on the lower Red Trail Lower Four Bump Alternate to Lumpy Bumpy (wet … Read more
• 2021 Jungle Habitat Update
  Because of COVID, we had no large group sessions. Early in the season we did a lot of maintenance, from minor re-routes to clearing of lesser used trails, in particular Fish, Goat, Boulderdash, and Otterslide. After years of work, multiple site visits and collaborating with the NY/NJ Trail Conference, we received approval for the Tapawingo … Read more
• Chapter Report for Lewis Morris
  CHAPTER REPORT FOR LEWIS MORRIS  March 2021  Greg Murray  Synposis:  New Trails Director Amy Lutsko began tenure in second half of 2020. Has carte blanche to design  and implement her vision.  Seeks to revamp Lewis Morris, Pyramid Mountain and Tourne and is drafting a strategic plan.  Current focus on Lewis Morris and Pyramid (latter is … Read more
• Sourlands Chapter Report
  2020 was a quiet year for Trail Maintenance at Sourlands, but a huge year for park use due the pandemic and its consequences.  The Parks Commission suspended VPP for 2020, so no official trail work days for JORBA or volunteers.  The Park Rangers did a good job keeping the trails clear while being taxed by … Read more
• Atlantic County Chapter Report
  Both the “Seaview Tract Trails” and “Estell Manor Park” are governed by the Atlantic County Parks Commission of which we have an outstanding relationship with.  The “Port Trails” are governed by the Port Republic Town Government.  We also have an outstanding relationship with them. We created a Facebook page “Atlantic County MTB Group” in order … Read more
• JORBA Wharton State Forest Chapter 2020 Report
  131 Volunteer Hours The many dead pine trees from the fire of 2017 are still aging and falling. We are keeping up with it.Due to the pandemic, we advertised only one trail work day in 2020. Instead we organized several small socially distanced groups for the large jobs. We also were asking the Wharton regulars … Read more
• New Tool Repair Stand at Sourlands
  New Park Tool Repair Station installed at Sourlands
• Subscribe for what interests you
  We enable grassroots advocacy and trail work statewide, but that doesn’t mean you have to receive information on everything. Subscribe to the areas that interest you.
• Tentative Dates For Allamuchy Trail Work
  Usually 8:30 to 12:30 Sunday March 28thSaturday April 24thSunday May 9thSaturday June 5thSunday July 18thSaturday August 14Sunday September 26Sunday October 24thSunday November 21stDecember TBD Thanks for your support!
• High Mountain Trail Review
  JORBA will be meeting in April with the land managers and conservation experts to review the impact of trail on endangered species. Some trails will need to be closed or rerouted. We will have details of trails affected after.
• New Membership Changes
  We are migrating to CiviCRM. As a result existing JORBA memberships will need to be canceled in PayPal and you will not be auto renewed. We need you to renew your membership online. As part of this process you will be receiving subscription cancellation emails from PayPal. Or-you could really help by logging into your … Read more

Projects in Progress:

Tapawingo West Milford, NJ

JORBA and NYNJTC are jointly building a multiuse trail network adjacent to Jungle Habitat.

Completed Projects:

Commons on the Wye High Bridge, NJ

JORBA, Avid Trails and the Borough of High Bridge, NJ have collaborated to jointly develop NJ’s first public flow trails. Check them out and tell us what you think.

Cherry Hill, NJ