Trail Labs April 2020
Registration is NOW CLOSED for the October 23-25, 2019 event.
IMBA Trail Labs are two-day intensive workshops during which IMBA staff and local experts and stakeholders lead participants through the recipe for a model community trail system: planning, design, building, activation, promotion and measuring success. Attendees will also get a firsthand look at components of an intentional and diverse mountain bike trails community.
People who should attend are land managers, tourism and recreation professionals, community officials and local trail organizations. In addition to providing you with the knowledge you need to get started making great trails happen locally, we will also help you identify the specific next steps needed to bring more trails to your own backyards.
The cost to attend is $600, which includes registration, breakfast and lunch, shuttles for field workshops and evening festivities. Scholarships are available, please contact James Clark for scholarship details.
This event is designed to help attendees learn about the benefits and challenges the community in Northwest Arkansas have experienced from their targeted focus and investment in trails. A key element of the Trail Lab is to have the local stakeholders—such as parks and recreation, tourism and economic development—all present and involved in the workshop so you get the interact with and hear from them directly.
Space is limited to the first 40 registrants. Note that afternoon site visits will be walking and talking tours. You will be ready to build trails, but we will not get our hands dirty during this event (no trail building). You will also not be returning home with a complete, detailed trails plan, but our goal is for you to gain the knowledge and understand the resources needed to begin creating a site-specific trails plan for to your community.
REGISTER
Schedule
(please note this schedule is subject to change)
Wednesday, October 23
- 5 - 8 pm Welcome reception @ Bike Rack Brewing, 801 SE 8th Street #61, Bentonville
Thursday, October 24
- 7 am - 1 pm Classroom workshop @ Walmart Museum
- 1 - 4 pm Field sessions @ Local Trail Systems (shuttles will be provided)
- 5:30 - 7 pm Optional MTB Ride @ Town Square (Guides will be provided)
Friday, October 25
- 7 am - 12:30 pm Classroom workshop @ Walmart Museum
- 12:30 - 2 pm Field sessions @ Local Trail Systems (shuttles will be provided)
- 2 - 3:30 pm Classroom Trail Planning session @ Walmart Museum
- 3:30 - 4 pm Closing Plenary @ Walmart Museum
- 4:30 - 6 pm Happy Hour @ Walmart Museum World Room
Get there and enjoy Bentonville
TRAVEL
- Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, Bentonville
- Tulsa International Airport, Oklahoma (2-hour drive)
- Springfield National Airport, Missouri (2-hour drive)
Do not fly into Little Rock, AR, if possible. It’s much farther away.
Greyhound Shuttles from the Airports
From Springfield, MO, and Tulsa, OK, to Bentonville/Rogers, AR
$30.00 to $60.00 | Book on the Greyhound website
EXPLORE
Enjoy a revitalized downtown square, historic areas, world-class art museums, and an abundance of paved-path and singletrack bicycling options. And bring your appetite; Bentonville is a great destination for foodies. The Wall Street Journal named Bentonville as one of its up-and-coming culinary scenes in 2014 and it has only flourished since then. Explore all that Bentonville has to offer.
LODGING
Suggested lodging
- Towneplace Suites Bentonville Rogers
- Comfort Suites Bentonville Rogers
- DoubleTree by Hilton Bentonville
BIKE RENTALS/SHIPPING
Renting:
Bikes can be rented locally. Please note you need to select a specific location with each of these retailers. It is strongly recommended that you reserve a rental before you arrive.
Shipping:
Bikes can be shipped to your lodging destination with BikeFlights
Outerbike:
Come for Trail Labs, stay for OuterBike & save 50%! Register for Trail Labs and get half off your OuterBike pass.
