Each summer, NWTA hosts SHIFT (St. Helens International Festival of Trails), a weekend stewardship campout centered around trail work, mountain biking, community, and fun. 2026 marks the 16th year of this beloved event, known in its early days as Helens Fest. The tradition continues as volunteers dedicate their time, energy, and passion to maintaining these … Read More
NWTA recently hosted a special “Ride with a Forester” group ride at Rocky Point Trails in the Tualatin Mountain Forest, led by Jake Barker, Oregon State University Extension Forester. The event brought riders together for a unique opportunity to experience the forest from both a recreational and ecological perspective. Throughout the ride, Jake guided participants … Read More
For many people, the first step toward becoming a trail steward isn’t picking up a McLeod. It’s simply spending time outdoors, riding a bike, and discovering why these places matter. That spirit was on full display at Chehalem Ridge Nature Park on May 30, when Northwest Trail Alliance partnered with Adelante Mujeres, a Forest Grove … Read More
When I joined up with ten or so fellow NWTA members at our first “Ride with an Ecologist” event at Powell Butte this past Wednesday, it wasn’t my first time at Southeast Portland’s enormous Nature Park. I’ve cleaned drains and brushed along its lower east-side trails at NWTA dig days, where the huge firs give … Read More
NW Trail Sisters welcomed a group of women riders to Sandy Ridge on May 16th for a beginner-friendly mountain bike ride focused on building confidence, creating connections, and helping newer riders feel at home on the trails. The event brought together eight women riders for an evening filled with encouragement, progression, and plenty of shared … Read More
NWTA volunteers continued progress on an important trail re-route project at Henry Hagg Lake on May 24th, with a focused day of trail improvement work aimed at enhancing both sustainability and rider experience. A crew of nine volunteers spent the day tackling several key projects along the west side of the lake, continuing efforts to … Read More
Though the clouds last Thursday had plenty to say, fortunately, the skies briefly parted for this year’s Ride Leader Training at Tualatin Mountain Forest (formerly Rocky Point). You may know NWTA has a long history of leading social or “group” rides throughout our service area, and maybe you’ve even joined one, and thought to yourself, … Read More
Northwest Trail Alliance and NW Trail Sisters came together at Sandy Ridge on May 2nd to celebrate International Women’s Mountain Biking Day with a day centered around trail stewardship, community, and getting more women involved in mountain biking and trail building. The event brought together approximately 70 attendees, including 10 dedicated trail work volunteers, for … Read More
In April, staff from the Oregon State University (OSU) Research Forests and OSU Forestry Extension hosted an educational tour of active harvest operations in the Tualatin Mountain Research Forest (Rocky Point trail system) in collaboration with NWTA. The event gave NWTA community members a behind-the-scenes look at the how and why of harvest operations and … Read More
NWTA’s annual CLIMB Campout once again brought together an incredible mix of trail work, riding, camping, and community for a weekend that perfectly captured what NWTA is all about. With perfect weather, more than 50 attendees, and a campground full of mountain bikers willing to make questionable decisions under headlamps, this year’s campout delivered a … Read More