The Wilderness act was passed before mountain bikes existed. In the earliest days of mountain biking, riders did in fact ride trails both in and out of wilderness, as it was legal at the time. Because the word “mechanized”, not “motorized”, was used in the act, it was later determined that mountain bikes were mechanized, and therefore illegal in designated Wilderness. This is a strict reading of the law. Personally, I think a strict reading would also eliminate “permanent structures” like trail signs, bridges, and even the trails themselves. And don’t even get me started on the cows…

I’d just like to see true Wilderness get a little tougher (i.e. no cows, etc). And I’d like to see a Wilderness Lite (or Wilderness B), where some pretty unobtrusive things like bikes and climbing bolts and trail running races and a whole host of other things will be allowed, while preventing development, dirtbikes, ATV’s, and yeah, even my beloved snowmobile

Do you know what the reasoning is behind that? As a wilderness advocate and hiker, I think mountain bikes are OK in the Wilderness as long as they are on established trails. What I don’t like to see is mechanized travel.

Maybe the law needs to be tweaked.