ABOUT PTBA
PTBA is the trade association for the trail industry representing professional trail contractors, designers, and consultants. PTBA currently represents 130+ private sector companies who employ ~2000 trailbuilders worldwide.
As an organization, PTBA works to:
Support the community of PTBA Member Companies
Promote quality and professionalism in the trail industry
Inspire and engage the next generation of trail professionals
In 2023, PTBA Member Companies:
Worked 2.35 million hours on trails
Built 1,500 miles of trail
Designed 2,700 miles of trail
Built 120 bike parks
Provided 180 Trail Trainings
Produced 165 trail master plans
Built 21,000 feet of bridge
A Growing Trail Industry
PTBA Member Companies are on a growth trajectory. In the last 5 years, they have seen 400% growth in gross revenue and 112% growth in employees.
Even though PTBA is a subset of the trail industry, this data represents an increase in investment in trails and a professionalization of our industry.
Data source: PTBA Member Company annual surveys
2024 Sustainable Trails Conference
March 19-21, 2024
Lake Lanier, GA
370 trail professionals from joined the 2024 conference for:
Concurrent sessions, roundtable discussions, and outdoor learning with a focus on technical trails training
Networking and social events
The most dynamic Dirt Demo yet
Beautiful natural surroundings
Pre- and Post-Conference workshops (optional)
The Trail Skills Project
The Trail Skills Project serves as the workforce hub for the trails community providing connections to trails education, trail expertise, professional development, and job opportunities.
PTBA has taken a leadership role in developing the Trail Competency Framework and the competency skills breakout (coming soon) with American Trails, the US Forest Services, the Federal Highway Administration, National Park Services, the Bureau of Land Management, National Trail System, Northern Vermont University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, the Corps Network, and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.
PTBA WEBINAR SERIES
PTBA offers webinars each year as part of American Trails’ Advancing Trails Webinar Series.
Approvals, Permits and Compliance: Navigating the regulator waters from trail plan through construction
November 2, 2023 - View Recording on YouTube
Trail Planning and Design: Foundations of Success
December 7, 2023 - View Recording on YouTube
Risk Management During Trail Construction
January 11, 2024 - View Recording on YouTube
Trail Assessment for Accessibility and Sustainability
February 29, 2024 - View Recording on YouTube
APPLY TO BE A PTBA MEMBER COMPANY
2019 New Member Companies voted in at the 2019 Member Meeting.
PTBA is a trade association for the trail industry representing private-sector companies. All member company applicants must have a PTBA Member Company Sponsor and demonstrate a high level of professionalism, quality, and experience in trails. All member company applicants submit an online portfolio that is reviewed and vetted by the PTBA membership at large.