Towns to Trails Plan: West

Project Description: The Eastern Sierra Regional Trail System and Jobs Creation project - the official name of this Sierra Jobs First funded project - explored opportunities to complete a Westside Towns to Trails Plan which will connect with an Eastside Towns to Trails Plan finalized by the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments in the spring of 2025. The Westside Trails Plan identified opportunities to connect four westside counties in the Sierra Jobs First Region to each other, their communities, and their public lands, and then to three eastside counties via the completed Eastside Towns to Trails Plan. Opportunities exist to extend the Westside Trails Plan into the Central San Joaquin Valley Jobs First Region and to Yosemite National Park in future. Employing the same methodology as the Eastside Towns to Trails Plan, the Westside Trails Plan focused on existing infrastructure to provide connectivity by collecting data on current trail and system road infrastructure, developing potential routes, and identifying environmental planning needs. A regional trail system connecting both sides of the High Sierra would support recreation, tourism, and economic development throughout the seven-county Sierra Jobs First Region by creating connections between gateway communities and their public land recreation opportunities.

Catalyst Project Outcomes

Towns to Trails - Western Sierra Towns to Trails Plan

The Western Sierra Towns to Trails Plan identifies a route that connects towns and communities to public lands, following about ~300 miles of roads and trails from South Lake Tahoe to Mariposa through the western Sierra Nevada. The route highlights the area’s Gold Rush-era mining and timber history.

TOWNS TO TRAILS WEBSITE - COMING SOON

From mountain communities to the wide-open high desert, this web platform will highlight the Towns to Trails experience across landscapes and public lands, using existing soft-surface roads and trails that connect communities throughout the High Sierra region to envision a more connected future.

Catalyst Project Background Materials

TOWNS TO TRAILS: EAST

Conducted from December 2022 - April 2025, the Eastside Towns to Trails Plan is a feasibility study that analyzed approximately 350 miles of existing infrastructure connecting commmunities from Lone Pine to South Lake Tahoe, and linking front county towns in Alpine, Mono, and Inyo Counties.

Explore Act Passes And Will Become Law!

After nearly a decade of work from the outdoor community, the EXPLORE Act, a bipartisan recreation policy package, passed through Congress in December 2024. The passage of EXPLORE sent a clear message that outdoor recreation and our public lands are bipartisan priorities.

In Support of Long-Distance Trails

IMBA has been working with its IMBA local partners, corporate partners and other organizations to get the BOLT Act passed since its ideation in 2018 and original introduction in 2021. BOLT identifies at least 10 existing long-distance bike trails and at least 10 areas to develop or complete such trails.

Biking on Long Distance Trails Act

Click to read the full text of the original Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act, a bill to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop long-distance bike trails on Federal land, and for other purposes.

Catalyst Project Development

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Click to view the initial proposal for the Eastern Sierra Regional Trail System and Jobs Creation project, including applicant, project, and funding information alongside project alignment with California Jobs First goals and project management details.

SIERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL CATALYST PROJECT WEB PAGE

The Sierra Business Council has created a web page for this specific project. Access their web page for specific information on the amount of the Jobs First Catalyst award, project partners, counties of impact, and the project description as awarded by the Sierra Jobs First Governing Council.

Last updated September 29, 2026

This project is funded by Sierra Jobs First and created to support the initiative’s mission of creating a community-led, climate-neutral, inclusive future for our industry in the Sierra region. Through our partnership with Sierra Business Council, regional conveners and fiscal administrators for California Jobs First in the Sierra region, we provide industry-specific assistance that supports job growth, inclusive workforce development, and economic resilience, while protecting our region’s natural lands and vibrant communities.