On a recent Saturday morning, hundreds of teens gathered at the Fort Ord Day Camp Cycling Area in East Garrison, in full cycling gear.
Many sat on mountain bikes underneath tents, pedaling in place to warm up for the day’s competition. Others were already tearing up the four-mile course deep in Fort Ord National Monument, vying for position. Various local caterers were serving up lunch for hungry riders, while parent volunteers were stationed throughout the venue, taking on all the various tasks in order for the event to run smoothly.
Fun at the Fort was the first race in the Northern California Interscholastic Cycling League’s series, divided by region throughout the state.
High school and middle school-aged competitors from teams across Central California were in the race, including local teams such as Salinas High School and Monterey Bay Lightfighters Composite.
The strong turnout is indicative of something larger in Monterey County: The youth mountain bike scene is on the rise.
“By every indication, youth mountain biking is growing,” says Peter Berridge, vice president of the Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA).
For roughly two decades, the group of mountain bike enthusiasts has worked to maintain 86 miles of trails within Fort Ord National Monument. But that work would be mostly in vain if there weren’t bikers to actually use them.
MORCA’s mission is to get the next generation not only excited about mountain biking, but instill the importance of conserving outdoor spaces for recreation.
To that end, MORCA annually hosts Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day at Fort Ord in October. Riders and coaches from local middle and high school mountain bike teams lead rides and guide kids on obstacle courses. The event is designed for children from preschool- to middle school-aged, and of all ability levels, whether they are on balance bikes, training wheels or ready for something more advanced.
The Community Bike Collective provides bikes and helmets to those who don’t have their own, making it more accessible.
The 2025 iteration was the biggest ever, according to Berridge, with more than 100 kids registered, but even more showed up.
The benefits of mountain biking are many, Berridge notes—instilling healthy habits, helping build confidence and nurturing a love for the outdoors, which may lead to a desire to steward and protect the land.
“Riding bikes can increase focus, improve mood and improve both physical and mental health,” he says. “It’s an important thing to get kids to spend more time in nature.”
MORCA operates a similar obstacle course every year during the Life Time Sea Otter Classic at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. But these courses are only available for a few days out of the year, and with Berridge noting they have more demand for such activities than capacity, MORCA is in the midst of a three-year-long effort to build a permanent bike park at Laguna Seca.
The park is close to reality, Berridge says, as it has received support from the County of Monterey and Friends of Laguna Seca, the nonprofit in charge of the racetrack and the recreation area that surrounds it, which is expected to formally include it in its facilities master plan later in 2026.
“It’s not a matter of if, but when the bike park comes to fruition,” Berridge says. “Monterey County will have a major new hub for youth outdoor recreation in the form of biking.”
Scott Johnson, an assistant coach with the Salinas High School Cowboys Mountain Bike Team, points to the tight-knit community of the mountain biking community, especially on display during the Fort Ord race.
“It’s very supportive,” he says. “Everybody cheers for everybody else.”
For kids who don’t have a bike, no problem—they’ll be given one for the race.
The team also practices multiple days a week at Fort Ord National Monument, with a coach riding in the front and back of the group. Team members learn about the importance of nutrition and how to treat injuries, among other life skills.
Johnson’s son Bodie, now a sophomore at Salinas High School, has been competing since the seventh grade.
“In the seventh grade, he just did it,” Johnson says. “In eighth grade, he’s starting to get a little better at it. In ninth grade, he’s excelling and becoming pretty good.
“He’s a kid who likes to sleep in, but if it’s practice day, he gets up, no complaining.”
Johnson says it’s inspiring to see team members discover their passion for mountain biking.
“You find that it opens the door for kids who may not have a group, but they’ll find a group within the team,” he says.
It’s something that Berridge echoes, recalling a conversation he had with three high school-aged teens during Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.
“They spoke so positively and energetically about being out there with friends in nature and away from screens,” he says. “They were clearly speaking from the heart.”