ANNUAL REPORT

Salida Mountain Trails has come a long way since its inception two decades ago. What began as a vision for a few trails close to town has grown into a dynamic nonprofit whose work is integral to our community’s well-being and way of life. 

This evolution was evident in SMT’s accomplishments last year. We continued to expand our stewardship scope, adopting 5 miles of the iconic Monarch Crest; broke ground on a bike skills park, providing a new type of amenity long desired in Salida; and kicked off a community-driven plan to guide the future of trail development and management in Chaffee County. We even updated our mission statement to better reflect the full range of SMT’s work and goals. 

More transformative changes are on the horizon. In 2025, SMT is launching Salida Youth Cycling, a new program to teach mountain bike skills to grade-school kids. We’re also developing a Strategic Plan—the first in SMT’s history—to chart a course toward a stronger and healthier organization. And, because trail stewardship remains our core work, we’re for the first time bringing on a seasonal Trail Crew Lead to complement our Trail Manager, giving us more capacity to do more for trails and public lands. 

As SMT enters its third decade, I am incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead for the organization to continue to grow, improve, and deliver on its mission. The future may be uncertain, but SMT remains committed to caring for our shared, treasured public lands. 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SMT’s work is possible thanks to the hundreds of members, donors, sponsors and advocates who support our mission. Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do this without you. 

See you on the trails, 

Jon Terbush 
Executive Director, Salida Mountain Trails