Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship

What Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship does

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, that designs, constructs, and maintains non-motorized recreational trails across Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Originally founded as Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz as a mountain biking advocacy group, the organization professionalized beginning in 2013 with the hire of its first employee and now operates as a licensed California contractor running a 30+ person staff across trail crew, trails planning, community engagement, finance, operations, and marketing functions. SCMTS maintains 60+ miles of trail and has built or rebuilt five pump track facilities since 2016, including the county's largest paved pump track (Ramsay Park, 2021).

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream: individual donations and a ~1,200-member base, corporate business memberships ($300/year), a Stewardship Circle major donor program ($1,000+/year), fee-for-service professional trail work for government land managers (BLM, California State Parks, CAL FIRE, and municipal parks departments across four cities), private corporate team-building events (minimum $1,500 per event), an Adopt-a-Trail program, naming/signage rights for facilities such as the Felton Pump Track, and emerging channels including cryptocurrency donations via The Giving Block. Community engagement is a core operational pillar: SCMTS mobilizes 1,000+ unique volunteers annually through structured programs including Dig Days (50-100+ volunteer trail work events), Trail Academy (free online and field training courses), Hike & Help weekday sessions, Pump Track Keepers maintenance events, the Summer Youth Trail Crew (paid 8-week high school employment since 2017), and the Teens on Trails pilot program.

SCMTS is governed by a Board of Directors including John Leckrone (President) and Eileen Murphy (Treasurer), with executive leadership comprising Matt De Young (Executive Director), Drew Perkins (Trails Planning Director, first employee in 2013), and Marcel Thanasack (Finance & Operations Director, joined May 2023). The organization pursues a 2030 Strategic Plan and is currently executing two marquee capital projects: the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument public access build (19 miles of new trail on 5,800 acres with BLM, 8.5 miles open) and the Felton Pump Track at Covered Bridge County Park ($550K fundraising goal, broke ground April 2026). Its 23+ named corporate sponsors and partners span local bike shops, outdoor brands, breweries, banks, and regional agencies, supported by digital reach of 16K newsletter subscribers and 49K+ social media followers.

Name

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship

Legal name

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship

Website

https://santacruztrails.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trail Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA)

Keywords

• Trail stewardship services
• Trail design construction
• Pump track facilities
• Volunteer trail programs
• Outdoor recreation nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters at various levels. Membership program with individual and business tiers providing ongoing support. Thousand of members providing reliable funding stream.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual business memberships ($300/year) and larger sponsorship arrangements with local businesses including gear companies, bike manufacturers, outdoor brands, and community businesses. Includes Adopt-a-Trail program and event sponsorships.
3. Professional Trail Services: Fee-for-service trail design, construction, and maintenance work for land managers and property owners. Licensed CA contractor providing professional services to government agencies, municipalities, and private landowners.
4. Corporate Team-Building Events: Private trail work events for corporate groups at minimum $1,500 donation for groups of 10-15 participants. Includes optional hospitality services (food, beverages). Generates revenue while providing community benefit.
5. Major Gift Programs: Stewardship Circle for top supporters giving $1,000+ annually. Felton Pump Track naming/signage opportunities for major donors ($10,000 individual large champion sign, $10,000 standalone sponsorship).
6. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts cryptocurrency donations via The Giving Block, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 40+ other tokens. Provides tax-efficient giving option for supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds and maintains sustainable trail systems across the Santa Cruz Mountains region. As a licensed California contractor, it provides professional trail design, construction, and maintenance services to public land managers, while also mobilizing over 1,000 volunteers annually through community programs like Dig Days, Trail Academy, and youth engagement initiatives. The organization also constructs and maintains dedicated pump track facilities in partnership with municipal parks departments.

Product overview

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides professional trail building services and community engagement programs. The organization operates two interconnected service lines: professional trail design, construction, and maintenance services (offered as a licensed CA contractor) and community stewardship programs. Key programs include Trail Academy (educational classes), Summer Youth Trail Crew, Teens on Trails, Dig Days, Hike & Help, Pump Track Keepers, Adopt a Trail, private trail work events, business memberships, Stewardship Circle, and corporate sponsorship. SCMTS has built and maintains multiple pump track facilities including Harvey West Pump Track (2016), Chanticleer Pump Track (2020 rebuilt), Westside Pump Track (2021 redeveloped), Ramsay Park Pump Track (2021), and is currently building the Felton Pump Track. Major trail projects include the Cotoni-Coast Dairies Public Access project which will eventually include 19 miles of new trails.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Trail Building Services Professional trail design, construction, and maintenance services for land owners, government agencies, municipalities, and private landowners. Includes trail assessments, design and planning, trail and road construction, volunteer management, and supervision. Delivered as a licensed CA contractor.
• Trail Academy

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted partner for trail projects on public lands. BLM manages Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument where SCMTS is building 19 miles of new trails.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for trail work at Wilder Ranch State Park, Soquel Demonstration State Forest, and other state park properties. Major projects include Flow Trail, Emma McCrary Trail, and Wilder Ranch reroutes.
• Land Trust Santa Cruz CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner for trail projects on protected lands within Santa Cruz County. Collaboration on public access and stewardship initiatives.
• CAL FIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency partner for fire relief and forest resilience work, particularly in areas affected by CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Incorporates forest fuels management into trail projects.
• City of Santa Cruz Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partnership for Harvey West Pump Track (built and maintained by SCMTS), Pogonip trails, and various municipal trail projects. Cost-share programs for infrastructure.
• City of Watsonville Parks & Community DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Ramsay Park Pump Track (largest paved pump track in county, opened 2021) and other Watsonville recreational facilities.
• Santa Cruz County ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty partnership for trail projects and Adopt-a-Trail program. Current project includes Felton Pump Track at Covered Bridge County Park.
• City of Scotts ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Glenwood Open Space Preserve trail development and Scotts Valley Pump Track maintenance.
• City of SaratogaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Saratoga-to-the-Sea Trail - Saratoga to Sanborn section development.
• City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation (Youth Programs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2017, partnership to offer Summer Youth Trail Crew program providing paid summer employment for local high school students.
• Ibis CyclescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual bike sweepstakes partnership. Ibis donates mountain bikes for volunteer raffle and grand prize giveaways. 2026 partnership includes Ibis Ripmo AF and Send AL wheelset prizes.
• Bell HelmetsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ramsay Park Pump Track project. Support for pump track development and community recreation infrastructure.
• Spokesman BicyclesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bike shop partner offering volunteer discount program (5-10% off retail based on volunteer hours).
• Trailhead CycleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bike shop partner offering volunteer discount program (5-10% off retail based on volunteer hours).
• San Vicente RedwoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrail development and maintenance partnership at San Vicente Redwoods property.
• California Conservation CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation corps partnership for trail work. Staff member Mariano Villegas previously worked with CCC before joining SCMTS.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Hiking Society: National nonprofit advocating for trails, hikers, and trail funding across all U.S. trail systems. Overlapping constituency (trail users and hikers) and partial functional overlap in trail education and stewardship, though operating at national rather than regional scale.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Large regional outdoor recreation and trail stewardship nonprofit in the northeastern U.S. Comparable dual mission of trail building, outdoor education, conservation advocacy, and volunteer mobilization at greater scale and longer tenure.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: National nonprofit converting rail corridors into multi-use trails. Adjacent trail-building mission and similar nonprofit advocacy plus community engagement model, though concentrated on rail-trail conversions rather than mountain and forest trails.

Direct peers

• California Mountain Biking Association (CAMTB): State-level mountain bike advocacy and trail stewardship nonprofit, listed as an SCMTS strategic partner. Directly comparable constituency and trail stewardship mission within the same California geography.
• International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA): National nonprofit advancing mountain bike trail stewardship, advocacy, and rider education across the U.S. Most directly comparable to SCMTS given the organization's origin as Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and overlapping trail-building, volunteer mobilization, and rider community engagement mission.
• Pacific Crest Trail Association: National nonprofit that builds, maintains, and protects the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. Similar trail stewardship operating model with strong volunteer mobilization, federal agency partnerships, and trail construction focus.
• Land Trust of Santa Cruz County: Listed SCMTS strategic partner and regional conservation nonprofit. Directly comparable Santa Cruz County mission scope (conservation, public access), constituency, and nonprofit operating model.
• Student Conservation Association: National nonprofit building trails and providing conservation corps crews, including paid youth programs directly analogous to SCMTS's Summer Youth Trail Crew. Similar young-worker and volunteer deployment model on public lands.
• Bay Area Ridge Trail Council: Regional nonprofit building and maintaining a 550+ mile multi-use trail loop around the San Francisco Bay. Highly comparable operating model combining volunteer stewardship, agency partnerships, and community events in the same Northern California market.

Regional players

• Sempervirens Fund: California redwood conservation nonprofit operating in the same Santa Cruz Mountains region. Comparable geographic focus on forest and public access preservation with complementary (rather than directly overlapping) mission emphasis on land acquisition versus trail stewardship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/santacruztrails

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship