Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)

What Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) does

Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trail stewardship and advocacy organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon. COTA develops, protects, and enhances mountain bike trails across Central Oregon under formal volunteer agreements with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and county and municipal land managers. The organization stewards nearly 600 miles of singletrack trails, 5 bike parks, and 14 miles of groomed winter fat bike trails spanning roughly 100 miles north-to-south and east-to-west across Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties, with more than 100 additional miles in planning phases. Operations are powered by a small team of 5 paid staff alongside 100+ active volunteers who logged 18,000-20,000+ hours in 2024 across 6 regional chapters (Bend, Crook County, Madras, Redmond, Sisters, South Deschutes County).

COTA generates funding through a diversified nonprofit revenue model. Individual memberships (65% of annual funding) are priced at $30/year for individuals, $75/year for households, and $5-$50 per month on a recurring basis; these provide the financial base for trail maintenance and advocacy. Corporate sponsorships are structured at three tiers — Legacy ($10,000+), Trail Champion ($5,000+), and Community Partner ($2,500+) — and the Membership Matching Society amplifies member contributions. The organization also pursues competitive grants from foundations and government programs, accepts individual donations, and runs corporate and community group volunteer days (6-20 participants per event) as a team-building offering. COTA does not develop or sell proprietary technology products; its "product" is free public trail access supported by membership, donor, sponsor, and grant funding. A December 2025 USFS policy update now permits Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes on 161 miles of trails in the Deschutes National Forest, expanding the eligible user base after years of advocacy.

Name

Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)

Legal name

Central Oregon Trail Alliance

Website

https://cotamtb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1992, that stewards nearly 600 miles of singletrack trails, 5 bike parks, and 14 miles of winter fat bike trails across Central Oregon through volunteer labor, membership funding, and formal USFS and BLM agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation & Trail Stewardship Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Park Campgrounds & Public Campgrounds (THAMAJAI)

Keywords

• Trail stewardship services
• Outdoor recreation advocacy
• Nonprofit trail organization
• Mountain bike trails
• Volunteer trail maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Individual memberships at $30/year are the primary funding mechanism. Members receive recognition and help fund trail maintenance, advocacy, and community programs.
2. Household Memberships: Household memberships at $75/year allow multiple people at the same address to support together under one plan, providing simplified management and stronger collective impact.
3. Monthly Memberships: Recurring monthly memberships ranging from $5 to $50 per month offer flexible, ongoing support for trail maintenance and advocacy throughout the year.
4. Business/Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsors provide financial contributions, products, or services in return for recognition and visibility. Sponsorships are structured as annual agreements with defined benefits at Legacy ($10,000+), Trail Champion ($5,000+), and Community Partner ($2,500+) levels.
5. Individual Donations: One-time or recurring charitable donations from individuals supporting COTA's mission. Donations are tax-deductible as COTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
6. Grants: Competitive grants from foundations and government programs occasionally supplement COTA's funding. COTA does not receive ongoing state or federal funding outside of competitive grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

COTA develops, protects, and enhances mountain bike and outdoor recreation trails throughout Central Oregon. The organization builds and maintains nearly 600 miles of singletrack trails, 5 bike parks, and 14 miles of groomed winter fat bike trails under volunteer agreements with the USFS, BLM, and other public land managers. COTA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual memberships, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

COTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trail stewardship organization that operates as a single unified mission-driven entity rather than a platform with separate modules. The organization's core offering is trail stewardship—building, maintaining, and advocating for 600 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails across Central Oregon—supported by five bike parks and 14 miles of groomed winter fat bike trails. COTA generates operational funding through complementary programs: membership subscriptions (individual at $30/year, household at $75/year, monthly options), business sponsorship tiers (Legacy Partners at $10,000+, Trail Champions at $5,000+, Community Partners at $2,500+), and the Membership Matching Society for doubled-impact donations. Service programs include volunteer trail work days for corporate groups, the USDA National Sawyer Training Program for chainsaw safety, Women of COTA community rides, and an E-Bike Trail Network covering specific trails where Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are permitted as of December 2025. The Deadfall Reporting System enables trail users to report maintenance needs directly to COTA's sawyer crews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COTA Membership Program Annual and recurring membership tiers for individuals and households starting at $30/year that fund trail maintenance, advocacy, and community programs. Includes individual ($30/year), household ($75/year), and monthly recurring ($5-$50/month) options. 65% of COTA's annual funding comes from members.
• Business Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship tiers for businesses at Legacy Partner ($10,000+), Trail Champion ($5,000+), and Community Partner ($2,500+) levels providing brand recognition, community alignment, and event engagement in exchange for financial or in-kind support.
• Corporate and Community Group Volunteer Events Team-building and community service trail work days hosted by COTA for external organizations with 6-20 participants. Includes crew leadership, tools, hard hats, and work plans for trail construction and maintenance projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 volunteer hours contributed annually (valued at significant labor cost savings for trail maintenance)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• U.S. Forest Service (USFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA operates under formal volunteer agreements with the USFS to build and maintain trails on USFS-managed lands, including the Deschutes National Forest and Ochoco National Forest. USFS sets policy (e.g., December 2025 e-bike rule change) and COTA provides stewardship labor and community engagement. This is COTA's most important land management partnership.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA operates under volunteer agreements with BLM to maintain trails on BLM-managed lands in Central Oregon, similar to its USFS partnership. BLM land managers set access rules and COTA provides trail stewardship.
• City of MadrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadras East Hills trail system (20 miles) is on City of Madras-owned land. COTA maintains these trails, and the City has allowed Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes on these trails for years.
• Deschutes County / Jefferson County / Crook CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA has relationships and volunteer agreements with counties across Central Oregon for trail maintenance on county-managed lands. The Radlands Trail in Redmond sits on county land and is open to e-bikes.
• Murdock (Legacy Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Partner at $10,000+ sponsorship level. Provides financial support in exchange for recognition across COTA's marketing channels and events.
• Bend Sustainability Fund (Legacy Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Partner at $10,000+ sponsorship level. Sustainability-focused organization providing financial support to COTA.
• Hydro Flask (Legacy Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Partner at $10,000+ sponsorship level. Recognized at events and across COTA's digital channels.
• Visit Central Oregon (Legacy Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Partner at $10,000+ level. Regional tourism organization providing financial support and cross-promotion.
• Deschutes Brewery (Community Partner Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Partner at the $2,500 level. Local brewery supporting trail stewardship in exchange for recognition.
• Deschutes Trails CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA works with the Deschutes Trails Coalition on shared advocacy efforts, including the e-bike community listening sessions in 2022–2023.
• Bend TrailsminorOthersBendTrails.org provides digital trail maps and publicly-sourced trail conditions. COTA directs members to this resource for trail mapping since COTA does not offer its own digital maps.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA): San Diego-area MTB stewardship nonprofit with formal partnerships with the Cleveland National Forest and BLM. Closely mirrors COTA's model: volunteer trail crews, tiered memberships, corporate sponsorships, and paid executive director.
• Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance: Washington state's primary MTB advocacy and trail stewardship nonprofit, stewarding trails on federal and state lands across the Puget Sound region. Closely comparable to COTA in operating model: member-funded, volunteer-driven, formal USFS agreements, paid executive director.
• Oregon Timber Trail Alliance: Oregon-based nonprofit stewarding a long-distance backcountry mountain bike route across the state. Shares COTA's 501(c)(3) structure, Oregon geographic base, and mission of sustainable MTB trail stewardship on public lands.
• Northwest Trail Alliance: Portland-metro MTB stewardship organization that builds and maintains trails in coordination with federal and state land managers. Direct comparable to COTA as a Pacific Northwest regional MTB nonprofit reliant on volunteer labor and land-manager partnerships.
• Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC): Western North Carolina-based MTB advocacy and trail stewardship nonprofit building and maintaining trails on Pisgah and DuPont state and federal lands. Direct comparable in regional focus, volunteer-driven operations, and public-land trail stewardship mission.
• Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition: Virginia-based regional bike advocacy and trail stewardship nonprofit. Operates a comparable member-funded, volunteer-powered model stewarding trails on federal and state lands in the Shenandoah region.
• Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE): Mid-Atlantic regional MTB stewardship organization operating on National Park, Forest Service, and state-park lands. Direct comparable to COTA in scope, member-funded model, and reliance on formal land-manager agreements.

Others

• Backcountry Horsemen of America: National volunteer-driven nonprofit that performs trail maintenance and wilderness stewardship on federal lands. Not a direct MTB competitor, but operates an analogous volunteer-agreement model with USFS/BLM that mirrors COTA's land-management framework.

Broad incumbents

• International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA): National umbrella organization for mountain bike advocacy and trail stewardship with local chapter affiliates across the U.S. COTA operates in IMBA's broader ecosystem as a regional chapter implementing IMBA's trail-building standards and advocacy frameworks at the local level.
• Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA): National federation of regional MTB chapters across the southeastern U.S. SORBA's local chapters operate with the same volunteer-powered, member-funded, public-land trail stewardship model as COTA, making it a structural peer at the federation level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotamtb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)