Thursday Night Race League at MLP

06/02/2026

We’ve submitted the attached Trail Stewardship Partnership proposal to the Town of Huntington Parks Department and wanted to share it publicly.

It’s a simple proposal: no new trails, no funding request, no capital expense—just a volunteer partnership focused on keeping the Meadowlark, Veterans, and Knoll’s trail system clean, safe, and well-maintained.

The community has been doing much of this work for years already. We’re simply asking for a collaborative framework that benefits all trail users and the Town.

While we have not yet received a response or acknowledgment from the Town, we remain hopeful that this proposal will lead to a productive conversation about stewardship, conservation, safety, and responsible public access.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

05/23/2026

Do you have a suggestion for MLP trail maintenance?

CLIMB is planning a work day at some point in the near future, and has asked for input from the local riding community regarding sections that need updates/repairs. If you have ideas, please share them in this form -->

CLIMB is planning to a trail work day in the near future, and has asked for suggestions from frequent users of the park on sections of the trail we'd like to see 'refreshed' as well as sections/features we'd like them not to modify. This is a great opportunity to provide input into planned CLIMB wor...

05/22/2026

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TO DIRT MASS TONIGHT!

Here is a link to the petition we launched tonight - this will be a great way to show the Town and County how much support there is for continued trail access to the connected MLP/Vets trail system.

PLEASE share with your friends/family/neighbors and ask them to sign if they support our cause (especially residents of Huntington).

For more than 20 years, residents have responsibly used the connected Meadowlark, Veterans, and Knolls trail system for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, dog walking, and family recreation. We are concerned by reports that the Town of Huntington may soon begin restricting mountain bike access....

05/21/2026

Two nights ago, this image was shared in the Huntington Matters Community Forum by an individual advocating for a ban on mountain biking in Veterans Park.

Interestingly, the post was removed twice after community feedback and comments were largely unsupportive. That’s encouraging, because it shows many residents understand there’s another side to this conversation.

What’s disappointing is that just two weeks ago, I met with this individual at Veterans Park for over an hour. We walked the trails together, discussed her concerns, and talked about ways our communities could work collaboratively around stewardship and access.

During that meeting, I offered to organize volunteers from the local MTB community to:

* help cover exposed roots
* remove invasive plants and replace them with native species
* assist with dead wood cleanup she felt was a fire concern
* continue responsible trail stewardship efforts our community has contributed to for decades

By the end of that conversation, we seemed aligned enough that we scheduled a second meeting to begin discussing actual plans and next steps.

Unfortunately, the tone shifted very quickly afterward.

Since then, cyclists — including adults, families, and teens — have reportedly been confronted, threatened with being “reported,” or told police/rangers would be called simply for riding trails many local residents have responsibly used for 15–20+ years without issue.

This is exactly why the Meadowlark Trail Coalition was formed.

Not to attack anyone.
Not to create division.
And not to dismiss legitimate environmental concerns.

We formed because we believe stewardship and responsible access can coexist.

Many of the people riding these trails also hike them, walk their dogs there, volunteer there, pick up trash there, and care deeply about protecting these woods for future generations.

Our offer to collaborate on stewardship still stands today.

We simply believe the solution is thoughtful management, education, and community involvement — not fear-based messaging or the prohibition of healthy outdoor activity.

05/19/2026

If you are planning to attend Dirt Mass this Thursday - here's a few more details/what to bring:

Dirt Mass Thursday 5/21

Location: MLP Trailhead, Middleville Rd, Northport

Time: Show-up anytime between 5p-8p (we will prob be on-site by 3pm, so feel free to come early!)

Remember - this is not a race! This will be an evening of riding, trail clean-up, and community building - TNRL style!

Here's what to bring:

The necessities:
- Your bike
- bug spray (ticks are plentiful- very important you protect yourself!)
- water
- an old backpack (if you want to help pick-up trash from the trail)

Optional:
- small hand clippers (for trimming back overgrowth on the trail, that can be carried in a hip pack/backpack)
- beverages of your choosing for the post-ride lot party
- Food/grill/etc - this is totally up to you, if you want to grill/eat post-ride, feel free to bring what you need to make it happen!

Very happy to share that both Ryan from Dark Matter Trail Coalition and Joe from Campus Bicycles will be attending - and we'll likely have some items to raffle throughout the evening!

Hit us up with any questions - looking forward to seeing you on Thursday!

05/18/2026

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR THE TNRL COMMUNITY 🚨

It has come to our attention that the Town of Huntington may soon begin enforcing new restrictions targeting mountain biking access in Veterans Park — despite more than 20 years of open, shared trail use throughout the connected Meadowlark/Veterans trail system.

To date, there has been:

* no formal public communication,
* no community engagement process,
* and no acknowledgment of the decades-long history of responsible multi-use recreation and volunteer trail stewardship in these parks.

Unfortunately, a small group of activists continues to push the narrative that mountain biking uniquely damages these trails — despite growing evidence nationwide showing that well-managed mountain biking has environmental impacts comparable to hiking and other trail uses, while also creating one of the strongest volunteer stewardship communities in outdoor recreation.

This makes this Thursday’s DIRT MASS more important than ever.

Our mission is simple:
• Protect fair and responsible multi-use trail access
• Promote stewardship, conservation, and respectful trail culture
• Support youth engagement and healthy outdoor recreation
• Work collaboratively — not divisively — toward sustainable trail solutions for everyone

This is NOT a protest.
This is a positive show of community, stewardship, and unity.

If these trails matter to you, now is the time to show up.

DIRT MASS — THURSDAY 5/21
📍 Meadowlark Trailhead
🕓 5PM–8PM

We will be posting more info on Thursday's event in the next few days (what to expect, what to bring, etc) - if you have any questions, feel free to drop them in comments or DM us! Weather is looking good for Thursday- looking forward to seeing everyone!

05/13/2026

OK - we've got some crazy wind happening now, rain forecasted overnight and thru tomorrow- and I know we all want nice weather so we can enjoy a Thursday evening at MLP.

SO - The TNRL DIRT MASS is going to be rescheduled to NEXT THURSDAY 5.21. This re-schedule might even give us an opportunity to have a live band on-site!

Hit us up with questions- looking forward to seeing the TNRL Fam next week! 🤙

05/12/2026

Weather is looking WET on Thurs- IF BY TOMORROW EOD it seems like it's going to be steady rain we will re-schedule Dirt Mass to NEXT THURSDAY 5/21. As of now, the event is still ON.

We will update again tomorrow before 5pm.

05/08/2026

DIRT MASS UPDATE: We are changing the location of the DIRT MASS to the MLP LOT. Same date/same time **NEW LOCATION**.

Tell anyone you know who might be attending - we'll post additional reminders over the weekend and leading-up to the event next week.

04/29/2026

Here's today's Meadowlark Trail Coalition PSA - to counter some misinformation that is unfortunately still held by some users of the MLP/Vets Park Complex.

I do not share this to encourage debate on the trail but simply to arm our community with the data that backs how much benefit MTB access brings to the trail system.

Plans for our Dirt Mass on 5.14 are coming together! More details will be shared later this week. Please tell your friends!

MTB Key FACTS:

* Mountain bikers average 2–3 trail visits per week vs. ~1–2 for hikers and trail runners, meaning riders often have the most consistent, repeat engagement with the trail system.
* MTB communities contribute a disproportionate share of stewardship, with groups reporting thousands of volunteer hours annually for trail maintenance, drainage, and cleanup (per International Mountain Bicycling Association).
* Multiple studies (including U.S. Forest Service research) show mountain biking has comparable trail impact to hiking and running, with erosion driven primarily by water and trail design—not user type.
* Youth mountain biking programs (like those under National Interscholastic Cycling Association) show participation is linked to higher confidence, improved focus, and strong community belonging.