The Original.
We created the successful “$5 a Foot” fundraiser over 10 years ago inspired by a need to raise much-needed funds to build the Sunrise Trail. We desired a mechanism to bring everyone together and get involved, contribute and maybe even end up being new-bike richer.
Thousands of people have donated to this grassroots campaign, and thousands more have benefited from the many miles of trails it’s created.
Over the years, $5 a Foot has become an incredible success. It helped build the Sunrise Trail, North Yuba Trail, Mills Peak Trail, Mt. Hough Trail, Indian Falls 2 Trail, and more. This success has not gone unnoticed, as now, almost every trail advocacy organization uses this idea as a fundraising tool. We are proud to have created $5 a Foot, and humbled that it has spawned many fundraising campaigns nationally that support building more trail.
In 2023, we are running this campaign three times—covering gravel, mountain and moto bikes. Join our newsletter, or follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts so you’ll know when it’s running. For the gravel bike, we partner with Cervélo to offer one of the sleekest , shiniest gravel bikes on the market, a perfect tool to explore the backcountry roads of the Lost Sierra. We partner with Santa Cruz Bicycles to craft the most blinged-out Downieville Tough dream bike, ready to tackle the biggest climbs and gnarliest descents in the Lost Sierra, and love to give it away to a supporter of the trails, helping to keep shovels in the dirt. Get involved!
Donations support our Connected Communities project. Linking 15 California Mountain Communities Through Multiuse Trails.
A successful past campaign in partnership with Santa Cruz Bicycles.
Our first moto campaign in partnership with Motorcycle Performance Center and KTM USA.
A past gravel bike campaign in partnership with Cervélo Cycles.