Since 2020, Palm Canyon Trail—a multi-use trail—has seen a significant increase in users: hikers, equestrian and mountain bikers, including eBikes. Most of the trail crosses BLM and US Forest Service land. The Trail crosses private land as well as land owned by Agua Caliente.
The properties the Tribe recently received as ancestral land back donations were offered to the Tribe. As a property owner with the right to regulate access to its land, the Agua Caliente chose to improve a portion of Palm Canyon Trail that is on its land—not federal land. The Tribe conducted trail maintenance work within its own property in the Indian Canyons for emergency access, security and safety for our hikers and other lawful users of the Trail. Why did it do this? Because it values its lands and prioritizes proper management of it.
Unfortunately, one entitled business owner, [Dave Wood, owner of Bikes and Brews -tgk] who is unhappy over the fact that mountain biking and e-mountain biking is not allowed in this area is acting out by spreading false information, which is unnecessarily causing confusion in the community. His false narrative insultingly prioritizes his desire to financially profit from trespassing on Tribal lands, over the Tribe’s right to protect its property and its cultural resources. Tribal employees are now receiving “anonymous” threats promising more property destruction if tribal staff attempts to interfere with this illegal activity, which generates profits by organizing trail rides for groups of bikers who (unknowingly) trespass on a trail where that activity is not permitted.
The Tribe has never permitted mountain biking on its land. The land acquired as land back donations is now Tribal land and consistent with our policy, mountain biking and eBikes are prohibited.
Anyone on a mountain or eBike accessing the land is in trespass of Tribal lands. Trespassing on, and damaging, the property of another is never ok. We ask this business owner to ride his bicycle somewhere else where this activity is permitted.