New club leads revival of Anahola trails; organizes mountain bike race on Kauaʻi

A new nonprofit, Mountain Biking Kaua’i, has revived the Anahola trail system, enabling organized off-road cycling and competitive racing on the island’s East Side.

Mountain Biking Kaua’i, also known as MTB Kauaʻi, has partnered with ʻĀina Alliance and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to also organize a racing event in Anahola, combining competition with a focus on land stewardship and community connection, said Robert Lowery, organizer of Mountain Biking Kaua’i.

The Anahola Epic 2026, the club’s first mountain bike event on the Garden Isle, takes place on Saturday, Feb. 7, with an 8 a.m. start at Anahola Beach Park. Check-in opens at 7 a.m.

“The event is designed not only as a race, but as a celebration of the land and the volunteers who have worked to restore and maintain the trails,” Lowery said.

Lowery has always been into bikes, but when he moved from Maryland to Kauaʻi, he said he saw a large community of cyclists, but “no sense of community for them.”

“There was no organization to keep them, to help support them,” he said. “I decided to start one here on the island, because it’s huge.”

Lowery, who is new to the island and also a new father, said it’s important for him to “include myself in the community, and my love for cycling and use that to kind of like force myself into the cool kids club around here.”

In the two months since its inception, the organization already has gained more than 60 cycling members.

MTB Kauaʻi and ʻĀina Alliance also have cleared and cleaned the area around Anahola Beach so that everyone who visits can enjoy a safe environment.

“We’ve taken that zone from what was like … a homeless encampment filled with drugs and trash everywhere, and we’ve gone through, and we’ve taken, I think, like over 150 cars out of there, working with ʻĀina Alliance,” Lowery said.

MTB Kaua’i meets at Anahola every third Saturday of each month for a community volunteer clean-up and maintenance called “dig day.”

“We work with the stewards of the land and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for Anahola to maintain trails back there, so that’s the area we focus on as a club, and it’s just amazing how clean and nice that area is now,” he said.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands did not respond last week to a request for comment.

The racing event will feature multiple courses and divisions, including separate competitive categories for analog (non-motorized) bikes and Class 1 e-bikes for adults.

A keiki course also will be offered.

Adult riders can choose between an 8-mile short course with approximately 650 feet of elevation gain or a 15-mile long course with more than 1,200 feet of climbing. Both routes will include a mix of fire roads and technical single track designed to test endurance, bike-handling skills and overall fitness.

Keiki riders will compete on an approximately 2-mile course with small hills, using a combination of fire road and single track. E-bikes are not permitted on the keiki course, and parent escorts are optional.

Mountain Biking Kaua’i is sponsoring the race and is open to the public, though registration will be capped to ensure a high-quality racing experience. Mountain Biking Kaua’i club members are guaranteed entry and receive a discounted registration rate.

Registration fees are $60 for Mountain Biking Kauai members and $100 for non-members. The cost includes lunch and race T-shirts, but they are guaranteed only for participants who register before Jan. 12.

Organizers are also seeking sponsors, offering an “Epic” partner package for $500.

The sponsorship includes a vendor booth at the race village, logo placement on race shirts, banner placement at the start/finish line or feed zone, race-day announcements, and promotion on Mountain Biking Kauai’s social media platforms.

“Join the club, sign up, help us be a part of the community, … the whole point of the power in numbers,” Lowery said.

He added that all donations from the Anahola Epic 2026 will go directly to ʻĀina Alliance to ensure the land is taken care of for generations to come, “although seeing the kids having a good time and not stuck to a screen makes it all worthwhile.”

Because of the inherent risks of mountain bike racing, participants must wear a proper helmet and equipment suited to off-road trails. Any participant who does not meet those requirements is prohibited from racing. A medical tent with a nurse volunteer will also be present at the event, Lowery said.

For a map of the track, or for more information on registration, sponsorship, or volunteering, click here.