Gear Girls

Empowering young women through mountain biking, trail work, and snow sports.

Gear Girls riding through Passage 34 during AZT in a Day, October 2022.

Gear Girls uses mountain biking, trail work, and snow sports to build confidence, outdoor competence, community, and character in young women grades 4-8 throughout Flagstaff, Arizona. Girls learn practical skills in trail building, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing while absorbing lessons in mindfulness, teamwork, and determination that will prepare them for life’s bigger challenges.

Gear Girls holds an open and inclusive environment, allowing all to embrace the fullest versions of themselves while cultivating an environment of camaraderie, friendship, courage, and morale.

We firmly believe that given the opportunity, girls and young women can emerge as remarkably self-assured and inspired leaders, intrepid outdoor enthusiasts, and dedicated trail stewards. In a world where societal messages often limit their potential, Gear Girls seeks to bridge the gender gap and ensure that young women don’t miss the chance to become capable and confident outdoorswomen.

When given the chance, girls and young women can make incredibly confident and inspired leaders, outdoor adventurers, and trail stewards. It is easy for girls to miss the opportunity to become strong and capable outdoorswomen in a world where they receive messaging from a very young age about what they can and cannot do, and where they do and do not belong.

Gear Girls snowshoe Campbell Mesa after receiving near-record snowfall totals in January 2023.

In traditional co-ed outdoor settings, it has been observed that girls may frequently defer to boys when faced with challenges or the need for assistance. In such scenarios, boys often take charge, leaving the girls feeling disempowered and without the opportunity to develop hands-on skills.

Gear Girls offers a distinct approach. When learning and applying these skills in a girls-only setting, these same young women learn quickly and grow confident enough to hold space in male-dominated sports and organically assume leadership roles. We are committed to breaking down barriers and creating a space where girls can flourish and become the strong, capable individuals they are destined to be.

2024 Gear Girls Sessions

Gear Girls fostering intergenerational bonds while giving back on the AZT during our Fall 2023 Trail Work Day in partnership with the Coconino National Forest Trails Crew on Passage 34.

Girls from Flagstaff, AZ meet every Wednesday or Saturday for ten weeks and are coached by a supportive all female staff in a low-pressure setting.

All gear (including mountain bikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes, winter boots, gloves), transportation (winter), healthy snacks, and leadership is provided at no cost to participants.

If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact Makenzie Mabery, Gear Girls Coordinator at: makenzie@aztrail.org.

Thank you, The Catena Foundation, REI-Coop for a generous Force of Nature grant that helped launch this program, and Hydroflask Parks for All for their support of Gear Girls!

Gear Girls in the news:

Gateway Community Girls’ Camp: Project Rim Country

Gear Girls: A Unique Girls-Only Biking Group in Flagstaff

Arizona Trail Association Gear Girls Program Video

REI Flagstaff technicians lead the Fall 2023 cohort through a helpful fix-it clinic.

To make a donation to support this important program, use the form below or mail a check to Arizona Trail Association: 738 N 5th Avenue, Suite 201, Tucson, Arizona 85705