Why Washington Off-Road Riders Join the Northwest Motorcycle Association

Updated

The Northwest Motorcycle Association (NMA) is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Washington State that serves as a resource for off-road motorcycle riding and works to preserve public land access for riders. Joining makes sense if you ride off-road in Washington and want your membership dues and volunteer time to support trail access, land-use advocacy, and riding-area maintenance. The NMA's own framing is that it "gains strength in numbers," so membership is presented as a way to add your voice to that effort.

What the NMA Actually Does

Founded in 1937 to bring Washington's motorcycle clubs together, the NMA shifted focus in 1973 toward public land access rights for off-road motorcyclists and has worked on that front since. According to the organization, current work includes:

  • Moto-Volunteer Trail Crew – supporting volunteers who maintain trails
  • Outdoor Recreation Caucus of Washington – participating in a state recreation coalition
  • Big Tent Coalition – holding a board seat
  • National Off-Highway Conservation Council – participation at the national level
  • Land use and legislative projects – advocacy work
  • TreadLightly signage projects – responsible-riding signage
  • Heavy Maintenance Crew – support and administration
  • Competition and Poker Run schedules – publishing event schedules for members

This list matters for the join decision: dues are described as funding advocacy, volunteer crews, and land-use work rather than a single trail or event.

Who Should Join

Membership fits you if:

  • You ride off-road motorcycles on Washington public lands and want that access defended.
  • You belong to a club or run a business tied to off-road riding and want collective representation.
  • You want a structured way to volunteer on trail crews or maintenance rather than donating to an unfamiliar cause.

It is less relevant if you ride only on private property or outside Washington, since the NMA's stated focus is Washington public lands.

What Membership Asks of You

The NMA describes each member as an "ambassador" and asks members to spread the word to riding buddies about why the organization matters. In practice, joining is not a passive transaction: the site pairs "Join NMA" with "Volunteer" and "Donate" as the three ways to participate. If you want a membership that comes with an expectation of advocacy and volunteer involvement, that matches; if you want a purely transactional purchase, expect more.

How to Get Involved

The site offers three entry points:

  1. Join NMA – become a member (individual, club, or business, per the site's appeal).
  2. Volunteer – contribute time, for example through the Moto-Volunteer Trail Crew or Heavy Maintenance Crew.
  3. Donate – contribute funds if time isn't available.

The site also links to its Facebook page feed, with a note that personal VPN services may block that feed.

A Practical Check Before Joining

The homepage does not publish dues amounts, membership tiers, or a login requirement, so confirm current pricing and terms on the membership page before committing. Also decide which role fits you: a rider who mainly wants access advocacy, a club or business seeking representation, or a volunteer looking for crew work. The NMA's value proposition is collective—strength in numbers for land access—so the decision comes down to whether you want to fund and participate in that collective effort on Washington public lands.