Top 10 Mountain Bike Destinations in the US

Close your eyes and take in a long, slow breath. Visualize yourself riding through scenic trails, feeling the sun on your skin and a light breeze cool down your sweat. It’s the start of another mountain bike season, with new places to explore. It’s time to pull your bicycle out of storage, tune it up, and put a plan together for your next great adventure. Here are our top 2020 our 2020 top 10 choices for mountain bike destinations around the USA.

Moab, Utah

Home to the world famous Slickrock bike trail, a challenging 9.6 mile trail of entirely smooth rock, Moab boasts gorgeous canyons, mesa top views, and stunning desert scenery. In addition to Slickrock, Moab’s other trails include the cliffside Porcupine Rim and the Intrepid Trail along the Colorado River Canyon. With trails for riders of all ages and skill sets, there’s something for everyone in Moab. To avoid extreme summer temperatures, it is recommended to visit Moab during the spring or fall when daytime temperatures are in the 60s.

Sedona, Arizona

With some of the most beautiful views in the world, riders will enjoy the variety of trails this desert town has to offer. Surrounded by vast canyons and red-rock buttes, Sedona trails include twists, turns, basins, sandstone step-ups and step-downs and more. As long as you have your bike, you won’t need a car in Sedona as the trails are all in close proximity to each other and connect to lodging, restaurants, and bike repair shops in town.

Sun Valley, Idaho

Sitting in the shadow of the world-famous Bald Mountain, Sun Valley Idaho is a mountain biker’s dream. Over 400 miles of single-track, including lift-accessed mountain trails, means riders can bike around Sun Valley for weeks without ever repeating the same ride. This extremely bike-friendly town offers excellent lodging and dining options, along with an impressive 12 full service bike shops. Each June, Sun Valley hosts the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival, where everyone can enjoy local food, drinks, music and contests.

Sandy, Oregon

Resting in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, Sandy Oregon is home to the Sandy Ridge Trail System, Government Camp Trail System, and Ski Bowl Trail System. Sandy features wooded trails that wind through forests of douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar, along with lift-assisted downhill runs at Mount Hood Adventure Park. With warm summer days, and plenty of quaint lodging and dining options, Sandy should be on every mountain biker’s list!

Sun Crested Butte, Colorado

Boasting over 700-miles of single-track winding through alpine vistas and aspen groves, Crested Butte is a top mountain biking destination. Tucked into the Rocky Mountains at 9,000 ft. above sea level, the trails in this town are ideal for advanced riders who love a good adrenaline rush. Home of the famous 401 Trail Loop, as well as the Teocalli Trail, featuring 2,000 ft. of climbing and 2,000 ft. of descent in just 12 short miles, Crested Butte offers the perfect conditions for biking from early summer into late fall. While low trails are usually accessible in early summer, higher trails may still be covered in snow until late July.

Bryson City, North Carolina

From the 42-mile Tsali Trails system, to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Deep Creek Trail, Bryson City has the perfect range of trails for riders of all skill sets. Single-track trails descend into valleys, curve through granite domes, waterfalls, rhododendron tunnels, river crossings, and climb challenging rocky inclines. Also home to Bryson City Bicycles, named America’s Best Mountain Bike Shop by the National Bicycle Dealer’s Association three years in a row, Bryson City offers plenty of camping, lodging, and log cabin rentals for your stay.

Bozeman, Montana

Known for downhill runs and long rides, Bozeman also boasts the scary and challenging Garnet Mountain Trail, featuring single track slices along nearly vertical slopes. Close to Yellowstone National Park, riders in Bozeman will enjoy stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, relaxing rides through wide open grassy fields, and twisting trails through towering forests. For a break from the trails, check out the Museum of the Rockies.

Chequamegon National Forest, Wisconsin

Located in Northwest Wisconsin, the Chequamegon National Forest has over 300 miles of marked trails flowing through mature forests and the pristine Wisconsin wilderness. With more single-track trails being constructed each year, riders can return season after season for new experiences. Each summer brings a 100 km and 100 mile bike race through the forest, while the Cheqamegon Area Mountain Bike Association has fun events planned throughout the year. Plenty of cabin rentals and camping options are available, along with other activities like fishing, hiking, and boating.

South Lake Tahoe, California

The 165-mile high-alpine Tahoe Rim Trail, acclaimed Flume Trail, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Powerlines Trail, and The Bench are just a few of the many different trails mountain bikers will encounter in South Lake Tahoe, California. One of the world’s premiere mountain biking areas, Lake Tahoe features stunning views over the eastern shore, trails for every skill level, the largest alpine lake in North America, mountainside tracks, and rolling pine forests. With plenty of places to stay and things to do, with convenient shuttle services to the trails, South Lake Tahoe is a mountain biker’s paradise.

East Burke, Vermont

One of the best places to ride in the country, East Burke trails include 2,000 ft. of vertical downhill descents in the Q Burke Mountain Bike Park, cross-country rides through glades and forests, and over 100 miles of downhill single-track in the Kingdom Mountain trail system. All of the trails are close to town, making it easy to ride your bike to and from the trails, hotels, and restaurants.