20 Mountain Bike Trails within the USA to Ride Before You Die

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We’re all going to die.

Hopefully not very soon, however regardless, the truth of our mortality is an uncomfortable truth that we all must face. So, with restrained time, you need to prioritize the few things that count in life—together with driving the sector’s best mountain motorcycle trails.

If you live in the USA, you don’t need to travel far to find a world-class trail to ride. While the United States doesn’t have a corner on the singletrack market, without leaving the borders of America, you can ride hundreds upon hundreds of fantastic, world-class singletrack trails of all stripes. We’ve culled the thousands of possibilities down to 25 superb choices worth traveling across the nation to ride.

What exactly qualifies as a “must-ride” Mountain Bike trail varies from person to person, and as you peruse this list, you’ll note the diversity of the selections. You’ll find plenty of grueling high-alpine epics, such as Trail 401 and Mile Creek -> Targhee Creek.

Other riders prefer to get sendy, so you’ll spot some of the best jump trails in the nation, like Unemployment Line. There are trails deep in the forest, like O’Leary Mountain, and arid rock rides like the iconic Slickrock Trail.

You’ll find loop rides such as Ape Canyon -> Plains of Abraham -> Smith Creek Loop, and epic shuttle runs like the Cannell Plunge. Whatever type of riding you favor, you’re guaranteed to find a trail that’s worth dedicating your precious time to go and ride.

While we’ve only included trails of the highest quality on this list, we also sought geographic diversity—so you’ll find trails in the Midwest, the Northeast, and the Southeast, as well as the Mountain West.

What’s your favorite trail from this list? What do you think we missed? Drop us a comment in the Strava Stories Club to let us know!

1. The Whole Enchilada, Moab, Utah Mountain Bike

The Whole Enchilada ranks most of the most epic Mountain Bike rides of all time! This factor-to-factor path drops a whopping 9, two hundred vertical toes over 32 miles, and while there may be some mountain climbing alongside the manner, all instructed, it is one of the most terrific descents in existence.

A big piece of the epicness puzzle is the range of this route. The Whole Enchilada passes via almost every climate area imaginable. The top of Burro Pass, the direction’s excessive factor, tops out just above the treeline in the alpine tundra.

The singletrack quickly drops lower back into the timber, swooping through a pine forest. Lower down, the pines transfer to aspens, and then low scrub very well. The flora switches to the high desolate tract variety, with quick pinion bushes breaking up the landscape.

By the time you make it to the Colorado River, the vegetation has all but disappeared, and you are using through a low-desert environment.

2. Colorado Trail: Silverton to Durango

The Colorado Trail (COT) is extensively appeared as one of the very excellent lengthy-distance mountain bike trails in the global. Running for 535 miles between Denver and Durango, the path crosses excessive alpine mountain passes and drops into stunning valleys because it traverses the most lovely portions of the state of Colorado.

Out of the complete Colorado Trail, arguably the highest-great segment is the beautiful stretch going for walks from the metropolis of Silverton to the southern terminus of the trail in Durango.

While not technically the highest-elevation part of the path, nonetheless this section stays very high inside the San Juan Mountain Range. This whole stretch of singletrack has additionally been targeted with the aid of the International Mountain Bike Association as one of their “Epic” rides.

3. O’Leary Mountain, McKenzie, Oregon

The O’Leary Mountain Trail is a sublime singletrack trail high in the Cascade Mountains. This euphoric Mountain Bike experience offers stupendous views of the surrounding mountain range coupled with sinuous singletrack going for walks through a lush Oregon forest.

The bushes tower overhead, and the steep strip of black dust lets you rocket downhill at Mach 10… till you attain a few sections of seriously exposed singletrack with a protracted, lengthy fall underneath you and a stacked set of tight, rocky switchbacks.

The character of the trail changes throughout the descent—just when you think you have it figured out, you’ll encounter a set of berms, some delightful jumps, or the aforementioned switchbacks. The variety is part of the appeal!

4. Monarch Crest, Salida, Colorado

Imagine the maximum epic mountaintop views in the international and integrate them with stunning, flowing singletrack, observed by using a raucous, excessive-velocity descent down a Mountain Bike side ending at the valley ground, and you have got the epic Monarch Crest Trail in a nutshell.

What sets the Monarch Crest apart from the relaxation of the opposition is the ease of getting admission, thanks to numerous trip services that deliver riders to the top of Monarch Pass, and the extended section of trail that traverses above the treeline.

All told you’ll pedal over 10 miles along this incredible alpine ridge before dropping back into the trees and ripping down the mountainside.

5. Hangover, Sedona, Arizona

Extreme exposure coupled with brutally technical rock actions makes Hangover one of the most technical—and downright risky—mountain bike trails within the state.

This technical venture and risk of great injury (or worse) haven’t deterred riders—instead, professional Mountain Bike from around the arena flock to Hangover to attempt their competencies on this technical test piece.

If you attempt it yourself, just make sure to apply a healthy dose of caution. You have to make it via the next 20 trails in this listing, despite everything.

6. Gorilla Gully – > Fields of Abraham – > Smith Stream Circle, Mount Holy Person Helens, Washington

It’s “safe to mention there is no different trip pretty like this anywhere inside the States,” writes the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. While the Ape Canyon to Plains of Abraham experience begins through hiking up a narrow singletrack deep in a PNW forest,

it quickly breaks out into the Mount Saint Helens blast zone and lava drift place, providing a surreal panorama for a Mountain Bike ride. Once you hit the Plains, you’ll spend miles traversing the lunar panorama and surfing through the volcanic pumice.

7. Trail 401, Crested Butte, Colorado

Arguably the maximum stunning trail in North America, Trail 401 is also one of the oldest and most recognized trails in the world.

Crested Butte is certainly one of two locations within the United States that could claim to be the birthplace of mountain biking, and as such, riders have been traveling right here for many years to experience the breathtaking beauty of the Elk Range.

With smooth, swoopy singletrack hugging the facet of a high alpine ridge, it’s impossible not to have an excellent time on Trail 401!

8. Downieville Downhill, Downievlle, California

The Downieville Downhill is a classic commute run of epic proportions! Over the direction of 15 miles, the path drops over four,000 ft of net elevation (five,157 feet total descending).

Running from the top of a lovely Mountain Bike ridge right down to the banks of the Yuba River, this epic path has been a traditional experience for many years. In reality, the path and the metropolis of Downieville are host to a protracted-strolling race/festival dubbed the “Downieville Classic.

9. The Cannell Plunge, Kernville, California

The Cannell Trail, observed via The Plunge, is effortlessly one of the maximum epic shuttle rides in California, if no longer the complete USA! This splendid 25-mile trip with simply 2,000 ft of mountaineering drops a whopping 8,400 over the direction of the whole experience!

“The take the path of least resistance and speed on Cannell Plunge is unbelievable… I’m blown away on each event I experience this path,” expressed Eric Carter, Ace BMX racer, Mountain X, and Downhill Legend, according to KernRiverSierra.

Com. And he’s no longer the best one to realize how epic this journey is. In truth, IMBA has assigned the Cannell Trail their coveted “Epic” designation.

10. Slickrock Trail, Moab, Utah

This mega-traditional trail affords a Mountain Bike experience that you can’t discover in lots of places around the world. Instead of pedaling down dirt singletrack trails, riders will grind up and rip down endless domes of sandstone slick rock that create an otherworldly landscape.

Even though this mega-traditional is mega-famous, Slickrock is whatever but easy. The climbs are steep, the descents are steeper, and the rock is simply equipped to tear unsuspecting pores and skin from flesh in case you appear to fall. While the assignment is real, the praise is even greater!

11. North Umpqua River Trail, Roseburg, Oregon

The North Umpqua River Trail (NUT)makes a strong case for being the maximum epic mountain bike trail in Oregon. This 70-mile point-to-point singletrack path “follows the excessive ridgeline above the river, snakes through towering forests of hemlock, fir, and pine, and skirts more than one waterfall

because it follows the sparkling rapids of the waterway,” with regards to Eileen Garvin on TravelOregon.com.

While the trail has 5 wonderful sections, many riders who take the time to trip the NUT decide to address the whole element, commonly in a multi-day journey.

With a diffusion of campgrounds and dispersed tenting places along the way, there are plenty of alternatives for preventing spending the night time. And way to avenue crossings, you could even cajole a friend into riding a guide automobile. Or, move self-supported with Mountain Bike packing equipment.

12. Osberg Ridgeline Epic, Ketchum, Idaho

Despite requiring a full-size go back and forth from downtown Ketchum to attain the path’s start line, the Osberg Ridgeline Epic still requires over 3,000 feet of uphill pedaling. That 3,000 ft of hiking receives you five,500 toes of descending, along with a sweet 15-mile ridge traverse with the epic views this path is renowned for!

The views from the pinnacle experience like they’ll by no means quit as you pedal around one bald nook after which every other, with Mountain Bike ridges marching off into the space till they slowly fade from view.

13. Dupont State Forest Slickrock, Brevard, North Carolina

Riding on uncovered bedrock is a rarity on the East Coast, which makes this course in Dupont State Forest all the greater unique. Take Slickrock’s sandstone and change it with granite, shape it into a small mountain, and craft a flowing path down the rock face, and you will have the epic descents determined at the Cedar Rock and Big Rock trails.

Combine these trails right into a slightly longer loop experience, and you will experience a in reality unique mountain biking revel in proper here in the mountains of North Carolina.

14. Alpine Trail, Oakridge, Oregon

While “Alpine Trail” may additionally sound like a familiar call, once you begin associating that call with this epic factor-to-factor go-back-and-forth course outdoors of Oakridge, Oregon, it will become anything but regular!

The path starts offevolved high within the mountains, hiking through the towering timber that Western Oregon is known for, earlier than ripping downhill on stunning darkish black dirt.

A few open meadows and uncovered outcroppings provide quick panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains, earlier than losing lower back into the wood for greater excessive-pace ripping.

15. Unemployment Line, Bellingham, Washington

Unemployment Line is Galbraith’s marquee bounce trail and is essentially liable for Galbraith’s worldwide fame. Unwilling to rest on its laurels, the neighborhood Mountain Bike membership, WMBC, continues to reshape and enhance the Unemployment Line every few years.

For 2019, a number of the jumps had been made over and progressed, and a visually lovely over/under roll-in feature was brought to the trail front.

Unemployment Line offers tabletops and booters of an expansion of sizes. While the takeoffs and landings have grown over time, in comparison to the scope of jumps observed in downhill Mountain Bike parks, the jumps on the Unemployment Line can call for sniper awareness to hit flawlessly.

16. Hiline, Sedona, Arizona

The Highline Trail is both stunningly lovely and highly technical but fortuitously, not at the same time.

The trail receives its name from the high traverse that it performs above sheer cliff bands along the side of one of Sedona’s purple rock Mountain Bike. Thanks to the trail’s vantage point above the valley ground, riders can revel in beautiful perspectives of the encircling mountains and crimson rock formations.

Thankfully, this portion of the experience is noticeably non-technical, however soon the trail plunges off the ledge through a difficult black-diamond descent which could rank most of the satisfactory inside the nation.

17. Doctor Park, Crested Butte, Colorado

The Doctor Park singletrack plummets from its high elevation start through an excessive alpine meadow, into an aspen grove, and down into pines and a dry weather area at decreased elevation, making it one of the maximum raucous and unique backcountry descents no longer handiest in Crested Butte but in the United States!

Whether you travel to the pinnacle or pedal it as a loop is up to you, however, one aspect’s for sure: this is an epic trail that’s well worth visiting to enjoy.

18. Mile River – > Targhee Brook, West Yellowstone, Montana

Mountain Bike does not get a whole lot more rugged and faraway than it does within the remoted Lionhead Mountains. The Mile Creek -> Targhee Creek factor-to-point crosses the small mountain range from one side to the alternative, following some sections of the Continental Divide Trail alongside the way.

Topping out above the treeline, the descent off the spine of the Mountain Bike is depraved-rapid! One phrase of warning: this mountain range is thick with grizzly bears, so percent your undergo spray.

19. Tahoe Edge Trail – > Flume Trail, Slope Town, Nevada

The Flume Trail started lifestyles as the grade for a water flume that delivered lumber from high in the Mountain Bike above Lake Tahoe to the towns away beneath. Nowadays, the remnants of the Flume are nonetheless visible, however, the antique flume bed is an alternative used by mountain bikers and hikers.

Turn a trendy Flume journey right into a more adventurous mountain motorbike tour by incorporating an increased segment of the Tahoe Rim Trail. By pairing those two trails, you’ll create a Mountain Bike experience that you will consider fondly for years to come.

20. Cady Hill: Florence Loop, Stowe, Vermont

The Florence Trail is famous because of the satisfactory waft path in Stowe, and one of the quality trails in the kingdom of Vermont! This berm- and jump-stuffed descent may be worked into a brilliant 5-mile trip at Cady Hill this is assured to thrill intermediate mountain bikers and entertain superior riders seeking to add some swoop and waft to their lives.