Montana is a very large state and therefore requires a lot of hands to keep the land healthy and serving mountain bikers from all over the World. Syringa and Bellevue Bike Parks: These parks are located in Missoula, Montana. From local events, jobs, where to stay and the best things to see and do. It was a cloudy summer day with some scattered showers when we visited, so we skipped the ski resorts. Montana is a state located in the Western United States. One of Montana's best kept cycling secrets is a stone's throw from Yellowstone National Park. MacDonald Pass mountain biking trail is the classic ride in Helena, Montana, equally famous for its killer views and downhill slopes. 1. MacDonald Passis the classic ride inHelena, equallyknownfor its bombing down hillsand killer views. Nestled in the Hyalite Peaks high country, the trail is moderately technical, with up and down switchbacks and 2,000 feet of climbingthat endsat a30-acre alpine lake surrounded by rock walls. The Grass Mountain Biking Loop is one of the most famous, challenging, and well-ridden course systems in the Bozeman area of Montana. Skylar Rispens Two riders descend from Mt. The Moab board of tourism boldly proclaims to be "the home of the greatest mountain biking on the planet," and with good reason. The top of the South Shore Traillooksout over the vast expanse of the northern Great Plains, just as Lewis and Clark saw them when theydiscovered the Great Falls over 200 years ago. Head to East Missoula and then up into the hills. Choteau in Teton County is another wonderful mountain town just 20 miles east of the Rocky Mountains. Twenty minutes northwest of Hungry Horse is the popular ski resort and tourist town of Whitefish where almost 8,000 live. Alongside a bountiful harvest of cherries in the summer, Polson and the surrounding region also have many cultural and outdoor things to do. In the entire state, it is categorized as one of the most attractive areas. Big Timber has a small range of accommodation by way of B&Bs, hotels, and motels with some of them actually have been in business since the late 1800s. Getty Images. It is in proximity to Yellowstone National Parks northern gate, and the town exhibits the typical Montana charm that one would expect in a location like this. Even non-hikers can trek up Mt. Santa Claus Is Skiing To Town! View maps, Line Creek Plateau Red Lodge, Montana #2 Advanced | 16.0 mi Line Creek Plateau is a singletrack mountain bike trail in Red Lodge, Montana. Darby Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr It is generally well maintained and cared for but can become overgrown during the quieter seasons. If you wish to camp, the best camping areas are located by the Warm Springs Creek parking area and just across the highway from the Warm Springs Ridge parking area. Some small towns are lucky enough to be tucked into the mountains where people can explore on foot, bike and skis all with hardly another person in sight. There are a lot of fireroads connecting the trails so that you can easily complete your intervals on a sustained fireroad surface and then jump into trails for warm up, cool down, or recovery in between. You will follow the spine of the divide for roughly one hour via old-growth Douglas fir and test your skills through sections of embedded granite rock. McKenzie River Trail. Choteau is an authentic and scenic small Montana town with an agricultural background. Most of the trail is gradual, but a few steep sections greater than 20% gradient are sure to challenge even the fittest riders. Stay: Located eight miles from Steamboat in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Dry Lake Campground's eight sites ($10, no reservations) put cyclists adjacent to the Spring Creek Trail, a breezy five-miler into town. It's a gateway to the world-famous Yellowstone National Park but is a wonderful tourist attraction in its own right and is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts in both summer and winter. , lying to the northeast of the park on the scenic Beartooth Highway. The resort also offers youth camps and downhill coaching. 1. ", If you get the most stoked for the downhill part of every ride, you won't want to leave Montana without experiencing Palisades, the best descent in the Bitterroot Valley, according to Chad DeVall. Columbia is a Money Magazine Best Town with bike paths and bike-friendly ambiance Boise City, Idaho Mountain biking in and near Boise is exceptional. Libby is located in northwest Montana, and its a lesser-known mountain town in Montana. Big Sky Resort is located in Big Sky, Montana. Many cyclists claim that riding an e-bike is easier than riding a normal mountain bike. Trail Type - Fun singletrack with ample adrenaline rush opportunities. Visit Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, get to know the state capital, Helena, check out the Montana Brewers Trail, go skiing in Big Sky, explore the World Museum of Mining in Butte, see the Hungry Horse Dam and . Pro Tip: Lightening is very common in this area so be prepared and plan your timing correctly. The area is popular for hunting and fishing, and the town has a small downhill ski area along with miles of backcountry roads for skiing and snowmobiling. This trail is accessible close to the Huntley Lodge at the Explorer lift. Some of those ridges are so spectacular that they are featured separately below (see #7 Mt. Kalispell is another one of the slightly larger populated mountain regions, and it is also classified as a city even though the population is only half that of Bozeman. Adventure Cycling Association. 46.5891 N, 112.0391 W. This trail can be accessed from the Warm Springs Trail System but also travels down into the State Line- Divide trail network. For challenging singletrack, you may try the hundreds of splendid miles of National Forest Service Roads and tracks surrounding the Big Sky Resort. In addition, they run the Montana Enduro Series. Looking for more How To MTB articles? You can find more about Alpine #7 at the USDA Forest Service Website https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/flathead/recreation/bicycling. Situated on 100 acres, the trails currently stretch ten miles and will eventually reach fifteen. The Woods Gulch mountain biking track is a loop course that begins and concludes at the trailhead at Rattlesnake Recreation Area. The trail goes through miles of public and private lands and is ideal for all levels of biking skills. Expect to ride through big meadows and heavily forested areas where you can dodge some trees. The downhill trails offer 2 easier trails for beginners, 16 difficult trails for intermediate riders, and 4 trails for expert riders. But instead of the crowded touristy lodges and casinos that steal a bit of South . Jackson, Wyoming is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the country, surrounded by mountains and national park land. Helena Ridge Trail or you can take the free community shuttle. After grinding up the initial 7.5-mile climb, it won't be long before you're in the zone, gliding around three-foot-wide switchbacks and undulating terrain until you reach meadows and pause-worthy vistas. Anniston, Alabama COL Index: 81.8 Median Home Price: $96,600, according to Best Places Population: 22,000 Miles of Singletrack: 120 Coldwater Mountain. Idaho Falls / Courtesy of Nicholas and Yin-Ying Sushkin under a CC 4.0 license. The Madison Range is located in Big Sky, Montana. Best Mountain Bike Trails in Montana SEE ALL South Hills Trail System Helena, Montana #1 Intermediate | 75.0 mi South Hills Trail System is a singletrack mountain bike trail in Helena, Montana. Whitefish Mountain Resort is the place to go for a spot of snowy action. It is best to climb up the fireroads and descend the singletrack trails. The modestly technical single-track path has 50 switchbacks, steep climbs, beautiful forests, and gratifying views the whole way up, but particularly when you reach the 10,000-foot saddle. Riding in the birthplace of MTB. So learn more about one of the best mountain towns in Montana, and then add it to your list! A full enduro set up including pads, helmet, bike, and insurance for one day on the mountain runs for $127 during the regular season. The trail is smooth and wide but has some good berms and mellow gradients so that you can gain speed and have fun! The Bangtail Divide is an IMBA Epic Trail located in Bozeman, Montana. The longtime locals are incredibly resilient, and with a population of 2,678, it's just the right size. Montana is certainly not short on either mountains or mountain towns. Population: 1,933. No matter how many times you jet across the long, open straightaways and fly down the same line, you'll never tire of seeing your silhouette chasing you off the mountain, daring you to do it again. Montana, home to over 100 ranges, has some of the best mountain biking trails in America. Some of the singletrack trails have jumps and drops so keep your eye out before sending it off of the drop. Trail Location - Located 9 miles south of Bozeman in the foothills of the Gallatin Range. The views are outstanding, but dont look for too long because the trails are gnarly and unforgiving with the primary feature being large and demanding rock gardens. Moab, Utah. Livingston is located just 30 miles east of Bozeman, but it's location on the northern end of the Paradise Valley plus some wild weather patterns keep it away from the tourist hordes. The Thompson Park trail system is a great system for beginner and intermediate riders that still want to see all of what the mountains have the offer. If you have never been to Missoula before then make sure to save some time for before or after to check out the town. The Mt. Featuring stunning glacier-carved mountain peaks which tower over river-bisected valleys, Glacier National Park covers over 1,500 square miles of wilderness in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, near Montana's border with Canada. Mountain bikers like Chad DeVall, owner and tour guide at Red Barn Bicycles, know how good they have it living in Hamilton, situated near hundreds of miles of trails and dirt roads. Not to say that motorized bikes dont come with any problems, but their convenience and ease of use is just amazing. In the northwest region of Montana, not far from Glacier National Park, sits the town of Whitefish, where Cricket Butler operates Whitefish Bike Retreat. In order to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, remember that the rule of thumb is that the uphill rider has the right of way on singletrack trails. However, when the bikers reach the apex, the course switches into an exciting singletrack trail that is technical as its challenging. It's highly technical with lots of rock gardens. Median listing home price: $745,000. Trails are small pathways through wooded areas or up With the advancements in technology, electric bicycles are becoming more powerful, and their batteries can hold a charge much longer, which allows for further travel. For one thing, the capital has a free summertime bike shuttle called The Trail Rider, which stops at various trailheads around the South Hills Trail System comprising over 75 miles, all within a seven-mile radius of downtown. The majority of the trails are blue and green with a few black trails to challenge the more daring riders. Soul Hole: This 1.4 mile trail with 1,200 feet of descending is a black diamond trail to really test your skills on. Explore Whitefish Lake, go on a guided mountain bike ride at Whitefish Bike Retreat, and ride horses at Bar W Guest Ranch.You'll spend most of your time outside while visiting, but there . Pro Tip: If you decide to take the shuttle consider donating $10 to the Trail Rider Program or just bring a few bucks to tip your driver because we want mountain bikers to be the coolest and nicest people out there. This fertile small town is in the northern part of the state, and on the south end of Flathead Lake one of the best lakes in Montana. Situated approximately a 2-hour drive from Canada, the Woodrat mountain biking trail is situated in Priest Lake in Idaho. Top 10 Mountain Bike Towns in the US with the Lowest Cost of Living 1. The house sleeps up to 10 people and is available to rent on VRBO.com. Mountain bikers exploring the Whitefish Trail are urged to be cautious and careful not to cause harm as the track is also used by runners, walkers, hikers, and equestrians. But it is a little more difficult to decide which is the best one. Ridgeway Mountain Laurel Trails, located in beautiful Horsepasture, Virginia, provides patrons a true mountain biking trail system. Based on difficulty, it is rated as intermediate. The trail is rocky, rooty, and has multiple switchbacks that allow riders to climb at more manageable gradient while navigating challenging tight turns on the descent. It is an incredible locale for those seeking a challenging, technical, and scenically attractive trails specially designed for the sport of mountain biking. Utah has A LOT of the best mountain biking towns in the country. This is the center piece of Helenas trail system and if you are new to the area is the perfect place to see what type of riding Montanas capital has to offer. The 60,000-acre Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, just outside of Missoula,contains a network of over 50 miles of seemingly endless possibilities for all skill levels. 30. Insane, speedy downhills are simply timeless. One of our favorite downtowns in Montana is Philipsburg. The lifts are open from 9 am- 4:45 pm from June 9th to September 22 if weather permits. There are any number of great mountain biking trails in the Spokane, WA area, but if local resident Kate Hudson had to pick just one, she'd choose the Mount Spokane Bike Trail 140, less than an hour drive from downtown. Check out SABRE Frontiersman (Link to AMAZON for great price). It gives you frequent lightening updates and the distance to the closest lightning strike. Here is a link to the shuttle website: https://www.bikehelena.com/trail-rider/. The course proceeds further left to the USFS signage and uphill towards First Creek and Hidden Lakes. However, purchasing an e-bike is still a financial investment as most e-bikes that are worth their weight are still around $1,000. On the Otter Slide, you may opt to attempt the machine-built flow tracks. The South Hills trail system is located in Helena, Montana. Residents of Asheville and the surrounding area can easily visit the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. 12. The town also has a decent range of eateries from local-style, hometown cooking to fine dining. https://thegarage.bike/, Big Sky Cycling and Fitness: This shop offers repairs and workshops. Big Sky is more than just a launch pad for Yellowstone adventures, says outdoor photographer and Montanian Bob Allen, citing the Grizzly Loop. When it comes to taking your e-bikes out on adventures, sometimes you want to travel to distant places and use your e-bike to explore. Pro Tip: Even if you have ridden these trails before, always make sure that you can stop within your sight range. One of the towns with the best mountain views is, Bozeman also provides fantastic views of the, One of the best is Kalispell, a gateway to Glacier National Park.