Out of the Bike Park: 5 Excellent Trail Rides in Mammoth

While mountain biking in Mammoth Lakes is all about shredding the gnar in the bike park, the region still offers a few smooth, flowy trail rides.

Mountain Biking Easy, Moderate, Difficult

Mammoth Rock -> Panorama Lollipop — Photo: Greg Heil

Description

The mountain bike scene in Mammoth Lakes, California, is anchored by the bike park on Mammoth Mountain. With over 80 miles of singletrack in the park, Mammoth is easily one of the largest and best-developed downhill parks in the USA.

If ripping down gnarly volcanic chutes isn’t your jam, or you’re just looking for a place to spin the legs out, Mammoth Lakes does provide a few excellent pedal-powered trail rides. On the whole, these rides are smooth and flowy, leaving the chunder to the bike park. If you pack your hardtail instead of your full suspension rig, you’ll definitely have a blast on these sublime cross country trails! But if you’re looking for a gnarly backcountry enduro ride, unfortunately, you will have to look elsewhere.

Sadly, almost all of the singletrack high in the Sierras that surround Mammoth Lakes is off-limits to mountain bikes. The trail rides in this guidebook will satisfy your urges for a time, but if you’re on the hunt for the next epic backcountry riding destination, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Routes included