Rip Down a Vertical Mile on Ashland's Top 3 Shuttle Runs

The peak of the mountain rises to a height of 7,533 feet above sea level. That might not sound like much, but if you consider that the town of Ashland is only at 1,949 feet, all of a sudden, the 5,600-foot difference seems pretty considerable! While mountain bikers won't reach the very summit of Ashland, they'll still enjoy over a vertical mile of downhill shredding on all three of these shuttle runs.

In true mountain biking form, even after the good folks at Ashland Mountain Adventures have dropped you off at the ski area, all three of these runs do require some uphill pedaling along the way. Even though many riders choose to wear full-face helmets, this is still definitely enduro riding with some sweat equity required. That said, the classic Mt. Ashland shuttle run only requires about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. If you choose to head to Time Warp, even though you have to begin with a climb to get to the top, if you choose return to the East Side, you'll only pedal just over 1,100 feet uphill. However, if you take Time Warp to the West Side, you'll have to pedal over 2,000 feet of vertical.

The soil on Mt. Ashland consists of mostly-smooth decomposed granite punctuated by the occasional rock garden. A few sections in the deep trees feel dark and loamy, but those are few and far between. While a few rocky spots will definitely add some spice for advanced riders, overall, even intermediate mountain bikers will have a great time on these trails.

If you look for them, you'll spot plenty of opportunities to take to the air: whether on drops, tabletop jumps, or massive experts-only gap jumps, you can definitely get your hangtime fix! And if flow is what you're after, trails like Lizard, Jabberwocky, BTI, and White Rabbit deliver endless berms for miles, allowing you to whiz your way around beautiful banked turns.

For even more deets, dive into the route descriptions for the top three shuttle runs on Mt. Ashland. While these routes reign as the best runs on the mountain, these three options are just the beginning... once you begin exploring, you'll uncover a plethora of alternative trails to keep you entertained!