The Best Singletrack Mountain Bike Trails in Chamonix

Chamonix is one of the most stunning mountain destinations on earth. The idyllic town center sits in the bottom of a narrow valley with mountains soaring straight up on all sides. The Mont Blanc massif forms one side of the Chamonix Valley, with the mountain slopes culminating in sheer rock cliffs covered in glaciers. Mont Blanc itself, visible from just about everywhere in the valley, rises to 4,809 meters above sea level—the highest peak in Western Europe.

This well-developed tourist destination serves every mountain sport, including mountain biking. You'll find tons of gnarly singletrack to ride here… but unlike most mountain destinations in the Alps, don't expect Chamonix to roll out the red carpet for you. Mountain bikes are banned on most trails for the months of July and August. Mountain bikes are also banned on trails that pass through a national park, although it can be difficult to tell where the national park boundaries are.

It feels like Chamonix is saying, "you mountain bikers are the new kids on the block—you should be grateful for whatever we give you." And in some ways, they're right: Chamonix's history as a mountaineering destination goes back hundreds of years, with the first ascent of the Mont Blanc recorded on August 8, 1786. Yeah, mountain bikes are pretty new on the scene.

Don't let the feeling of being a second-class citizen dissuade you from heading to Chamonix to mountain bike. Instead, use these tips to your advantage so you can optimize your visit. Travel to Chamonix in early September when the crowds have thinned out and most of the lifts have opened to bikes.

If you do, you'll find a nearly endless web of steep, technical, challenging singletrack trails spread throughout the Chamonix valley… and really, connecting to the rest of Europe. Whether your goal is to rip technical enduro descents like Charlanon and Merlet, or you want to check off the epic multi-day Tour du Mont Blanc, Chamonix can provide as much challenge as you're ready for!

Lift Access Information

Les Houches Bike Crew provides some information on how best to navigate the lift system in Chamonix:

"Bikes are allowed on the dedicated velo-bus public bus system and also on the SNCF railway that runs through the valley, opening up lots of options outside the lift season. The lifts that only access walking trails don’t allow bikes during July and August, the Brevent lift is an exception that allows bikes after 3pm during the summer bike ban to access the Charlanon trail. At either end of the valley, Les Houches and Le Tour / Vallorcine are open to bikes throughout the summer as they have dedicated VTT trails that are unaffected by the July – August bike ban. For a different uplift experience the Tramway du Mont Blanc allows bikes on the last few trams of the day through the summer too."