One of the fastest, rowdiest, point-to-point shuttles anywhere, with wide-open rock slab riding, uber-technical rock gardens, and big jump and drop options--experts only!
If you were to hit all of these epic desert trails in one road trip, it would be the most epic Desert Southwest mountain bike road trip EVER!!
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The USA's Desert Southwest is one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Wide-open expanses of sagebrush, sand, and rocks have served as the set for countless movies. Towering rock formations burst from the ground in every variation imaginable—from upthrust cliffs to soaring spires, freestanding arches, blocky monoliths, and everything in between. In the Desert Southwest, the sky is massive, water is scarce, the landscape is harsh and unforgiving, and yet... this rugged terrain radiates a magical beauty that has captured the hearts of millions of visitors.
Connecting this iconic landscape is an endless network of trails. While many of the original routes were created by animals moving from place to place, and some were created by Native Americans, today, mountain bikers have embraced this rugged landscape by building miles upon miles of bike-optimized trails. Now, some of the most renowned mountain bike destinations in the world are found here in the Desert Southwest. Have you heard of Moab? Fruita? Sedona? Yeah, I thought so.
This road trip itinerary creates a loop connecting the most iconic mountain bike destinations in the Desert Southwest. In between the big-name destinations, you'll find lesser-known gems that are just as worth riding, even if they only receive a fraction of the traffic. If you complete this itinerary, you'll visit:
— Grand Junction, CO
— Fruita, CO
— Moab, UT
— Hurricane, UT
— St. George, UT
— Boulder City, NV
— Sedona, AZ
— Prescott, AZ
— Phoenix, AZ
— Tucson, AZ
— Gallup, NM
— Albuquerque, NM
— Glorieta, NM
— Santa Fe, NM
— Aztec, NM
— Cortez, CO
As you scroll through the list below, you'll realize this is an ambitious selection of trails. If you were to ride every single one of these trails in the course of a single road trip, it would easily be the most epic Desert Southwest mountain bike road trip EVER!! This list is meant to be inspirational. You can easily pick and choose the trails and the destinations from the list that you'd like to hit. The loop can be significantly shortened by skipping one or more destinations, or only hitting one trail in each location. But for the true vagabond that's leaving winter behind in search of desert sand and sun… consider tackling all of these epic trails (and more!).
One of the fastest, rowdiest, point-to-point shuttles anywhere, with wide-open rock slab riding, uber-technical rock gardens, and big jump and drop options--experts only!
Enjoy a well-built cross country trail on your way to access the technical centerpiece of the Kokopelli Loops: Moore Fun.
Horsethief Bench is the most famous trail in the Kokopelli Trail System, primarily because of its uber-gnarly drop down to the main trail. The views are spectacular as well!
Zippety Do Da provides the fast downhill bombs, swoop and flow, and visually-stunning ridgeline singletrack that put Fruita on the map.
One of the most epic mountain bike rides of all time, the Whole Enchilada drops over 9,000 feet of vertical and passes through every climate zone imaginable, from high alpine tundra to desert.
One of the original world-famous mountain bike trails, the unique slickrock slabs provide an otherworldly ride experience
Captain Ahab combines the best new-school singletrack trail building techniques with Moab's famous views and challenging rocks for a classic mountain bike experience.
Ride some of the most technical and dangerous mountain bike trails in the world in one massive shuttle route!
Rippled slickrock riding paired with extreme exposure and beautiful views from the mesa's rim.
This ride links together the outer loop Guacamole trails into a great 11-mile ride—perfect for upper intermediates—with plenty of advanced options as well.
Flowy, easy-to-access singletrack with gorgeous views, and the occasional challenging section.
The Barrel/Zen route combines two popular loops to give technically-oriented riders a full smorgasbord of rocky, stunt-laden fun.
A fantastic tech ride with stunning views!
Beautiful desert pedaling on the edge of Las Vegas.
You'll think you hit the big Vegas jackpot when you ride Bootleg Canyon, a chunky, exposed, hardscape of improbable singletrack carved from the harsh volcanic rock and crumbling granite that sits near the Black Mountain.
Hiline offers stunning views of the Red Rocks region from exposed mountainside singletrack. Finish it off with a raucous descent down a black-diamond plunge!
The Hogs are some of the most entertaining—and challenging—trails in Sedona, with technical rock rolls and rock gardens, cliff exposure, and of course—beautiful views!
Extreme exposure coupled with brutally-technical rock moves make Hangover one of the most technical--and dangerous--trails in the nation.
This route links the best trails in the Granite Basin area into a moderately challenging but highly-entertaining loop.
A 78-mile purpose-built singletrack trail rolling through the Arizona desert.
One of the best cross country loops at McDowell Mountain Park.
A steep, technical loop providing a mountain feel right on the outskirts of Phoenix.
This route gives the technical rider a great tour of the best of South Mountain.
This route links up the most entertaining segments in the Golder Ranch trail system for advanced or adventurous intermediate riders.
Pedal through a beautiful, undeveloped mountain range to the north of Tucson.
A classic, scenic desert mountain bike trail with challenging rock sections.
One of the most epic and brutally-gnarly shuttle runs in the USA!
The Arizona Trail Race route, running from Saguaro National Park past Mount Lemmon and culminating at Oracle State Park.
The High Desert Trail System provides a good diversity of mostly flowy terrain with options to customize distance and challenge.
Albuquerque's town trails deliver beautiful views and entertaining singletrack.
A serpentine network of rocky outcrops, smooth singletrack, and exotic colors.
Fantastic ridge line riding amid dramatic skies, stunning topography, and unique geology.
A rock-filled gnar fest, with some optional double black diamond features.
A ripping flow line alternating between berms, jumps, and rocks.
The long outer loop through Santa Fe's marquee trail system.
Under-the-radar desert singletrack that deserves much more fame!
A 25-mile winding, swooping beginner-friendly (but joy-inducing for all levels) chunk of high-desert terrain that will pin your grin from ear to ear.