You’re here! You’ve made it up the mountain, the city’s a few hundred miles in your rearview mirror and you’re ready to push the pedals – now, where to? There’s no shortage of amazing rides up in Mammoth so in today’s post we’ll point you to the best places to start your two-wheeled adventure!
Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
Literally the king of Mountain Biking in the US, the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park takes all the slopes you love to ski and snowboard and turns them into amazing downhill runs to shred with your friends. Featuring over 80 miles of singletrack, it’s the biggest bike park in the US and offers plenty of jumps, drops, and technical sections for the go-hards, and plenty of scenic spinning for the more relaxed set. With runs for all levels of riders, chair lifts to take the “ugh” out of the “uphill”, and plenty of refreshments and amenities – it’s like Disneyland for riders, without the silly ears.
Mammoth Lakes Trail System
And if “free” is more your pricepoint for enjoying scenery from the saddle, the Mammoth Lakes Trail system offers one of the most comprehensive collections of ride routes anywhere. With offroad routes from 1.5 to 10+ miles on a variety of terrains, and road routes from 2 to 30 miles on pavement, there’s something for everybody. Even if you’ve been coming up for years, you’ll still find new trails tucked away to explore. All of the Mammoth Lakes Trail System rides are labelled with a difficulty rating, a duration estimate, and a little breakdown on what to expect, so you can find the route that’s perfect for you and your crew easily – and that means more time to ride.
Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center
While the Welcome Center isn’t so much a route as a hub, it’s the perfect place to start your first (or tenth!) trip up the mountain. A “designated California Welcome Center” it sports all the amenities you’d expect for an introduction to this great state of ours. It’s also your best source for local trail maps and, even more valuable, local advice on how to get the most out of your time in Mammoth. The Welcome Center has maps available of all of the Lakes Trail System routes and their staff are eager to help riders pick and plan the rides that they’ll enjoy the most. They also know the cool shortcuts that aren’t “officially” part of the Trail System so it’s worth picking their brains whether it’s your first time up or you’re a regular on the slopes. Plus, it’s a great chance to score some last minute essentials if you forgot your sunscreen or souvenir magnets at home.
The Store
Last but not least, the store! Or the bar. Or out for lunch. Once you’ve gotten a taste for the mountain air it can be hard to justify jumping back in the car to pop a mile or two down the road – and luckily you don’t have to! With paths and trails meandering throughout, there’s usually a two-wheeled shortcut between you and wherever you’re headed and you can always pedal up the pavement instead of jumping in the car again too. It’s not unusual to see bikes parked outside shops and restaurants all along the village, and there’s nothing like looking forward to the quick pedal home to justify ordering that dessert.
So whether you’re looking to shred some singletrack or take a relaxing slow-spin, whether you’d rather be in bike Mecca or lush expanses of natural wonder, and whether you’re looking to drop some dough or spin for free, there are plenty of amazing rides in Mammoth just waiting for you. Hit the Welcome Center, grab a map, and we’ll see you on the mountain!