Sunday, September 15th, 2024 @ 9 AM Happy Mountain Biking Fall 2024. The local trail conditions are still in good condition, with surfaces ranging from firm to loose and sandy in spots as the ground has dried out from the wet season. Everyone I encounter on the trails from Bishop up to the Bike Park is stoked about this summer season.
If you’re coming up to ride in the area during September, my advice is to hit the high country trails and do peddle laps in the bike park mid day. If you want to ride in the Bishop area, the area should be cooling off by mid-month, opening the door to ride to about midday before it gets too warm.
The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park will close from 9 to 15, but you can still use the park via peddle power. The trails around chair 1 will have a hard closure while crews works on the haul rope for chair 1 over the next couple of weeks.
For more ideas of other places to ride in the Eastern Sierra at this time, scroll down the page to the full Mountain Bike Report section.
Video Player: Make sure to select the 4K options to avoid grainy trail footage. #Videos in 2024 are Sponsored by The Footloose Sports Bike Shop. Call them at 760-934-2400; they have EMTB Levos and Regular Stump Jumpers for rent.
Cam Z on Velocity – Photo from the MM Bike Park[/caption
>>Mountain Biking Disclaimer Alert<<
9-15-2024 – Welcome to September in the Eastern Sierra. Fall is a great time to ride in the Eastern Sierra; I recommend you ride Mountain View or Mammoth Rock Trail or maybe try Lower Rock Creek Canyon Trail. I like to do laps down on the upper two sections of Lower Rock Creek. It’s such a blast, and if you’re in shape, you can return to the top quickly via the road.
Lower elevation rides are now on as the heat of Summer has moved out of the Millpond and Bishop areas. There is nothing like a ride in the Foothills of West Bishop or inside the Poleta, OHV, area.
The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park: The park is now closed for the season as of 5 PM on 9/15/2024
Inyo Craters Loop and the Big Smokey Bear Loop: These areas are ready to ride. However, the dirt on the trails and roads these riders access is loose and sandy in spots as the area has dried out.
If you want to ride these areas, my advice is to use an E-MTB bike. If you don’t have one, rent one from Footloose Sports or Black Tie Ski & Bike Rentals in Mammoth Lakes. A bit of peddle assist tightens up the loose trail conditions so you can have maximum fun. For more information on both of these rides, visit this link.
(LRC) Lower Rock Creek Trail: All three sections are open, clear, and in prime spring shape. Watch for hikers, fishermen, and dogs along the trail. You can learn more about LRC at this link. Also, please note that E-MTBs are NOT ALLOWED on this trail.
Sunny Slopes / Upper Gorge Loop is now ridable, but be aware that roads on this route are starting to be a bit sandy. Be ready to power through or use an E-MTB. We need to get a crew together and clean up the road section leading up from the River to the upper sections of this ride. Tons of overgrowth make it almost impossible to ride at this time.
The Poleta Canyon OHV Area is located at the end of E Line St and has miles of open, ridable terrain. Poleta Ridge and Poleta Canyon Trail are open, as are all the OHV Roads and other unnamed single-track trails in that area. Last I heard, the Black Rock Mountain road was still a mess, but a crew from Valley Org will be cleaning the road up sometime soon.
White Mountain Road to the White Mountain Single-Track Trail is open. Be aware that this area offers some very steep climbing in spots; if you plan to ride this area, you better be in mid-season shape or on a class 1 E-MTB. There are also several low-water crossings on the lower part of this route, so be ready for the water.
The Buttermilk Country and the Tungsten Hills are ridable, but only during the early morning hours as the Summer heat bakes this area.
Mill Pond to the Foothill areas of Western Bishop are getting a bit dry, but they are still ridable early in the morning. This area is not the place to ride from mid-morning on during the Summer, as you will encounter temperatures exceeding 100-110 degrees in the direct summer sun.
>> The Footloose Bike Shop is now fully open for Bike and e-bike Rentals and Bike Repair Services. They also have mountain bike and road biking gear available for retail sales. Give them a call at 760-934-2400, and they can answer your questions. Here is the link to their website.
>> Black Tie Ski & Bike Rental also carries Trex E-bikes and Town Cruisers. Use this link to access their rentals in Mammoth Lakes.
If you’re looking for other activities to do while you’re in the area, check out our 25 Things to Do page at this link.
Have a Great Day, Steve Taylor the Snowman – Ride the Eastside!
If you’re looking for a unique place to go for a Mountain Bike adventure, you must check out the Eastern Sierra Region.
There are countless opportunities to ride here, from Traditional Mountain Bikes to the new Mountain E-Bikes. You will find everything from single-track action to motocross trails, OHV trails, and forest service roads that lead deep into the back country.
This website is here so you will know where to ride, current trail conditions, and what to expect from the local weather on your next Mountain Bike Trip to the Eastern Sierra.
We cover most of what you can ride at the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park, in the Inyo National Forest, and in the Bishop and Big Pine areas. There are miles and miles of mountain biking to be had up here.
While you will find a lot to ride on this site, there are countless roads and off-shot single tracks that are not mapped or marked that you will discover as you investigate this area on your mountain bike.
During most years, there are only a few days when you can’t find a place to ride in the Eastern High Sierra and the Northern Owens Valley. If you’re into Mountain Biking, we hope to inspire you to come up and ride in the Eastern Sierra sometime soon.
**This website is being built from 2023 into 2024; once we get all the content in, it will be an excellent resource for Mountain Bikers and E-MTB riders. Keep checking back for fresh ideas of where to ride.
Website Author – Steve Taylor (the MammothSnowman) from Mammoth Lakes & Bishop, California
Steve has been Mountain Biking in the Mammoth Lakes and Bishop areas since 1985. At Eastern Sierra Mountain Biking, he is offering up his years of knowledge on where to ride and what the trails are like.
Steve moved to Mammoth Lakes full-time in 1990 and down to Bishop in Late Spring 2019. He currently rides five to six days a week and is excited to share his local Mountain Biking knowledge with you. If you’re into skiing and snowboarding, check out his Winter website at MammothSnowman.com.
