Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
Overview: The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is in the Inyo National Forest just outside of Mammoth Lakes, California. There is a massive network of mountain bike trails that you can ride here—with over 80 miles of adventure awaiting you just inside the Bike Park.
You will find everything from Cross Country Single Tracks to Technical & Pro Downhills to Insane Climbing along with Fast Service Roads like the Eliminator. The Bike Park also has many features, jumps, and some fun paver turns sections that will entertain just about anyone for days.
Mammoth has built trails for everyone from the Pro to Intermediate and Experts. For beginners, they have an excellent Discovery Zone with six trails to get you up to speed so you can explore other parts of the park. The zone is also serviced by chair 11, so you can get many laps in.
Besides the excellent mountain biking, the local area is one of the most scenic places in the world. The views from just about any place on Mammoth Mountain are jaw-dropping.
The Bike Park opens as soon as the snow melts off with the lower runs, and the Park Shuttle Bus out of the Village runs most years by Memorial Day.
As the snow line goes up, the on-hill lift-served mountain biking begins with the Panorama Gondola to Mid Chalet opening next. During average snow years, you will find about 90% of the park open, including trails from the top of the hill, by the July 4th Holiday.
Mammoth Mountain does have that famous so-called kitty litter, which is just tiny round pumice rocks, in many sections on the hill. To get thru those sections, slow down, turn wide, and sit back a bit, and you will be fine going thru the loose pumice. I don’t even notice it myself unless somebody mentions it.
While Mammoth is a great park to ride, it’s not a Whistler or a Bentonville. If you’re into peddling at altitude, technical downhill action, or maybe have an e-bike and want to add some lift-served fun, the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is worth visiting.
Along all the trails and fun you get out in the bike park, if you add all the other mountain bike rides you can do in the Eastern Sierra, you have a fantastic place for a mountain bike adventure.
And beyond Mountain Biking, there are many other things to do while you’re in the area, so you can get the perfect Mountain Biking and Mountain Vacation when you come up.
A good combo for fun is to take some morning runs in the bike park and then try a round of disc golf in the afternoon.
The Fine Details for the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
Hot Tips: Get out early on the hill early. On days when they have Chair 2 running, park at the Mill and do laps off of 2 to avoid the crowds at Main Lodge. Riding in the later half of the day is a good choice, and people are toast by 2 to 3 PM.
Tickets and Season Pass: Bike Park Day Passes in 2022 were $59 for adults, with some discounts possible mid-week. Here is the link to get the Bike Park Ticket page so you can see what the most current cost is.
Riding Season: The Season at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park: Early Season Runs depend on the snow line. The trail below chair 4 is usually open by Memorial Day during an average year. Aka Shot Gun, Paper Route
By July 4th, they usually have run open from Mid Chalet with Off the Top and Skid Mark open by then. It can take all summer during significant snow years for all the snow to melt. After Labor Day, lifts run Friday – Sunday with peddle power for mid-week days.
Stats: 80 Miles of Trail with additional service roads accessible for climbing. 3100 Vertical Feet of Downhill possible from Skid Marks to the Bottom of Juniper Trail.
Elevations: The top of Mammoth Mountain is at 11,053 Feet, Main Lodge at 8900 Feet, and Eagle Lodge at 7900 feet.
Trail Difficulties: 6 Easy Beginner, 32 Medium, 9 Expert, and 6 Pro Lines.
Directions, Access, Parking & Dogs: The bike park is 3.5 miles up Highway 203 from the Town of Mammoth Lakes. Parking is plentiful. From Los Angeles, the drive is around 300 miles and takes about 6 hours.
Lifts and Shuttles: Panorama Gondola to MC Coy Station and the Top, Chair 11 & the Bike Park Shuttle Bus from the Village to Main Lodge Operate Daily.
Recommend Gear to Bring: Bring a Full Suspension Trail Bike for the best overall experience. If you want to experience the entire hill without bonking, I highly recommend renting an E-Bike from Footloose Sports or the Mountain Center in the Village. It’s much more fun to have peddle assist when you’re at altitude and want to get in 20-30+ miles out on the hill.
A Downhill bike is only needed by pros running some extreme lines. If you want to try one, Mammoth Mountain rents downhill bikes from the Main Lodge.
Other Places to Ride: Just outside the Bike Park are Mountain View Trail, Panorama Connector, and the Mammoth Rock Trail.
Local Bike Shops: Footloose Sports in Mammoth Lakes is located at the first corner when you enter Mammoth Lakes. You can reach them at 760-934-2400 or use this link to their website.
Lodging: Mammoth Lakes has much housing from moderately priced hotels and condos. Just do a Google search for the best deals and read reviews before booking.
Local Lodging Tip: Bring a fan with you during the summer months, as most local lodging does not have air conditioning, and it can get hot.
Camping: There are a ton of USFS Campgrounds you can stay at in the area. Here is a link to the USFS list of the local campgrounds. You should get a campground reservation if you’re coming for a weekend. Peak Camping season is from mid-June through mid-August. After that, finding a camping spot without a reservation midweek is possible.
There is also limited dispersed camping. Beware that the non-paid camping areas will be closed during the peak of the Fire Season, so check with the Forest Service before you set up camp in the forest.
Where to Eat: Mammoth Lakes and Bishop have a lot of places to eat. Do a Google search to find what fits your taste buds today. My favorite places to eat in Mammoth are Giovannis and Robertos. In Bishop, Imperial Gourmet is where I go for a meal.
Cheapest Fuel: You will find the best prices on gasoline at Fort Independence on Highway 395. Most people stop there on their way up and then again on the way home.
Mammoth Mountain Bike Park History
Mountain biking started on Mammoth Mountain in the early 80s when locals began riding around the service roads at the ski area. Somebody (Bill Cockroft) came up with the idea that the mountain should add mountain bike racing to the road bike races hosted during those times.
Once that happened, a world-class cross-country course was built on Mammoth Mountain. Several miles of single trails were constructed and interconnected with service roads, making for some tremendously challenging courses at altitude. The Kamakai Downhill and Hill Climbing events really got people’s attention.
The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park was birthed in 1991 when Dave Mc Coy got approval from the US Forest Service. Trail crews built Paper Route, Beach Cruiser, Big Ring, and Uptown / Down Town that summer. To this day, those single-track trails are still some of my favorite cross-country and climbing rides on Mammoth Mountain.
Over the years, the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park has grown into one of the premier bike parks built inside a major ski area.