Here are my Favorite Trails in the Mountain Bike Park.
#1 Uptown/Downtown Full Loop – The Uptown / Downtown trail was built in the summer of 1991 as one of the primary trails in the new Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. These two trails are a great loop ride, and they also offer many options with other trails in and out of the park they link up to.
Just be sure you understand that both uptown and downtown are part of the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. You can only ride these trails without a bike park pass up to the Mammoth Earth Quake Fault. There is a loop option back downtown, or you can ride up the Mountain View Trailhead at the Earthquake Fault Parking area.
Uptown starts just above the Village and winds its way thru the forest all the way up to Main Lodge. There are a few rocky technical climbs for intermediates that are fun and challenging; otherwise, it is clear-packed dirt with just a bit of pumice on the climb.
Downtown follows a similar path from Main Lodge back to the Village at Mammoth. The downhill back to the Village is easy and family-friendly. There are even a couple of wooden berms for the kids to enjoy.
Over the years, I have used Uptown to access Mountain View and other Cross Country loops I do in the bike park.
Stats: 9.5 miles, 8,000-8,900 elevation, 100% single track, Easy technicality & Moderate to Strenuous effort… Remember you’re riding uphill to the 9000-foot level.
#2 Big Ring – One of my favorite trails out on Mammoth Mountain was built in the early 90s. This trail replaced the need to climb the Chair 7 service road at the time. Yes, you still need to climb, and if you’re not used to altitude, this is not the trail to warm up on.
The trailhead for climbing starts at the bottom of chair seven and quickly starts uphill. The route you find offered these days is different from the old Big Ring bottom, it’s definitely a bit tougher.
You can find this trail right off of Paper Route at the midpoint rest station for the Downhill action. The 1.8 downhill is intermediate and flowy but there are now features or pavers this is good old-fashioned single-rack dirt. Over the years, I have also started my day riding into the park via Big Ring with a decent of the trail on my return home.
Stats: 1.8 miles, 2 Way, 8,340 to 8,820 – elevation, 100% single track, Medium technicality, Moderate to Strenuous effort on the Climb Up.
#3 Paper Route To Manzanita (loop) – This loop starts right at the top of Big Ring, there is a junction here with water and a shaded bench to cool off. Paper Route heads out and under chair 16 and then across the very lower part of Lincoln Mountain.
You pass under Chair 22 and 8, and then the trail sends you out into the Little Eagle Express / Chair 15 area. It wraps all the way over the base of chair nine before it wraps back up under the lower part of chair 9.
Along the way, you will find the trail going up, down, and back up. Once you do the u-turn near chair nine, the trail gets steeper and goes through the famous switchback section. At this point, you hit the junction with Skid Marks and Manzanita.
Manzanita trail takes you back over the upper parts of the chair 15 areas before heading across the lower section of Lincoln Mountain just below the follow me trail.
Stats: 5.4 miles, 2 Way, 8,760 – 9,040 elevation, Easy technicality, Moderate effort
#4 Beach Cruiser (loop) – This is a really fun ride that starts right out of Main Lodge and winds its way up through the trees near chair 11.
At this elevation, you will really feel the altitude at 9000 feet. I just put it into my 52-tooth chain ring and climb away. About 3 1/2 miles into this ride, you reach the end of the climbing, and you end up at Reds Lakes.
Stats: 6.2 miles, 8,900 – 9400 elevation, 100% single track, Medium technicality, Moderate effort
#5 Off the Top – Is a family-friendly single-track 98% downhill trail that starts from the very top of the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park at 11,000 feet in elevation.
The length of this trail is 5.5 miles with 1,6000 vertical feet of drop. Your Mountain Biking Skill level for this ride should be at least low intermediate.
On the trail, you will find a mix of firm dirt, pumice, crushed pumice, paver turns, several rocky sections, and some big old tree roots in spots.
Overall the ride is pretty tame and advanced, and expert riders really only ride this trail for a warm-up run and to admire the views.
#6 Gravy Train – This trail can be accessed from the lower part of Off the Top. It’s a two-way trail, so expect riders going both up and down.
Stats: 1.5 miles, 2 Way, 9,570-9,720’ elevation, 100% single track, Easy technicality, Moderate effort
#7 Mid Town Overview: This is one of my favorite trails in the bike park. It’s not extreme but offers a roller coaster-type ride down from MC Coy Station back to the Main Lodge area.
This one features a section of over 25 banked turns at the top and then opens up for a high-speed crossover of Stump Alley. It then heads through Mammoth’s unbound park, over the Broadway ski run, and off into the woods.
This part is all mellow XC country action. The final part of this ride sends you flying through some downhill sections with deep pumice in a couple of sports.
The very end winds through the lower part of Broadway. This is a great trail for intermediates who are not ready for the more techie downhill trails. The Paver turns up top are a ton of fun and worth doing several laps on.
For the best ride, You can link this trail up with the bottom part of Velocity and all of the Twilight Zone.
#8 Lincoln Express – Stats: 1 mile, 2 Way, 9,410-9,220’ elevation, 100% single track, Easy technicality, Moderate effort
#9 Bearing Straights This is a long XC downhill-type ride. The Trails starts right near MC Coy Station and wraps around the Gravy Chute head chutes and then out to about Scotties run where it links up with
#10 Skid Marks
#11 Velocity
#12 Bullet Downhill
#13 Follow Me Downhill
#14 Twilight Zone
#15 Shot Gun
#16 Break Through