The Off the Top to Beach Cruiser ride is a long, magical, family-friendly, intermediate-level Mountain Bike route. The adventure starts with a ride on the Mammoth 2-stage Gondola system.
The trip up to the top is stunning, with marvelous views of the entire ski area and the town of Mammoth Lakes and beyond. When you reach the top of Mammoth Mountain, you will now be at the 11,053-foot level and one of the world’s highest lift-served Mountain Bike Trailheads.
The Off the Top to Beach Cruiser Route is all single-track and features a series of switchbacks and straightaways. The route starts above the tree line and, about 2/3rds of the way down, enters the forested sections that eventually lead down to Red Lake.
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.
A real highlight of this ride is being smack dab in the middle backcountry on a Mountain Bike. The views from this adventure are amazing, some of the best you will ever see on a Mountain Bike Ride.
This is a fun, easy ride and is a great choice for the entire family of intermediate mountain bike riders.
If you want to see what this ride is like, watch the video below. You will get a Mountain Bike Tour down Off the Top, along with interesting facts and information clips.
**This Off the Top Video was made possible by Footloose Sports in Mammoth Lakes. If you’re looking for a Mountain Bike or E-MTB Rental, check out their Rental Fleet located right at the corner of Old Mammoth Road and Main Street. You can reach Footloose Sports at 760-934-2400. Here is a link to their website.
Stats This one-way downhill route covers 5.1 miles with a 1500 vertical foot drop on the Off the Top part of the ride. Beach Cruiser adds 3 miles and 500 more vertical feet of drop. It all adds up to about 8 miles with a 2,000 vertical foot drop.
E-MTBs Are allowed on all trails in the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park; you need a ticket to ride during park hours.
Bike Park Ticket Needed Off the Top & Beach Cruiser are part of the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park, so you will need a ticket to access the run and lift ride to the top.
Hot Tip: At this elevation, there is always a cool breeze to refresh you during the warm summer months, and some mornings, it can be into the 30s when they first open Off the Top. Wear a long-sleeved layer when you get to the top.
Access to Off the Top is via the Panorama Gondola at the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park, and You’ll need a mountain bike park lift ticket for your ride up. You can get the most current ticket and season pass information at this link to the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.
Directions: Park in the Mammoth Mountain Parking area and ride your bike up the Main Lodge, where you will find bike park tickets. Once you have a ticket, you can ride the Gondola or the Discovery Chair at Main Lodge.
Banked Turns are fun; if you look close at the image, you will see all the pumice around. Before those pavers got put in, this turn was a head plant waiting to happen. It’s much better with the pavers, and the banked turns are fun to ride on.
As you ride down the upper sections, you’re on the back side of Mammoth Mountain and right at the headwaters of the San Joaquin River Basin. You can also see Mammoth Pass and the Minarets up close as you ride down.
On the trail in the upper sections is where you will find some of the fun pavers turns that have been set up. You will also find a couple of sections with some very deep pumice, so watch out and get your weight back when you ride through those areas.
The lower half of Off the Top goes through some tree roots and rocky sections for some added fun. The lower 1/3 of the ride takes you right into the tree-lined area of the bike park.
There are a bunch of routes you can link up via off the Top, such as Beach Cruiser, Gravy Train, and the Eliminator Downhill, also known as the Famous Kamikaze downhill run.
A fun add-on to this ride is when you link up with Beach Cruiser; you can stop along the shores of Reds Lake for a snack or your lunch break. You can even jump in for a swim in Reds if you like.
I highly recommend the Off the Top to Beach Cruiser route for everyone who gets a chance to ride in the bike park. It’s a great warm-up trail or one-trip ride that takes about 60-90 minutes to get down, depending on how much you stop and take in the views.
This can be a half-day adventure if you stop at all the viewpoints and have lunch at the lake.
