The Mountain View Trail is one of the top mountain bike rides in the Inyo National Forest. The route takes a series of single-track sections mixed in with old forest service roads that lead up to the Minaret Vista.

There are some steep climbs with a 12% and a 14% section that most of you will want to dismount and push your bike up.

Along the way, you get forested areas, open spots with long-range views, and green and flowery mountain meadow sections.

When you reach the Visit Point, you will be treated to some epic views of Ritter, Banner Peaks, and the Minarets. You will also get a great view of Mammoth Mountain.

The Minaret Vista area has picnic benches and bathrooms, making this a great lunch stop and photo-op area.

The route has a total ridable vertical rise of around 780 feet with a starting elevation of 8500 feet and a peak elevation of 9155 feet at the Minaret Vista Scenic Area.

This route features cross-country-style riding with some decent hill climbing. As for skill level, this one is for advanced-level cross-country mountain biking riders. You must also be in great shape and be capable of riding a 10-mile loop at high elevations.

The downhill ride back down Mountain View is a total blast. However, I prefer to ride up Mountain View and then link with the Mountain View connector trail into the Mountain Bike Park.

For those with bike park passes or peddle passes, you ride 1/2 mile down Minaret Vista Road and access the park from the Mountain View Connector Trail right by the Reds Meadow Entrance Station.

And Yes, you need at least a Bike Park Peddle Pass to enter the park. The Mountain has staff out checking to ensure people have ride tickets.

Directions: Living in Mammoth, this was an out-the-door ride for us, taking the Uptown Trail from the Village to the junction with the Mammoth Earth Quake Fault connector Trail and then right into the Mountain View Trail and up to the Minaret Vista.

Go to the Mammoth Earthquake Fault parking lot to ride Mountain View Trail from the Trailhead. A trailhead sign is right by the parking lot bathroom shed to the left. This parking area is located about 3 miles out of Mammoth Lakes on the road to the Ski Area Main Lodge, Highway 203.

Local Tip: This is one challenging route due to altitude and is not advised as a family ride unless you’re all hardcore riders in great shape.

E-MTB: Mountain View is Not Open to E-MTB bikes at this time. I am in the process of showing the forest service that over 95% of this trail is an laid out on an old OHV road and should be open to peddle assist only E-MTB Bikes

Stats: Length – 11 miles out and back, 8,500-9,130 elevation levels, 75% single track, Medium to Hard Technicality with a Hard effort