Mountain Biking Mammoth Lakes – Mammoth isn’t just a winter wonderland; it’s a summer sanctuary for Mountain Biking enthusiasts. With its diverse terrain, breathtaking scenery, and world-class mountain bike park, Mammoth offers You an unparalleled riding experience.
If you decide to come here, You will find everything from mellow single tracks to challenging hill climbs, easy to extreme downhills, stream crossings, and OHV trails that lead right up to the wilderness lines. There is also a vast double-track paved network to get you to some of the classic dirt single-track trails you will want to ride.
Mammoth Lakes boasts a unique combination of factors that make it a premier mountain biking destination:
Trails you can easily reach from town are the Mammoth Rock Trail and the Connector Trails just off Sherwin Creek Road. Or if you’re by the Village at Mammoth, you can also ride the first half of Uptown / Downtown without a bike park pass. You can access the Mountain View Trail from the cut-off point on the Uptown Trail that leads up to the Minaret Vista.
Outside the Mountain Bike Park, there are many options for mountain bike rides in the Inyo National Forest. You get everything from dirt roads, single-track trails, and OHV double tracks, which you can easily access right from your lodging in town. If you prefer, you can also drive to the trailheads of each ride, as most have ample parking.
Remember, if you’re planning a trip to ride here, you will be riding from 7500 feet to 11,000 feet at times. Be prepared to adjust to the high altitude. Initially, it’s a bit of a shock, but your body will adapt quickly if you’re in shape and keep hydrated.
One thing that you can do to help combat the high-elevation breathing problem is to rent an E-MTB at Footloose Sports. And yes, you still get a great workout; you have more fun and don’t have to suck wind at altitude.
Local Tip: Plan on bringing extra water to help stay hydrated in the high-elevation dry environment. Always carry supplies for changing weather. A sunny summer morning can quickly turn to pouring rain and lightning.
Here is a list of the Mountain Bike Trails and Forest Service roads you can ride near the Mammoth Lakes Area. Since 1985, these have been the go-to routes that I hit right from the front door of my home in Mammoth.
Local Tip: The best way to ride up here is to create loops and routes that mix in the numerous trails, dirt road routes, and paved trail systems I list below.
This is Mountain Biking Neverland, so use your imagination and make a great loop to go out and ride.
** DISCLAIMER: Many of the routes listed on the website are Black to Double Black Diamond; please use Extreme Caution when picking a ride and then taking it on. – You Assume Your Own Risk when using this website’s information. Do Not Ride Alone; Cell Service is Spotty in some locations. All these routes are for people who are fit and in shape, along with being a skilled Mountain Biker with expert skills in altitude riding, water & hydration, food, tools, and knowledge to repair a bike. It’s on you if you take any of these rides; you Assume ALL RISK!
#1 Mountain View Trail: This 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. Click Here for the full details on Mountain View Trail.
#2 Mammoth Rock Trail: This is one of the original Mountain Bike rides that people have been riding here in Mammoth Lakes since the early ’80s. While the Trail is fun to ride, the views here are king with Mammoth Lakes, Old Mammoth, Mammoth Mountain, Long Valley, and the White Mountains. Click Here for the full details on Mammoth Rock Trail.
#3 Mammoth Knolls Loop: This Route combines forest service roads with some single/double-track sections. It is 12 miles long and takes you from the Shady Rest area up into the thick forests of the Mammoth Knolls.
To learn more about this ride, check out our Trip Report from the Mammoth Knolls Loop; it includes a video, photos, and a route map. Here is the link.
#4 Uptown / Downtown Loop: (Bike Park Ticket needed above the service garage) The Uptown / Downtown trail was built in the summer of 1991 as one of the primary single trails leading out of town and into the new Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.
Click Here for the full details on the Uptown and the Downtown Trail.
#5 Vista Mountain Bike Trail: This short but beautiful connector single-track trail goes from the Mammoth Lakes Basin to Old Mammoth Road and then to the Mammoth Rock Trail.
Click Here for the full details on
#6 Horseshoe Lake Shared Use Trail: This is a quick, short ride that you can link up with the Mammoth Lakes paved trail system. The Trail starts by the back parking lot, wraps its way around the Lake, and emerges at the Mammoth Lakes Basin View Point.
Click Here for the full details on
#7 Mammoth Connector / Back Meadow Single Track: Located off the Sherwin Creek road by the Mammoth Rock Trailhead, the back meadow and connector trails create a nice loop to ride right under the Sherwin’s and Mammoth Mountain East Bowl. Mammoth Rocks are nearby, adding to the scenic wonder of riding in this area.
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#8 Mammoth Knolls Overlook Single Track Trail: I need to map this out for you soon. This single track is on the Mammoth Knolls Loop at the top of the first extensive climbing section. The Trail takes you to an excellent overlook viewpoint with views of Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Mountain, and the Sherwins.
Click Here for the full details on
#9 Inyo Craters Single Track: This Trail is an old out-and-back OHV single-track, ridden since Mountain Biking came to Mammoth in the early 80s.
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#12 Inyo Craters Loop Cross-Country Ride: This Route is a fun ride that loops 10.5 miles around the two Inyo Craters off the Mammoth Scenic Loop. The ride offers decent views of the two Inyo Craters and west toward Mammoth Mountain.
Click Here for the full details on
#13 San Joaquin Ridge / Hard Core: This classic ride is a Hard Core Hill Climb at a high altitude. Only the fittest riders with the proper chain rings will want to tackle this. The dirt road route is a USFS Designated Mountain Bike and 4×4 route that covers 2.5 miles.
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#14 Big and Little Smokey Bear Loops: The Big Smokey Loop takes you on a climb into the adjacent hills, where the views, trees, and interesting reddish rock formations add to the ride’s aesthetics. This area also has many wooding operations you can see as you ride through. Keep safe and watch for the large firewood-hauling trucks you will see on this route.
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#15 Starkweather Trail: (Seasonal) This Trail is a fantastic adventure for expert mountain bikers. The route is all single track and starts with a downhill vertical ride of 1,100 feet, and then you turn around and climb back out. The downhill is full of fast-flowing twisting turns and is a fun fest.
Click Here for the full details on
The Mammoth Lakes Paved Trail System is one of the best assets the town has invested in over the last twenty years. This series of double-wide paved trails covers much of the Town and is a great place to ride your mountain bike out of the dirt.
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These roads can offer some great fun. All these forest service roads see a lot of 4 x 4 and truck traffic, and that can create soft and sandy sections. The best time to ride on any of them is when it first melts out in the spring and then during the summer and fall seasons after moderate rains have moved through the area.
Sawmill Road: This road comes from the lower part of town and the Shady Rest area. The road winds through the Forest for several miles before it comes out near the end of the Mammoth Scenic Loop, where it meets 395.
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Mammoth Creek Road: This forest service road winds through the Forest from Old Mammoth Road down to the 395 and 203 highway junctions.
Click Here for the full details on
Sherwin Creek Road: This out-and-back ride is on a forest service dirt road that will take you out past the Mammoth Moto Cross, the Sherwin Creek Campground and through some Jeffery Pine forests, and then into a vast open area that ends right at Highway 395.
Click Here for the full details on
Laurel Lake OHV Road Climb: This Trail has been washed out in sections for the last couple of years. You can still make it up on a good E-MTB; ensure you have a walking mode for the hike and bike sections.
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Click Here for Mountain Bike Rides on the Inyo National Forest Outside of Mammoth
Inyo Forest Mountain Bike Trails[/caption
