Most Popular Mountain Bike Trails in the US and Canada, State-by-State (2019)

Each spring Singletracks takes a look at which mountain bike trails are the most popular in each US State and Canadian Province, and it’s always fun to see what changes… and what doesn’t. While new mountain bike trail systems tend to get a lot of interest as riders tire of riding the same tracks, some of the most popular systems in the USA and Canada seem to have tremendous staying power. Besides, for riders who are new to the sport, every trail is a new trail!

Read more about how Singletracks measures trail popularity on this page. At a high level, what we’re really measuring is how many people ride a given trail, and how highly they rate the trail.

All of the following photos and rankings come from readers just like you, so sign up for a free Singletracks account to start sharing great trail photos and reviews! We may even feature one of your photos in an upcoming story or as our photo of the day.

United States

Alabama

1. Oak Mountain State Park Bump Trail (Birmingham)
2. Coldwater Mountain (Anniston)
3. Sylaward (Sylacauga)

Oak Mountain and Coldwater are well known to most mountain bikers in the region, but Sylaward is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t been. While not as accessible as the other two, Sylaward features smooth, flowy trails without a lot of elevation change, making for a fast, fun ride.

Alaska

1. Lost Lake Trail (Seward)
2. Kincaid Park (Anchorage)
3. Kepler-Bradley Lakes State Park (Wasilla)

Arizona

1. Hiline (Sedona)
2. Schultz Creek (Flagstaff)
3. Broken Arrow Trail System (Sedona)

Sedona and neighboring Flagstaff are on many riders’ wish lists, and area trails dominate Singletracks readers’ list of the most popular trails in Arizona. However, riders should not overlook other trails in the state, including South Mountain park in Phoenix.

Arkansas

1. Slaughter Pen Trail (Bentonville)
2. Blowing Springs (Bella Vista)
3. Cedar Glades Trail (Hot Springs)

When mountain bikers hear Arkansas, they tend to think of Bentonville and the northwest corner of the state, but the fact is there are quality trailheads dotted throughout the state. The #3 trail according to Singletracks readers, Cedar Glades, is long-established and is located toward the center of the state just southwest of Little Rock.

California

1. Downieville Downhill (Downieville)
2. Forest Of Nisene Marks and Soquel Demonstration Forest (Santa Cruz)
3. Northstar Bike Park (Truckee)

Colorado

1. Colorado Trail (Denver)
2. Monarch Crest Trail (Salida)
3. 18 Road Trails / North Fruita Desert (Fruita)

Connecticut

1. Pequonnock River Valley State Park / Trumbull (Trumbull)
2. Millers Pond (Durham)
3. River Highlands State Park / Cromwell Creek (Cromwell)

Connecticut saw perhaps the biggest shuffle in the most popular trails ranking from 2018 to 2019, with Pequonnock River moving up from #2 to #1, and Millers Pond and River Highlands SP entering the top 3 for the first time. Rockland Preserve (previously #1) and Cowles Park aren’t on the list this year, and we’re definitely curious to know what happened. Theories?

Delaware

1. White Clay Creek (Newark)
2. Middle Run Natural Area (Newark)
3. Brandywine State Park (Wilmington)

Florida

1. Santos (Ocala)
2. Alafia River State Park (Brandon)
3. Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve (Tampa)

Georgia

1. Blankets Creek (Woodstock)
2. Bear Creek (Ellijay)
3. Chicopee Woods (Gainesville)

The top 3 list for Georgia features the same trails as last year, but in a slightly different order. Bear Creek — a remote forest ride in the mountains — moved up from #3, becoming more popular than the suburban Chicopee Woods trail system.

Hawaii

1. Pupukea Trail (Waimea North Shore)
2. Kealia Trail (Mokuleia)
3. Kuli’ou’ou Ridge (Honolulu (Kuliouou-Kalani Iki))

Idaho

1. Sidewinder (Heise)
2. Corral Creek (Ketchum)
3. Loon Lake Trail (McCall)

Illinois

1. Kickapoo (Oakwood)
2. Farmdale Reservoir Recreation Area (East Peoria)
3. Saw Wee Kee Park (Oswego)

The Fay Pickering Memorial trails fell out of the top 3 in Illinois this year, making way for Saw Wee Kee Park, a trail system that has been popular among mountain bikers for some time.

Indiana

1. Griffin Bike Park (Terre Haute)
2. Brown County Park (Nashville)
3. Outback Trail at Imagination Glenn (Portage)

[see_also id=’254074′]

The Outback Trail makes its first top-3 appearance for Indiana this year.

Iowa

1. Sunderbruch Park (Davenport)
2. Memorial Park Trails (Ottumwa)
3. Sugar Bottom (North Liberty)

For 2019, #1 and 2 switch places in Iowa.

Kansas

1. Switchgrass (Wilson)
2. Badger Creek North Trail (Fall River)
3. Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa)

Kentucky

1. Sheltowee Trace – Laurel Lake Trail (London)
2. Canal Loop (Grand Rivers)
3. Sugarcamp Mountain (Prestonsburg)

Sugarcamp Mountain looks to be a fairly new trail system, and it takes the place of last year’s #3, Brier Creek.

Louisiana

1. Lincoln Parish Park (Ruston)
2. The Monkey Trail (Shreveport)
3. Lakeshore MTB Singletrack (Shreveport)

#2 and #3 switched places from 2018.

Maine

1. Carrabassett Valley Trail System (Carrabassett Valley)
2. Nordic Heritage Center (Presque Isle)
3. Bradbury Mt State Park (Pownal)

We’ve been hearing more and more good things about the trails at Carrabassett Valley, and apparently, it’s all true! The trail moved up from #2 to the #1 most popular mountain bike trail system in Maine, according to Singletracks readers. Bradbury Mountain State Park fell off the list in 2018, but it’s back this year at #3.

Maryland

1. Patapsco Valley State Park (Avalon Area) (Ellicott City)
2. Vineyard Trail (Catonsville)
3. Schaeffer Farms (Germantown)

Massachusetts

1. Harold Parker State Forest (Andover)
2. Thunder Mountain Bike Park (Berkshire East) (Charlemont)
3. Village Park/ Abrams Rock (Swansea)

The Vietnam trails fell out of the top 3 list for Massachusetts in 2019, while Thunder Mountain Bike Park, which opened to DH riding in 2015, jumped up to #2.

Michigan

1. Copper Harbor Trails (Copper Harbor)
2. Noquemanon Trails Network: South Marquette Trails (Marquette)
3. DTE Energy Foundation Trail (Chelsea)

The DTE Energy trails snagged the #3 spot from last year’s #3, Potawatomi.

Minnesota

1. Cuyuna Lakes (Ironton)
2. Lebanon Hills (Eagan)
3. Elm Creek Park (Maple Grove)

Elm Creek is back at #3, stealing its spot back from Duluth’s Brewer Park. It seems these two are neck and neck, and for 2019 Elm Creek seems to have an edge perhaps due to its (relative) proximity to the Twin Cities.

Mississippi

1. Mt. Zion Bike Trails (Brookhaven)
2. The Ridgeland Trails (Ridgeland)
3. Clear Creek (Oxford)

Missouri

1. Two Rivers Bike Park (Highlandville)
2. Swope Park Trail (Kansas City)
3. Matson Hill (Defiance)

Montana

1. Mt Helena Ridge (Helena)
2. Line Creek Plateau (Red Lodge)
3. Big Sky Resort (Big Sky)

Nebraska

1. Maskenthine Lake (Stanton)
2. Calvin Crest (Fremont)
3. Jewel Park (Bellevue)

Calvin Crest appears to continue its steady ascent among the most popular mountain bike trails in Nebraska, making its first top 3 appearance in 2018, and moving up to #2 this year.

Nevada

1. Bootleg Canyon (Boulder City)
2. Badger Pass Loop (Blue Diamond)
3. Blue Diamond (Las Vegas)

Somehow, the Blue Diamond trail system edged out the Tahoe Rim /Flume Trail for the #3 spot in Nevada this year.

New Hampshire

1. Bear Brook (Allenstown)
2. Highland Mountain Bike Park (Tilton)
3. Franklin Falls (Franklin)

New Jersey

1. Six Mile Run (Franklin Township)
2. Allamuchy Mt. State Park: Deer Park (Hackettstown)
3. Ringwood Skylands Manor (Ringwood)

Ringwood Skylands and Allamuchy Mountain swapped places between 2018 and 2019.

New Mexico

1. Angel Fire Bike Park (Angel Fire)
2. South Boundary (164) (Taos)
3. White Ridge Bike Trails (San Ysidro)

Bike parks are hot, especially in New Mexico. Angel Fire was able to nab the top spot from the classic South Boundary trail in 2019.

New York

1. Lippman Park (Ellenville)
2. Gurney Lane Mountain Bike Trails (Lake George)
3. West Side Overland (Sherman)

Gurney Lane jumped into the #2 spot, moving West Side Overland down a spot, and forcing Glacier Ridge out of the top 3.

North Carolina

1. Dupont State Forest (Brevard)
2. Tsali Recreation Area (Bryson City)
3. Kerr Scott Trails (Wilkesboro)

While all three of these North Carolina trails are excellent, note that this list doesn’t include a single trail in Pisgah. Rest assured, however, that mountain biking in Pisgah is quite popular, particularly with out-of-state riders.

North Dakota

1. Harmon (Mandan)
2. Bison Plant (Minot)
3. Long’s X Loop (Watford City)

Long’s X Loop must be popular, because it knocked off the well-known Maah Daah Hey trail in 2019.

Ohio

1. Vultures Knob (Wooster)
2. Rays Indoor MTB Park (Cleveland)
3. East Rim Trail (Peninsula)

Mohican has been an Ohio favorite for many years, but in 2019 its spot was taken by the East Rim Trail.

Oklahoma

1. Lake Lawtonka Trails (Lawton)
2. The Trails at St. Crispin’s (Seminole)
3. Lake Ponca Trails (Ponca City)

Oregon

1. McKenzie River Trail (Eugene)
2. Sandy Ridge (Sandy)
3. Alpine Trail (Oakridge)

Sandy Ridge and the Alpine trail swapped places, but at this point, we’re just quibbling over details. Both (and in fact, all three) are excellent.

Pennsylvania

1. Allegrippis Trails (Huntingdon)
2. Wissahickon Valley Park (Philadelphia)
3. Rothrock State Forest (State College)

Puerto Rico

1. Monte Brujo (Guayama)
2. Cerro Gordo Trail (Dorado / Vega Alta)
3. Tortuguero (Vegabaja)

Rhode Island

1. Diamond Hill State Park (Cumberland)
2. Ryan Park (North Kingstown)
3. Big River (West Greenwich)

There’s been a big shakeup in this tiny state! Big River was knocked from #1 to #3, while Ryan Park makes its debut.

South Carolina

1. Forks Area Trail System (FATS) (Clarks Hill)
2. The Knot (Wedgefield)
3. Federal Refuge (Cuddo Unit) (Summerton)

Federal Refuge makes its first appearance on the top three list for South Carolina thanks to mostly 5-star reviews. Advanced riders take note, however, this is a beginner trail that seems to be popular due to its scenery (and accessibility?), not its technical challenge.

South Dakota

1. Centennial Trail (Sturgis)
2. Prairie Trail, Custer State Park (Custer)
3. Storm Mountain (Rapid City)

There’s been a shakeup in South Dakota, with the Prairie Trail moving up to #2 and Storm Mountain joining the list at #3.

Tennessee

1. Brush Creek (Ocoee)
2. Raccoon Mountain Trail Network (Chattanooga)
3. White Oak Mtn Biology Trails (Collegedale)

While all three of the top trails in Tennessee are the same in 2019 as they were in 2018, everyone swapped places. Brush Creek and Raccoon Mountain both moved up a spot, while White Oak Mountain moved down two. A new trail is planned for White Oak Mountain soon, so we won’t be surprised if there’s another shuffle in 2020.

Texas

1. Flat Rock Ranch (Comfort)
2. Palo Duro Canyon (Canyon)
3. Northshore Trail (Grapevine)

Flat Rock Ranch and Palo Duro Canyon swapped places from 2018 to 2019.

Utah

1. The Whole Enchilada (Moab)
2. Porcupine Rim (Moab)
3. Gooseberry Mesa (Hurricane)

Vermont

1. Kingdom Trails (East Burke)
2. Perry Hill (Waterbury)
3. Green Mountain Trails (Pittsfield)

Virginia

1. Mountain Laurel Trails (Horsepasture)
2. Fountainhead Regional Park (Fairfax)
3. Angler’s Ridge (Danville)

Washington

1. Galbraith Mountain (Bellingham)
2. Tiger Mountain (Issaquah)
3. Duthie Hill (Issaquah)

West Virginia

1. Mountwood (Parkersburg)
2. Big Bear Lake Trail Center (Bruceton Mills)
3. North Fork Mountain Trail (Petersburg)

Wisconsin

1. Rock Lake (Cable)
2. Hickory Ridge (Bloomer)
3. Alpine Valley (East Troy)

Alpine Valley knocked Levis Mound out of the top three for Wisconsin in 2019.

Wyoming

1. Wilkins Peak Trails (Green River)
2. El Alto (Laramie)
3. Curt Gowdy State Park (Cheyenne)

Canada

Alberta

1. Strathcona Science Park (Edmonton)
2. Topp Notch (Banff)

British Columbia

1. Smith Creek (Kelowna)
2. Rossland’s Seven Summit Ridge Trail (Rossland)
3. Cumberland (Comox Valley)

Manitoba

1. Brandon Hills (Brandon)
2. Lake Minnewasta Recreation Trail (Morden)
3. Bison Butte (Winnipeg)

The Lake Minnewasta Recreation Trail jumped into the top three at #2 for Manitoba, bumping the Grand Beach Race Course.

New Brunswick

1. Velo Edmundston Trail (Edmundston)
2. Rotary Park (Dieppe)
3. French Fort Cove (Miramichi)

Rotary Park and French Fort Cove are new to this year’s list, though each only has a single (but positive) review. If you’ve ridden either of these trails — or any other trail in New Brunswick, for that matter — please click the link and add a review!

Nova Scotia

1. Wentworth (Wentworth)
2. Fitzpatrick Trail (Scotsburn)
3. Fight Trail (Halifax)

Ontario

1. Hydrocut (Kitchener)
2. MTB Kingston (Kingston)
3. Buckwallow (Bracebridge)

What happened to Don Valley?! After spending years atop the list of the most popular trails in Ontario, Don Valley has fallen out of the top three, allowing Buckwallow to steal its spot.

Prince Edward Island

1. Brookvale (Brookvale)
2. Charlottetown Old Landfill Trail (Charlottetown)
3. Beck Trail (Murray River)

Quebec

1. Vallee Bras Du Nord Secteur Shannahan (Saint Raymond)
2. Vallee Bras du Nord Secteur St-Raymond (St-Raymond)
3. Sentiers de l’Abbaye d’Oka (Oka)

Your turn: What is your favorite place to mountain bike in 2019? Has it changed from 2018?