We’re living in a golden age of mountain bike trail development, with hundreds of projects in progress all across North America. From short trail segments designed to introduce new riders to mountain biking to expansive trail systems set to revitalize the economies of entire regions, we’re witnessing inspiring trail projects, great and small, coming online. There’s never been a better time to be a mountain biker!
Singletracks is committed to covering new mountain bike trail openings across the USA and around the world. In 2024, we wrote about dozens of projects, and we wanted to find a way to highlight the best of the best. So, we gathered over 250 nominations from you, our readers, for the “best MTB trail of 2024.” After vetting the nominations, our editorial team discussed the merits of the various projects, selected a list of candidates across seven different categories, and then contacted local experts familiar with each of the projects. The result is the list you see below.
Frankly, we think that every trail project deserves a healthy dose of recognition. As we sifted through the hundreds of nominations, it quickly became clear that there would be no way to give adequate credit to many of the high-caliber trail projects that opened in 2024. Since we received the most submissions in the “flow/jump trail” and “tech trail” categories, we chose to add a “runner-up” for each of those two categories to spread the recognition around.
Without further ado, please enjoy the best new mountain bike trails of 2024:
Best flow/jump trail
Drop Shaft, Idaho Springs, Colorado
Drop Shaft is “the flagship bike-only, downhill trail” in the new Virginia Canyon Mountain Park trail system, according to Singletracks writer Matt Miller. At 2.6 miles long and with roughly 1,200 feet of elevation loss, this is likely the longest jump trail on the Colorado Front Range outside a bike park. To put this astonishing scale in perspective, Drop Shaft is almost precisely as long and as tall as the famed Rainmaker jump trail in Trestle Bike Park.
“Drop Shaft turned out to be a little more right of center on the beginner to advanced spectrum,” wrote Miller. “It is wide and flowy, with seamless rock kickers tucked away here and there, with drops and senders of all sizes, and many tabletop jumps.” The trail also includes several impressive wooden features, including a wall ride.
Drop Shaft was built by Flow Ride Concepts and McGill Trail Fabrication in collaboration with the Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA). More trails are on the way in the Virginia Canyon Project.
Get the full story: “A long-time renegade trail system in Colorado gets a big expansion as it goes mainstream“
Flow/jump trail: runner-up
Blue Ribbon, Bellingham, Washington
Blue Ribbon is a true masterpiece of a flow trail and is one of the latest additions to the iconic Galbraith Mountain trail system. “What we’re aiming for with this trail is to have a trail for everyone to create something that flows and that everyone can enjoy that flow,” said Nico Vink, lead trail builder on the project. “The most important [thing] to me is, like, the sequence and flow […] and intensity of features, so there’s no dead spots.”
This massive undertaking was a partnership between Transition Bikes and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC), and the trail was constructed by Vink, the WMBC, and Rocket Ramps. All told, this artfully-sculpted one-mile flow trail boasts 45 berms, 47 jumps, and 52 features with multiple options. Everyone who’s ridden the finished product has raved about the build, and it seems that Vink has accomplished his goal of building a flow trail that everyone can enjoy!
Best tech trail
Satan’s Ridge, New Hartford, Connecticut
Consider yourself warned: there are no B-lines on Connecticut’s newest mountain bike trail — known as Satan’s Ridge. This three-mile singletrack loop is filled with trail features inspired by a trip that local builders Luke Wayne and the Local 202 took to British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Many of these gnarly obstacles consist of wooden bridges connecting the ample array of rock slabs and boulders into a somewhat rideable trail. However, there are often cliff drops in between, with the largest mandatory drop coming in at about five feet tall (with the ability to send it deeper into the landing).
Wayne emphasized that Satan’s Ridge isn’t “slow tech.” Instead, “it’s big, big moves, you know — rollers, adjustments, large exposure kind of tech. […] It’s big tech. I call it ‘chunder flow.’ There’s a lot of berms between, connecting the rollers and the drops and the bridges.”
“It’s like 10-foot-high skinny to rock slab to giant rock roller to berm to huck,” said Mick Ferraro, Director of Membership and Outreach for the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA). “People go there […] and say it’s the hardest riding that they’ve ever done.”
Get the full story: “You’ll be shocked at how brutally-technical Connecticut’s newest MTB trail is“
Tech trail: runner-up
Meteoride, Flagstaff, Arizona
Meteoride is one of the first two downhill-only bike trails in Flagstaff. This raw, rocky tech line “is a hand-built natural surface technical trail that incorporates natural terrain features,” said Joe Hazel, Trail Coordinator for the Flagstaff Biking Organization (FBO). Meteoride is a realignment of the historic double black diamond downhill trail known as Ginger that was completed by volunteers and the Flagstaff Ranger District Trail Crew. The rebuilt trail has lent new life to this line, as the historic trail had fallen out of use due to its unsustainable grade even before the fire completely destroyed it.
“The new trail completed in April 2024 starts off with a filter or squirrel catcher composed of two steep rock rolls,” said Hazel. “It then contours across the large Ginger drainage on the south side of Dry Lake Hills with big grade reversals and several rock rolls and booters before ducking into the trees. It makes a technical turn on a stacked rock sequence informally called the ‘dragon’s back’ before then diving down into the ‘playground’ section characterized by a steep berm leading into a rock drop with a short gap to jump followed by a large rock slab roll (aka the ‘Tongue’) and finishing on some smaller features.” In total, this burly tech line drops 943 vertical feet over 1.5 miles.
Get the full story: “Flagstaff’s new downhill-only MTB trails were 18 years in the making“
Best backcountry trail
The Dragon, Newaygo, Michigan
The Dragon is an epic 45-mile bike-optimized singletrack loop around Hardy Dam Pond that was officially completed in 2024. While this is a fairly long-distance ride, it’s far from a “humdrum” cross country trail. “We’re talking purpose-built, feature-rich, natural surface… like berms, turns, rock features, everything. So when you ride it, it is, to me, 45 miles of an absolute dirt roller coaster,” said Dan Frayer, President of the WMMBA.
The 45-mile loop is divided into 11 different segments, each of which has unique characteristics. Some segments are easier and flowier, while others are rockier and more feature-rich. “Section seven, which was the last piece to get completed, has I don’t know how many tons of rock outcroppings… it’s rock-armored as far as you can see,” said Frayer. “Sections eight and nine are probably, to me, the most feature-rich… we’re talking professionally built stuff that you can get a little rowdy if you want.”
The Dragon forms the pinnacle of a trend we’ve noticed this year of new trail projects opening all across the Midwest. It was designed by Jeremy Wimpey of Applied Trails Research and constructed by Alex Stewart of Spectrum Trail Design.
Get the full story: “A 45-mile bike-optimized singletrack loop has been built around a lake in Michigan“
Best lift-served trail
Dreamland, Duluth, Minnesota
The best lift-served trail built in the USA is in… Minnesota? Yes, you read that right. Duluth’s municipally-owned ski resort, Spirit Mountain, has been spinning its lifts for mountain bikes since 2012. Originally known for steep, gnarly tech trails, the bike park keeps getting better and better, now boasting 23 trails arrayed on 700 vertical feet of hillside.
The latest addition is a manicured intermediate flow trail dubbed “Dreamland.” This sculpted jump line squeezes 21 jumps into 3,700 linear feet and 254 vertical feet of elevation loss. Flowy tabletops, most about 20 feet long (with some going as large as 28 feet), lead into massive berms to keep the speed high and flow alive.
Dreamland was built by Zenith Trail Contracting based on two guiding principles: progression and trail speed. “We were missing this aspect of progression,” said Jon Regenold, Director of Resort Services for Spirit Mountain Recreation Area. He said that Spirit didn’t need “a trail that you have to really dial in and figure out every single jump.” Rather, they wanted “a trail that you can trust the builder and then a trail [where] you can enhance your riding. If you are only a green looking to be a blue, or blue looking to be a black jumper, you’ve got that ability to step it up and work on it.”
Best bike park/skills park
Benton Bike Park, Benton, Arkansas
This list wouldn’t be complete without an entry from the trail development mecca of Arkansas. Just don’t confuse “Benton” for “Bentonville,” as the two are nowhere close.
The Benton Bike Park features a skills course, downhill trail, dual slalom, and multi-use perimeter trail. The park is naturally separated into two distinct zones by a drainage channel. In the lower park you’ll find the downhill trail with a second alternate line splitting off halfway down. The lower park also provides a beginner jump trail and an intermediate jump trail. The multi-use, cross-country trail around the perimeter is one mile long.
Despite the relatively short mileage, there are still plenty of fun features to play on in the park. The upper park includes a dual slalom course; an advanced jump line “with fly-over the dual slalom, split wood drop, and two options at the bottom;” an “industrial/semi-architectural start hub;” and an intermediate jump line. The starting hub is visually impressive, as it is fabricated from four 40-foot shipping containers and one 20-foot container. Finally, there’s also a dedicated session zone near the base area with jump lines ranging from beginner to advanced.
The Benton Bike Park was built by Progressive Trail Designs and named the Arkansas “Outdoor Facility of the Year.”
Get the full story: “Visually-Stunning MTB Park Opening on Formerly Eroded Dump Site“
Best beginner trail
Rhythm & Berms, Tehaleh, Washington
The vision for Rhythm & Berms came before the construction of the rest of the Trek at Tehaleh trail system, of which Rhythm & Berms is now a small part. This sculpted beginner-friendly flow trail is the brainchild of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance designer and builder Brian Tustison, who wanted to meet the demand from local riders for a flowy trail that’s accessible for a variety of skill levels.
“This 0.3-mile trail is designed to offer dynamic flow and excitement for riders of all levels,” said Vivika Stamolis, Marketing & Communications Manager for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. “Dropping 105 feet through lush, green forest, it features sweeping berms, small tabletops, and a series of rollers that add a ‘roller coaster’ speed to keep everyone smiling.”
“This quintessential green trail lets any rider, on any type of bike, enjoy the ride at their own pace,” Stamolis concluded.
Get the full story: “$1.3 million for 6 miles of top-tier trails: The newest county park in Washington is only open to mountain bikers“
Best adaptive trail
Double Bogey, Bolton, Vermont
The Driving Range trail system opened this year in Bolton, VT, with four miles of purpose-built trails that are all designed for adaptive mountain bikers. And just so you know — “adaptive” doesn’t mean “easy.”
To highlight the difficulty of trails that many adaptive riders are searching for, we’ve selected Double Bogey as the best adaptive trail of 2024. Double Bogey, built by L&D Trailworks, is one of the marquee double black diamond descents at the Driving Range. Dropping 345 vertical feet over 0.4 miles, it is “one of the most aesthetic trails you could ride,” Berne Broudy, President of Richmond Mountain Trails. “It has massive slabby rock walls. There’s really cool rock ramp features, technical rock ramps that roll into the next.”
“There’s one crux move. It’s a slightly off-camber rock ramp, where on the right-hand side, like, if you were to blow that berm, you would fall a very long way,” she continued. “It’s more mental coming into it, and then you swoop around a corner and go right into another steep little rock.”
Get the full story: “Is this the first fully-adaptive MTB trail network in the world?“
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Dec 16, 2024
Dec 17, 2024