The unbridled joy I get when I roll down a sublime stretch of singletrack that I’ve never pedaled before is the secret sauce that has kept me motivated to ride and train week in and week out for 20 years. No matter how many thousands of trail segments I’ve ridden, I’m still driven by the desire to know what’s just around the next corner, to experience for myself the trails in the next town over.
So after spending four years traveling full-time, including living in a van for two, it feels a bit strange to have a home base again. As I looked through my Strava training log from the past 12 months, I scrolled past numerous rides that all began at my house in Durango, Colorado. In the past year, I’ve spent more time than usual pedaling the same trail systems and the same road bike routes. As I scrolled through the winter and spring months, my heart began to sink, fearing that maybe I didn’t travel as much as I thought in 2024.
But then I was reminded that it’s impossible to stamp the wanderlust out of a vagabond who’s spent so many years roaming the planet. Despite technically living in Durango, my short(ish) trips in 2024 added up: I still managed to ride in 12 different states and two different continents this year. New Zealand was the outlier (bridging late 2024 into 2025), while the rest of my travels were in the USA: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, New York, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Out of all 12 states, New York was the only new state I had not yet visited. However, I hadn’t ridden in Nebraska or Iowa yet, so it was great to check three more states (and New Zealand) off the MTB todo list.
It was tough to whittle down this list of my favorite new trails to just 10 selections, so frankly, I didn’t. I did pass on numerous trails that earned a solid “meh” rating, so even though you’ll find 20 trails highlighted below, every single one of these gems is well-worth traveling to visit. And to avoid the “what about this long-time classic” comments, I’ve also included a brief runner-up list of excellent trails that I repeated this year — some for the second or third time, others for the dozenth or more.
Without further ado, here are the 20 best trails I rode for the first time in 2024.
1. Chief Joseph Pass ⇾ Three Mile Ridge, Salmon, ID
I have a penchant for high-alpine mountain bike rides, and you’ll see that theme reflected on this list. Tough climbs, long alpine traverses, and endless descents are, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the mountain bike experience. This ride combination, beginning with a section of the Continental Divide Trail and finishing with a brake-burner of a descent, definitely fits the bill!
Full Article: “You’ll have the trails all to yourself in Salmon, Idaho… but you’d better be prepared“
2. Monarch Crest ⇾ New Fooses Creek Trail, Salida, CO
After living in Salida for close to seven years, I’m stoked to finally add a new Salida trail to my annual list! The upper section of Fooses Creek was completely rerouted onto a new alignment, and while plenty of people love to hate change, the new trail is honestly pretty damn sweet! There’s one corner that’s a real flow-killer, but most of the new alignment offers blissful, flowy alpine descending with rollers to pop off of and gorgeous views if you can bring yourself to slow down. It’s also a net mileage gain for the Fooses Creek Trail, meaning there’s even more singletrack to love!
3. The Dirty Four (Rude Rock), Queenstown, NZ
Rude Rock is arguably the most famous mountain bike trail in all of New Zealand. Technically, it forms just one part of an epic four-stage enduro-style descent running from the top of Coronet Peak to the valley floor below. I found the fame to be well-earned — it’s hard not to choose the Dirty Four as my favorite mountain bike ride in New Zealand. The high speed, massive berms, sculpted tabletop jumps, rocky sections, unbelievable views… the only downside is that it’s over so soon!
4. Old Ghost Road, Westport, NZ
While at times the trail tread of the Old Ghost Road leaves much to be desired, this 50-mile point-to-point trail is one of the most incredible backcountry singletrack mountain biking experiences in the world! The trail climbs up and over a high alpine ridge before dropping into a lush coastal rainforest. Despite being deep in the backcountry with no access roads available, a series of four well-equipped huts make backcountry living comfortable and enjoyable.
Full Article: “Five2Ride: The 5 Best Mountain Bike Trails in New Zealand“
5. Bradley Gulch ⇾ Sheep Creek, Salmon, ID
I had wanted to check out Salmon, Idaho’s steep backcountry trails for years, and man — they didn’t disappoint! This trail combination is similar to #1 above — a Continental Divide Trail segment followed by a smooth but steep rip down a narrow valley.
Full Article: “Rideaho: 5 of the best MTB trail systems near Salmon, Idaho“
6. Makara Peak, Wellington, NZ
Makara Peak is the jewel in Wellington’s singletrack crown. This superb trail system boasts 50km (31mi) of purpose-built mountain bike trails carved into the slopes of an almost 900-foot-tall mountain. While perhaps none of the individual trail segments would make this list on their own, taken collectively, this trail system is truly remarkable!
Full Article: “Mountain bikers restored the natural habitat on Makara Peak and built rad trails at the same time“
7. Cuyuna Lakes, Crosby, MN
Similar to Makara Peak, there’s no individual trail segment in northern Minnesota’s expansive Cuyuna Lakes trail system that would make this list. But if you take this well-connected 60-mile+ trail system as one entity, it’s worthy of any mountain biker’s to-do list.
If I had to choose two standout features of Cuyuna, it would be the trail quality and the connectivity. The build quality of these trails is absurdly high, with every inch purpose-built for mountain bikes. While most 60-mile trail systems tend to feel disjointed, these one-way trails all flow seamlessly together and connect the nearby towns and amenities, providing a truly incredible XC experience.
Full Article: “3 of the Best Under-the-Radar MTB Destinations in 2022“
8. Haflin Creek, Durango, CO
Haflin Creek is renowned as a technical test piece for Durango riders, and I finally checked it out for the first time this year. This steep descent begins by slaloming through the aspens before breaking out of the trees to rip down a series of rugged rock ledges perched above a serious drop into the canyon below. While many people have rated Haflin as a double black, ultimately, it’s just a single black diamond trail with some exposure in the lower sections.
9. CDT: Bannock Pass ⇾ Grizzly Hill, Leadore, ID
This aerobic out-and-back ride on the Continental Divide Trail runs directly along the Montana/Idaho border. The only thing that delineates the state boundary is a dilapidated wooden fence made from dead trees. Narrow singletrack running for miles, stupendous views, and not another human in sight — what’s not to love?!
11. Upper Prince Creek ⇾ Father of Ginormous, Carbondale, CO
I only managed one ride in the Prince Creek trail system in between rainstorms, and what I explored left me wanting more! This area has seen several new trails added in recent years, and while I didn’t ride the newest additions, I found fantastic serpentine singletrack, spectacular views of Mount Sopris, and a wicked-fun descent to finish it off.
10. Coronet Face Water Race ⇾ Bush Creek Loop, Queenstown, NZ
The flow trails in Queenstown were packed with riders — and for good reason. The jump trails, even those outside of the bike park, are some of the best that you’ll find anywhere. So when my wife and I wandered out onto classic — albeit drop-dead-gorgeous — singletrack, imagine our surprise when it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves!
I built a loop from downtown Arrowtown purely based on the map with zero expectations, but it turned out to be hands-down the best pedal ride during my stop in Queenstown.
12. Graysill Creek, Durango, CO
Graysill Creek is the most difficult-to-reach trail that drops into the Cascade Creek drainage in Colorado’s San Juan mountains. As a result, it sees relatively little traffic, and it’s also renowned as a true ripper by the locals. The top starts fast and flowy on a steep mountainside, with the tread getting progressively rockier as it descends. The toughest rock garden is not for the faint of heart!
While Graysill is definitely a gem, I personally prefer the descent on nearby Engine Creek.
13. Electric Hills, Montrose, CO
The new Electric Hills trail system might not boast as much trail mileage as some of the other networks on this list, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in quality. These punchy, rocky trails boast superb trail construction and make the most of this rugged high desert terrain.
Full Article: “Montrose MTB Scene Is Lighting Up Thanks to New Purpose-Built Trails: Electric Hills“
14. Corral Draw, Durango, CO
Have you ever ridden a downhill that feels like it goes on for ages? Where it feels like you’re getting way more descending than you deserve from the climb? That’s Corral Draw in a nutshell.
Part of that sensation is due to Corral’s relatively mellow downhill grades, albeit with a few steep, chunky pitches mixed in. But be warned: despite being moto-legal, Corral is a fairly remote trail bordering a wilderness area, and even the shortest loop option can quickly become a high-consequence backcountry adventure.
15. Treasure Mountain, Pagosa Springs, CO
Treasure Mountain is a classic Colorado high alpine shuttle run that’s been on my list for years. With an easy highway shuttle, a stretch of pedaling on the Continental Divide Trail, and thousands of feet of descending, it follows the same formula as many of the other routes on this list.
While I would definitely ride Treasure Mountain again, I personally found much of the trail to be a bit underwhelming, hence it’s #15 spot. Some of the lower sections were very torn up by hooves, seemingly from cattle grazing, although I didn’t spot any. Also, the descent is moto-legal, which contributes to some erosion and loose rock.
16. Powderhouse ⇾ Perreau, Salmon, ID
Yes, that’s right: four trails from Salmon in my top 20 for the year! Even though I didn’t rate Powderhouse to Perreau as highly as the other Salmon trails, some riders will like it more than the trails I rated highly due to its easy access and immediate descending from the shuttle drop. Even though this route doesn’t have any true high-alpine riding, you’ll still enjoy spectacular views from sagebrush-filled meadows on the lower mountainside.
17. Corner Canyon, Draper, UT
Corner Canyon is one of the most-ridden trail systems in Utah, and I have long wanted to check it out for myself. While the quality of this suburban trail system isn’t as high as many trails in Utah, the well-built flow trails, ease of access, and endless singletrack are truly impressive. It’s gotta be good to be a mountain biker living in Draper!
18. Hardy Road, Wilmington, NY
I’ve finally — finally! — ridden in the rugged mountains of the northeastern USA. While I had gotten as close as Pennsylvania in years previous, with a trip to the Adirondack Mountains, I can officially say I’ve popped my Northeast cherry. Of all the trail systems I rode in the Adirondacks, the high-speed descents at Hardy Road, combining rugged rocks, roots, berms, and drops, spoke to my riding style the most.
Full Article: “Mountain biking New York’s Adirondack Mountains: A 3-day guide to the best trails“
19. Line Creek ⇾ Mount Maurice, Red Lodge, MT
Line Creek has long been on my to-ride list, due in part to efforts over the years to close it to mountain bikes. Thankfully, this trail is still open to riders — we need beautiful, remote backcountry epics like this one.
That said, slogging through the trail-less portions of the tundra got old after a while, and the water bars on the descent are designed to be as bike-unfriendly as possible. While I’d do it again, Line Creek didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
Full Article: “Vanishing Trails Montana, Part 3: Line Creek Plateau and Big Snowy Mountains/Ice Caves“
20. Deer Creek, Durango, CO
Similar to Haflin Creek, Deer Creek is renowned as one of Durango’s uber-technical descents. Also like Haflin, I found the claims of extreme technicality to be overblown. Even so, Deer Creek is an absolute riot of a downhill! Accessed from Pass Creek, the descent begins near treeline and then drops into the trees, ripping thousands of feet down the mountain.
The final mile is wicked-steep and quite rocky and loose. While not a double black diamond in my opinion, it is unarguably one of the steepest bike-legal trails in the region (steep section not pictured).
Honorable mentions: best 2024 repeats
- Trail 401, Crested Butte, CO
- Monarch Crest ⇾ Green’s Creek, Salida, CO
- Kennebec Pass, Durango, CO
- Molas Pass ⇾ Engine Creek, Durango, CO
- Engineer Mountain Trail, Durango, CO
- Red Mountain Rush, Hawes, Mesa, AZ
- Arkansas Hills, Salida, CO
- Snake Charmer, Horse Gulch, Durango, CO
- Lupine ⇾ Lower Loop, Crested Butte, CO
- Phil’s World, Cortez, CO
Your turn: What was the best trail you rode in 2024?
0 Comments