The Top 5 Mountain Bike Destinations in Colorado

It comes as no surprise that Breckenridge, Crested Butte and the Grand Valley are among the top mountain bike destinations in Colorado.
By Greg Heil
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Racing the Breck Epic. Photo by Eddie Clark, courtesy Breck Epic

“I’m finally heading to Colorado to mountain bike! Where should I ride?”

The number of times I’ve answered this question, whether on the Singletracks forums, via email, or on social media, is astounding–yet simultaneously understandable. While there are dozens upon dozens of incredible mountain bike destinations, Colorado commands respect in the imaginations of mountain bikers around the world. Whether it’s the sky-scraping, oxygen-deprived mountains; the thousands of miles of singletrack; or the endless pop culture references to places like Vail, Aspen, or Breckenridge; Colorado is a box that must be checked on any self-respecting mountain biker’s bucket list.

But where do you go when you get here? That’s the question of the hour. Unlike some states that might have only one or two obvious MTB destinations, Colorado is filled with them.

Here are arguably the top 5 mountain bike destinations in Colorado, in alphabetical order. Disagree with this list? Argue away in the comments section below:

1. Breckenridge / Summit County

Racing the Breck Epic. Photo by Liam Doran, courtesy Breck Epic

Widely known for some of the best skiing in the nation, Summit County is also home to a seemingly endless array of incredible high alpine singletrack. While we’ve selected Breckenridge as the epicenter of this destination, you can easily ride between the towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone, and (if you’re feeling adventurous) Leadville and Copper, on singletrack. When questioned about the actual number of singletrack miles in Summit County, it was tough for the Summit Fat Tire Society to put a number on it, as it’s difficult to know where to stop drawing the circle. According to the Society, Summit County has about 250 miles of singletrack inside its borders. However, on Singletracks we count at least 812 miles of mountain bike trails within a 25-mile radius of Breckenridge, making it the #1 mountain bike destination ranked by the Singletracks database!

Long story short: however you slice it, Breckenridge has an incredible number of mountain bike trails.

Factor in multiple skills progression bike parks and pumptracks, dirt jump parks, lift-serviced DH trails, and everything from low-lying beginner trails to mountaintop-scaling black-diamond singletrack, and the variety available in Summit County is staggering. As for amenities, there are more than you could begin to enjoy in a month of vacationing (see below for highlights).

Racing the Breck Epic. Photo by Eddie Clark, courtesy Breck Epic

Must-Ride Trails:

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Bike Shops:

2. Crested Butte

Trail: Upper Lower Loop. Rider: AJ Heil. Photo: Greg Heil.

Crested Butte is famous as one of the two birthplaces of the sport of mountain biking, but if you compare the current mountain bike trail access in Crested Butte, Colorado to that of Marin County, California… well, there just isn’t a comparison. Crested Butte boasts hundreds of miles of the most picturesque high-alpine trails anywhere, all surrounding a quaint western mountain town with great food and beer.

While much of Crested Butte’s riding is old-school singletrack, Evolution Bike Park at Crested Butte Mountain Resort continues to expand, bringing new-school DH and flow trails to the region. Progression bike parks have blossomed in town seemingly overnight, with Crested Butte boasting at least two different in-town parks. CBMBA continues to push trail development in the valley, and is proving instrumental in helping all of the various parties work together.

Located at the end of the pavement, Crested Butte isn’t on the way to anywhere–but a claimed 750+ miles of singletrack means that CB shouldn’t serve as a quick stop on your road trip. Instead, it should be the destination where your travels lead you!

Trail 401. Photo: nickesares

Must-Ride Trails:

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Bike Shops:

3. Durango

Pass Trail. Photo courtesy of Scott DW Smith.

Durango is one of the original mountain bike towns, hosting the first-ever UCI mountain bike world championships, and is home to one of the oldest mountain bike shops in the nation (Mountain Bike Specialists). According to the local advocacy group, Trails 2000, there is over 300 miles of trail accessible within 30 minutes of downtown Durango, with that number rapidly growing as you draw the circle wider and wider. That 300 miles contains everything from dry, deserty in-town trails to high alpine singletrack above treeline. The incredible diversity is similar to that found in Salida, just a bit more spread out.

Fort Lewis College in Durango is one of the most esteemed MTB race programs in the nation, consistently producing incredible athletes. Add in over 20 trailheads located right in town, a BMX track, skate park, bike paths, a new bike park in the works, six bike shops, five local breweries (recommendations below), shuttles and guiding, and much, much more, and Durango easily ranks among the best destinations in Colorado.

Must-Ride Trails:

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4. Grand Valley

The Grand Valley includes Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, and Palisade.

18 Road. Photo: Scott Anderson

The Grand Valley is a geographic region along the Western Slope of Colorado that encompasses the towns of Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, and Palisade. Unlike most of the other destinations on this list, the trail network here is comprised largely of desert singletrack, meaning that this destination is best for a fall, winter, or spring riding trip. The fact that the Grand Valley doesn’t feature epic, high-elevation singletrack highlights the overall diversity that Colorado as a state offers.

While this region has long been ranked as a top-level destination, the COPMOBA folks in the Grand Valley continue to build trails and improve mountain bike trail offerings. As tourism has increased, so has the infrastructure like restaurants and micro-breweries to support it.

The closest ski resort to the Grand Valley is Powderhorn, located up on the Grand Mesa. While Powderhorn doesn’t nearly have the quality of natural snow or terrain that most other Colorado resorts offer, they’ve recently opened a brand-new bike park that’s attracting riders from across the region and diversifying the available MTB offerings.

Must-Ride Trails:

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Bike Shops:

5. Salida

Monarch Crest Trail. Rider: Marcel Slootheer. Photo: Greg Heil

The Arkansas Valley in which Salida lies is home to one of the most diverse climate zones imaginable, compressed into an extremely small area. You can literally begin pedaling above treeline in the high alpine (maybe even off the top of one of the 14,000-foot peaks) and end in the desert environment on the valley floor. Thanks to this diverse ecosystem, there’s always great singletrack to be ridden–in the middle of winter, or during the heat of summer.

During the winter, you’ll be treated to rocky, sandy desert trails that alternate between bermed-up flow lines, uber-technical rock drops, and boulder-filled gardens. During the summer, steep climbs lead to flowy high alpine trails and eventually, vision-blurring descents filled with endless rock gardens and technical challenges.

Within a 45-minute drive of downtown Salida (it takes over an hour to get to a town bigger than Salida) you’ll find more than 500 miles of excellent bike-legal singletrack, plus thousands of miles of jeep roads and doubletrack, if that’s your thing. With three major long-distance trails intersecting in Salida, as well as a slew of bikepacking race routes (including the Tour Divide and Race Across America), this small town nestled in the Heart of the Rockies functions as a hub for all things mountain biking.

Arkansas Hills. Photo: Scott Anderson

Must-Ride Trails:

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Bike Shops:

Runner Ups

Haven’t had enough of Colorado after these five incredible destinations? Here are a few others you should consider visiting: