Most people associate Jackson Hole with skiing, and rightfully so — the winter terrain is breathtaking. But there is more to the little Wyoming town of Jackson than just good skiing: it’s a great place to visit for stellar mountain biking. Jackson is home to an extensive mountain bike trail system filled with cross country and downhill trails that winds throughout the valley and includes the Cache Creek and Snow King areas. It’s easy to do a 20-mile loop ride right out of town. The Jackson Hole Mountain Bike Park is serviced by the Sweetwater Gondola and provides access to downhill trails boasting 1,276 feet of vertical drop.
While no new trails have been built outside the bike park, several existing trails have been revamped.
Chris Brule, Mountain Bike the Tetons (MBT) Executive Director, keeps a pulse on the mountain biking community and trail system in the greater Jackson region.
“With hundreds of miles of trails on the regional National Forests (Bridger-Teton and Caribou Targhee), significant, consistent maintenance and care are needed to keep these trails open and sustainable. New trail development is sexy, but doesn’t happen often,” Brule said in an email. “When the need or desire for a new trail is identified, several elements are needed to bring that trail or network to fruition.”
Mark Gocke, Bridger-Teton National Forest public affairs specialist, said that there are no new trails in Jackson, but some notable updates have been made to trails such as Big Munger, the Mosquito Creek area, and Skyline Trail.
Gocke said Big Munger is a motorcycle trail that has been reworked to be more mountain bike-focused. Both ends of the 7-mile trail have been updated to better accommodate mountain bikers.
The Mosquito Creek area includes 5.5 miles of trail in Jackson near Falls Creek Road and it has also been updated within the past five years to better serve mountain bikers and not just motorbikes.
The Jackson Hole Mountain Bike Park is leading the charge with new trail construction.
While new trail builds are rare in Jackson, within the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) it’s a different story. Matt Iberlin is the head of the JHMR trail crew and noted that the resort has built several new trails in the last five years. This expansive trail construction has transformed the JHMR bike park into a true downhill mountain biking destination with 21 dedicated bike trails.
Here are the six newest trails built at JHMR:
Deepest Darkest
“Fast, flowy, and fun” are the best words to describe the Deepest Darkest black diamond trail. This trail is a straight shot south coming off of the Sweetwater Gondola. It dives into wide 15-foot-high berms and chutes that weave in and out of the trees like a bobsled run. It is not as technical as some of the other new trails (see Dirty Harry), however, it is a fast, flowy ride through some big old-growth forest, hence the darkness namesake. Check out the “Deepest Darkest,” film by Teton Gravity Research and JHMR, which highlights the new trail through the lens of female riders, including pros Hannah Bergemann and Sophie Gregory.
This machine-built trail offers excellent flow and works equally well for both adaptive and non-adaptive mountain bikers. The film “Digging For Answers” highlights Joe Stone, Director of Mission at Teton Adaptive, and Rayon D’arge, JHMR’s, Mountain Design Manager, and their approach to creating a universal trail that works for both adaptive and non-adaptive riders.
Dirty Harry
Widely considered one of the best technical trails on the mountain, Dirty Harry is also aptly dubbed “Scary Harry.” Steep and rocky, this new trail requires riders to dodge roots, rocks, and branches at top speed while screaming down the mountain. Natural obstacles are paired with manmade ones, with big exposure and some steep drops keeping riders on their toes. JHMR warns that this is the most challenging trail they have to offer, and it is clearly intended for experts only.
Solitoga
This is the longest trail on the mountain, and it starts right off of the Sweetwater Gondola. This intermediate trail winds its way down the mountain with some banked hairpin turns that lead into the woods on the north end of the resort’s property. It is another fast and flowy new trail build that runs for six consecutive miles and drops nearly 900 feet in elevation.
Deer Jumps
One of the highlights when it comes to new Jackson Hole trails, Deer Jumps was built by pro mountain biker Cam Zink, who has won Red Bull Rampage twice. Cam’s Sensus R.A.D. trail crew created a pro-level trail full of big jumps and wooden features, making this an experts-only trail.
In his film “Generations,” produced in partnership with JHMR, Cam talks about how he and his team spent two years developing a new era of jump trails at Jackson Hole — something bigger and unlike anything seen before on the mountain. As the film title implies, the trail is intended to inspire a whole new generation of mountain bikers. Construction began on Lower Deer Jump in 2023, with an official opening in 2024. Upper Deer Jump is slated to open next summer.
Bronco
This intermediate trail provides a nice learning curve with big berms and smaller intro jumps and drops that flow nicely down the mountain. Bronco starts at Teewinot and has a nice, easier progression down the mountain. It is a little under one mile and has an elevation of close to 300 feet, dropping through the forest.
Lucky Charm
The Lucky Charm green trail is one of the easiest rides on the mountain. It’s a winding trail that features a long wood bridge through a rock garden. Lucky Charm cuts across the mountain rather than straight down, providing less speed and a look at other trails and terrain. The berms and jumps on Lucky Charm are smaller than you’ll find on other trails. At a little over a mile long, the singletrack trail descends around 300 vertical feet. This is a great trail for newbies to downhill mountain biking and families wanting to explore the mountain.
Time to start planning your trip to the JHMR bike park?
Doug Lowham, JHMR VP of Product Sales, said that mountain bike pass prices for the 2025 season are not set yet but that in 2024, a season pass cost $319, and a day pass was $52.
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