See America By Trail
By Mike Curiak
Trails are like french fries or microbrews. There are a lot of outstanding varieties, but who’s to say which ones are the best? When it comes to mountain biking, it depends on what kind of riding you like to do, how much experience you have, and, quite frankly, where you live. Here’s a sampler of some of the best mountain bike trails in the United States.
Beginner Trails 
Intermediate Trails 
Expert Trails East
Beginner
Harriman Reservoir Trail, Wilmington, Vermont
This flat grade of a former railroad roadbed (and a small section of singletrack) runs for 14 miles round-trip alongside the western edge of the reservoir and is ideal for mellow beginner rides.
Southern Traverse Trail
Wissahickon Gorge North Loop, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Shrouded by thick forest on either side, this wide gravel path meanders about seven miles through northwestern Philadelphia along the Wissahickon River. Numerous singletrack, doubletrack, dirt road, and paved routes run through the adjacent hillsides.
Intermediate
Boyd Branch Loop, Asheville, North Carolina
This nearly two-mile loop has only a few obstacles and one easy climb on a wide gravel road followed by a fun, gradual descent on a nice singletrack trail with one creek crossing thrown in for good measure.
Expert
Santos Trail System, Ocala, Florida
This more than 30-mile system of trails, located about an hour northwest of Orlando, has flowing singletrack, wooden structures, a skills park with progressive challenges, and breathtaking technical features.
Southern Traverse, Harrisonburg, Virginia
This trail system in the Blue Ridge Mountains has 3,000 feet of climbing over 32 miles of trails, some of which were originally cut by Civil War soldiers.
Midwest
Beginner
John Muir Trail, Eagle, Wisconsin
Five loops totaling 28 miles of trails offer a variety of riding possibilities through old-growth forests, open meadows, and rolling hills. Riders 16 years and older need to purchase a state trail pass.
Farmdale Reservoir Recreational Area
Intermediate
Potawatomi Trail, Pickney, Michigan
A 17-mile trail with everything from fire roads to tight singletrack with roots, rocks, sand pits, and technical climbs and descents.
Winona Lake Trail, Warsaw, Indiana
This 15-mile trail system has plenty of jumps and technical features, but it also has tight, flowing singletrack.
Expert
Farmdale Reservoir Recreational Area, East Peoria, Illinois
This park has 18 miles of trails, everything from mellow fire roads to tight technical singletrack and adrenaline-fueled downhill courses. Don’t forget your protective gear.
Seven Oaks Trail, Boone, Iowa
Build it and they will come, even in Iowa. This short but sweet trail system on the back side of Seven Oaks ski area has some of the best riding in the Midwest. (There is a $2 fee to ride here.)
Mountains
Beginner
Antelope Flats, Jackson, Wyoming
A collection of paved roads and doubletrack trails, Antelope Flats offers mellow rides and spectacular views of the Grand Tetons.
Trail 401
Intermediate
Palmer Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado
This 750-acre urban park has 25 miles of trails and offers something for every level of rider and the opportunity for riders to progress to the next level of riding.
Maah Daah Hey Trail, Medora, North Dakota
This 96-mile route highlights the most spectacular vistas of western North Dakota, rolling past gigantic buttes and wide-open grasslands along the Little Missouri River.
Expert
Trail 401, Crested Butte, Colorado
A classic, high-alpine ride in Colorado’s riding mecca, Trail 401 rolls through coniferous forests and wildflower meadows. Magnificent views abound in all directions on this singletrack gem.
Slickrock Trail, Moab, Utah
This legendary trail is what made Moab famous, and it’s a feather in the cap of every rider who finishes it. It’s about a 12-mile circuit almost entirely on barren sandstone rock formations.
West
Beginner
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin City, California
A seemingly endless network of dirt roads and singletrack trails, this federal property borders the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bootleg Canyon
Intermediate
Henry Hagg Lake Park, Forest Grove, Oregon
A 14-mile loop around the park’s namesake lake includes wide dirt roads and moderate singletrack trails. (There is a $3 fee to ride here.)
Lord Hill Regional Park, Snohomish, Washington
A well-maintained 15-mile trail network with plenty of easy-to-moderate routes. A more challenging option sends riders from a scenic high point down to the Skykomish River.
Expert
The Big Boulder Trail, Downieville, California
This 35-mile route follows a 130-year-old mining trail, and has technical singletrack challenges and seemingly endless singletrack descents. The best part might be the dozens of swimming holes to cool off in along the Yuba River.
Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, Nevada
Located just 40 minutes outside of Las Vegas, this man-made network of trails includes an extensive network of gravity-fueled fun. But it’s often too hot to ride in the summer, when temps soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Posted on August 07, 2007