- Dozens of mountain wilderness trails await you around Vail
- Lost Lake Loop is a 12.7-mile ride through marvelous scenery
- North Trail gives you views of the Gore Mountains
- If you don’t have your own bike, rent one
- Hire a guide to take advantage of their vast knowledge of the area
Overview
Vail mountain biking starts the minute the snow melts. Folks love biking past meadows filled with wildflowers, viewing the ridgeline vistas and smelling that fresh pine-scented air.
Where to go Mountain Biking
The choices in where to go for great Vail, Colorado mountain biking seem endless. Within the White River National Forest there are many trail networks. You can find additional information at the Forest Service Information Center. The best time for mountain biking is from June to October, dependant upon when the last snow melts and the first snow of the season occurs.
Lost Lake Loop
This 12.7-mile roundtrip ride through the forest and across marshy land takes you around Lost Lake and then through some dense forest and open meadows. You’ll find the trailhead on FS 700 off of exit 176 of Interstate 70 at Vail.
Son of Middle Creek
Creek crossings, pine forests and aspen groves are the highlights of this trail. It’s 6.5 miles of gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery and wilderness. At an intersection of the trail, you have two options to continue your ride. You can go on a more technical trail with rocky sections and switchbacks, or take the easier trail to the right with fewer switchbacks. This ride is on FS 786 almost immediately after it intersects with FS 700.
North Trail
This 6.5-mile trail begins at the Red Sandstone trailhead and goes west up above Vail. Cross Buffehr Creek and ride around some beaver ponds. As you begin to climb, get ready for some lovely views of the Gore and Sawatch Mountains. Take I-70 exit 173 to get to the trailhead on Red Sandstone Road.
Davos Hill Climb
Here is a short but strenuous ride of 3.3 miles in length. It follows FS 781 and is quite rocky in sections. But the ride through aspen glens and meadows is worth it. At the end you get views of Meadow Mountain and Mount of the Holy Cross in the distance. Take exit 173 off of I-70, west on N. Frontage Road, turning right on Chamonix, right on Arosa and right on Cortina Lane.
Piney Lake
This out-and-back bike ride is a good 26.2 miles starting as a paved bikeway. After you pass Lost Lake you’ll be riding downhill next to Indian Creek. Take the West Vail exit 173 and find the trailhead next to the West Vail shopping center.
Rentals & Fees
If you don’t have your own bike, you’ll find plenty of mountain bikes to rent around Vail. Many shops within Vail or in nearby communities are there to service you with rentals, tours and repairs. You can rent bikes by the hour, half-day, full day or a number of consecutive days. The prices range from around $23 to $75 a day, depending on what kind of bike you rent.
Hire a Guide
When you are looking for a real mountain adventure in biking, you can take a mountain biking guided tour. The experience and knowledge of the area that the guides have allow you to enjoy only the best and most scenic trails, and provide you with rides that fit your particular ability and skill. Backcountry mountain biking tours are extremely fun and show you miles and miles of Rocky Mountain beauty. Check out the listings on this page to find an outfitter of your liking.
