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27 Trail of the Week mountain bike rides from the Vail Daily. Pick by how much time you have, how hard you want to work, or what's closest to you.
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Minturn Mini Mile
The Mini Mile is a gently rolling connector along the Minturn valley floor with views of Mount of the Holy Cross and Meadow Mountain. It leaves Little Beach Park, climbs easily through open sage meadows, then descends to Two Elk Road at the other end of town, where a short spin brings you back to the start. The standout feature is a 17-foot rock bridge crossing a small ravine. It's one of the few genuinely kid- and beginner-friendly rides in the valley, and it doubles as a neighborhood connection.
EagleVail Trail
The EagleVail Trail is a neighborhood gem — good for a lunch lap, a casual hike, or the finish to Paulie's Plunge — hugging the hillside above EagleVail with switchbacks and rolling short climbs and descents. Bikers are best off starting up top via Eagle Drive's Whiskey Hill section and descending into the neighborhood, or climbing the other direction toward Stone Creek for an aerobic workout. It winds through dense forest on mostly smooth singletrack broken up by root sections, with deceptively challenging undulations despite little sustained climbing. Near Stone Creek a fork leads to the golf course or back up the hillside — stay on the hillside and respect the no-trespassing signs. The pump track at the Pavilion makes a good warm-up or cool-down.
Paulie's Plunge
Also known as Stone Creek Trail, Paulie's Plunge drops about 1,162 feet from 9,157 to 7,995 feet through dense aspen groves, rocky steps and creekside singletrack. Riders usually start near the Cinch Trail on Beaver Creek Mountain for a technical, adrenaline-heavy descent full of rocky drops and root sections, while hikers climb up from the Eagle Drive trailhead in EagleVail. It links to the EagleVail Trail, Elkhorn, Village to Village and Allie's Way for longer rides. A Forest Service wildlife closure runs May 15 to June 20 for calving deer and elk.
Berry Creek in Edwards
Berry Creek is a south-facing, alpine-desert ride that dries out early, making it one of the first real options of the season. A stout climb up dirt road and steep ridge road leads to a subtle singletrack on the left about a mile in, which drops through rhythmic switchbacks into an open field. Doubletrack then feeds a fast, rocky-and-flowing descent, broken by a short steep climb before a technical, winding final half mile back to the jeep road. It isn't the most scenic ride in the valley, but the terrain is unique and it links to Mesquite and, via June Creek, the West Avon Preserve network.
Cougar Ridge
Cougar Ridge is the summer Minturn Mile — a backcountry descent from Vail Mountain's Back Bowls into Minturn that echoes the winter ski route. Starting from the Grand Traverse, riders leave resort property and descend 4 miles and 2,000 feet, opening with mellow meadows and pine forest before the 2020 Forest Service partnership reroute added 1.75 miles of fast, flowy trail. Near the bottom, a turnoff reaches Lionshead Rock, the landmark overlooking Minturn. The trail then meets Game Creek, offering a road spin into town or a climb back up Game Creek Trail.
North Trail in Vail (Cougar Ridge)
Known as the summer Minturn Mile, Cougar Ridge is a rollicking backcountry descent from Vail Mountain's Back Bowls down into Minturn. It starts off the Grand Traverse with a left fork past the signs leaving resort property, then gives up 4 miles and 2,000 feet of descending — mellow at first through meadows and pine, then fast and flowy after the 2020 VVMTA and Forest Service reroute built by McGill Trails. Near the bottom, a turnoff leads to Lionshead Rock and its overlook of Minturn. The trail meets Game Creek, where you can spin into town or climb back toward Vail Mountain.
Third Gulch / LOV Connection
The nearly 3-mile LOV Connection stitches two of Eagle's best riding zones together and pairs neatly with Third Gulch for either a bigger day or a tidy one-hour loop. From the Arroyo Drive trailhead you climb the Third Gulch doubletrack before turning onto LOV Connection, which winds through forgiving dirt in sagebrush-and-pinon high desert. LOV ends at the Abram's Gulch Connector, where a short climb puts you on Abram's Gulch and a fast, steep, twisting descent back into town. Ambitious riders can peel off partway down to climb Abram's Ridge, one of Eagle's toughest and most rewarding backcountry climbs.
Third Gulch / LOV Connection / Abram's Gulch
This connector links two of Eagle's busiest riding zones with smooth rolling climbs, ridge views and a few challenging switchbacks. From the Arroyo Drive trailhead you climb the Third Gulch doubletrack, then turn onto the nearly 3-mile LOV Connection through sagebrush-and-pinon high desert. LOV meets the Abram's Gulch Connector, which climbs briefly before a fast, steep, twisting descent back into town. Strong riders can peel off partway down and climb Abram's Ridge, one of Eagle's hardest climbs and the gateway to its backcountry.
West Avon Preserve
This loop opens with a smooth switchbacking two-mile climb up Saddle Ridge at an average six percent grade, ending on views of Avon and Beaver Creek. The descent down Lee's Way is downhill-only and genuinely advanced, with steep pitches and a rollercoaster, bike-park feel full of banked turns and rollers. The loop wraps up on the BLT Jump Line, adding pumptrack rhythm and tabletops. Wild West Ridge, Wyse Way and PB&J can extend the day, and the whole network is reachable from Avon without driving.
Haymaker
Haymaker is a signature Eagle ride, professionally built by Momentum Trail Concepts to host the Colorado High School Cycling League state championships. The manicured singletrack runs through banked turns and natural obstacles into a fast slalom-style descent, and it's meant to be ridden counterclockwise, with extra loops for a longer effort. A steep twisting climb leads to a final ridge run and a bermed switchback descent that beginners can bypass. Add the Extra Credit loop, or link Boneyard and the fast Dirt Surfer trail, then cool down at the adjacent BMX track. It's heavily shared with runners, hikers and dog walkers, and it damages easily when wet.
Will's Thrill / Hillbilly
This East Eagle pairing puts the 1.4-mile Hillbilly traverse — big views of New York, Hardscrabble and Red Table mountains, with optional flowy drops — next to Will's Thrill, a 0.9-mile progressive black-diamond descent. Will's Thrill was purpose-built by Momentum Trail Concepts in 2020 after a GoFundMe closed the last $10,000 of the budget. It holds large tabletops, gaps and rock features you won't find elsewhere in the valley. Most riders link Hillbilly for mileage before dropping into either Pool & Ice or Will's Thrill.
Boneyard / Pool & Ice Rink
This loop climbs the pine- and juniper-lined Boneyard singletrack and descends the mostly smooth but intermittently steep Pool & Ice Rink trail. From the Boneyard trailhead you climb a steep intro to Bellyache Ridge Road, pass the green gates, then stair-step up about three miles of smooth switchbacked singletrack to Bellyache Road and New York Range views. Many hikers turn around there via Hardscrabble Road. The return from the Eagle Pool & Ice Rink lot to the Boneyard trailhead runs entirely on paved bike path and the town's Singletrack Sidewalks, with a bonus section on the Charlie Brown Trail near the cemetery, named for the owner of the Mountain Pedaler.
Eagle's Boneyard / Pool & Ice Rink
Pines and junipers line Boneyard, a rolling singletrack climb, while Pool & Ice Rink handles the gravity side with a mostly smooth but intermittently steep descent. From the Boneyard trailhead you climb steeply to Bellyache Ridge Road, pass the green gates, then stair-step upward on singletrack for about three miles with a few switchbacks and New York Range views. Cyclists carry on up the road briefly to find the Pool & Ice Rink turn-off, a snaking whoops-and-hollers descent that ties into the Haymaker system. In 2024 the Hardscrabble Trails Coalition added The Good Bit, bypassing the old steep road near the bottom of Bellyache.
North Trail
This Vail classic mixes alpine terrain and steep climbing with screaming descents and big views. From the Red Sandstone trailhead you hit steep switchbacks, a loose waterbar descent and a stream crossing near beaver ponds before climbing to wildflower fields and Gore Range views at the high point. A pedally descent through aspens leads into a rerouted flowing switchback section and onto the Davos doubletrack. A twisty final singletrack section drops you back to the frontage roads.
Eagle Bike Park
Eagle Bike Park, which opened in May 2024, is a progression playground for riders of every level. The Jump Zone holds nine lines, from beginner rollers up to ladder drops, cannons, step-up boxes, hip jumps, kickers and a wall ride. The Skills Zone mimics features you'll meet on local trails so you can build confidence somewhere controlled. It's also a community hub, with regular events, clinics and camps through the season.
Grouse Area Trails
This loop links Grouse Creek, Half Nelson, Meadow Mountain, Full Nelson, Grouse Lake, Haymeadow and the Ditch Trail into 10.2 miles with 2,300 feet of climbing. In 2022 the VVMTA extended Full Nelson to connect West Grouse Creek with Grouse Lake and built the Ditch Trail from Haymeadow to Grouse Lake, opening more of the lower Grouse Lake trail to bikes. West Grouse Creek and Grouse Lake both deliver rocky, fast, technical descending, while Haymeadow is exposed doubletrack. Add Whiskey Creek and Everkrisp for the 20-mile, 4,500-foot Meadow Mountain MEGA.
Grouse Area Trails in Minturn
The Grouse trailhead opens onto short or long loops for hikers, runners and riders heading toward the wilderness via Grouse Lake or West Grouse Creek. A 2022 VVMTA project extended Full Nelson to connect West Grouse Creek with Grouse Lake and built the Ditch Trail linking Haymeadow to Grouse Lake. The suggested loop climbs West Grouse Creek, crosses Half Nelson and Meadow Mountain, descends Full Nelson to Grouse Lake, climbs Haymeadow, crosses the Ditch Trail, and returns on Full Nelson and West Grouse Creek. For a bigger day, add Meadow Mountain, Whiskey Creek and Everkrisp for the 20-mile, 4,500-foot Meadow Mountain MEGA.
Grouse Trail System
The Grouse trailhead is the gateway to a web of short and long loops for riders, runners and hikers just outside Minturn. The suggested bike loop climbs West Grouse Creek, links across Half Nelson, Meadow Mountain and Full Nelson, then descends Grouse Lake and climbs Haymeadow before returning. Both West Grouse Creek and Grouse Lake serve up rocky, fast, technical downhill, so keep an eye out for hikers. Riders wanting an epic can tack on Meadow Mountain, Whiskey Creek and Everkrisp for the 20-mile, 4,500-foot Meadow Mountain MEGA.
Meadow Mountain, Whiskey Creek and Everkrisp Loop
This strenuous route between Minturn and EagleVail climbs long, non-technical doubletrack past the Half Nelson and Full Nelson trails to Whiskey Creek, on land that was a lettuce farm into the 1920s and became public in 1979. The VVMTA rerouted parts of the old road into shaded, sustainable singletrack in 2021, topping out at the historic Line Shack cabin 5.3 miles and about 2,000 feet up. The Whiskey Creek descent, once closed because of private property, bombs through dense forest and open meadows over rock and root, reopened thanks to the VVMTA-built Everkrisp Trail. At the Everkrisp intersection, go left two miles into EagleVail or right two miles through aspens back to the Forest Service lot.
Son of Middle Creek
Son of Middle Creek is a summer classic out of Spraddle Creek: aspen glade descents, rocky plunges and Vail Valley views. The ride starts with a dusty grind up FS 700 toward Piney Lake before turning off toward Lost Lake, where the singletrack appears a few hundred feet up the road. Expect short technical sections, rollers through pine forest, stream crossings and a handful of false summits before the payoff. At the T intersection you can drop onto North Trail or stay left for another 1,000-plus feet of descending back to the trailhead.
Abram's Ridge / Catwalk / Mike's Night Out
This long backcountry loop climbs the blistering Abram's Ridge singletrack — over 1,000 feet in three miles — into remote sagebrush country with distant mountain views. You roll Itch or Scratch before connecting to the shaded Catwalk, then grind up the steep Firebox jeep road (FSR 8383) to a short rocky hike-a-bike that tops out at Mike's Night Out. At just 2.4 miles, Mike's Night Out still delivers a rollercoaster of wooded twists, small rock drops, rooted sections, fast straightaways and a creek crossing. Return via Abram's Ridge or the bermy World's Greatest, and note that Catwalk opens onto a maze of quieter trails like Easy Rider, Star Wars and Fast Times.
Meadow Mountain, Whiskey Creek, Everkrisp Loop
This lesser-known loop between Minturn and EagleVail climbs a long, non-technical doubletrack past the Half Nelson and Full Nelson junctions to Whiskey Creek and the historic Line Shack at the top of Meadow Mountain. The Whiskey Creek descent is the payoff: dense forest, open meadows and rock-and-root obstacles on trail that was closed to bikes for years because of private property until the Everkrisp Trail reconnected it. At the bottom, Everkrisp goes right back to the Minturn trailhead through aspen stands or left into the EagleVail neighborhoods. The land was a lettuce farm until it became public in 1979, and the VVMTA rerouted stretches of the old road into sustainable singletrack in 2021.
Son of Middle Creek with optional Lost Lake Loop
This summer ride serves up aspen glades, rocky plunges and unusual angles on the Vail Valley. From the trailhead, a dusty grind up FS 700 toward Piney Lake leads to the intersection where you turn right toward Lost Lake and pick up the Son of Middle Creek singletrack. Expect short technical sections, rollers through pine forest, stream crossings, several false summits and a few lungbusting climbs before a T-junction sends you down a twisting descent back to FS 700. Adding the classic Lost Lake loop tacks on about 4 miles of challenging, rocky riding before the same finishing descent.
Adam's Way Loop
Adam's Way threads Eagle's trail system into a roughly 10-mile round trip of smooth singletrack, scenic climbing and quick descents. From the Wall trailhead you climb moderately up Wall, link onto Riddle, then hit Adam's Way with its rolling terrain, playful corners and wide views over the Brush Creek Valley. The route continues on Hardscrabble Mountain Road, transitions to Jeep Road, and finishes with the downhill of Mayer Gulch. The trail came out of a collaboration between the Hardscrabble Trails Coalition and VVMTA with support from Eagle County Open Space, and it links easily to Three Sisters for a longer day.
Mill Creek Trail
Mill Creek is a premier hiking, running and riding route on the flanks of Vail Mountain, opened in 2022 through the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance. The 6.5-mile singletrack was approved by the Forest Service and built for both sustainability and fun, passing through lush forest, wildflower meadows and open mountain views. Riders can climb Mill Creek Road to reach the trail, connect to Grand Traverse and descend from the Lionshead gondola back to Vail Village, or push on to Cougar Ridge or Game Creek toward Minturn. Go early for wildlife and cool air. E-bikes are not permitted on Mill Creek.
Abram's Ridge to Catwalk to Mike's Night Out
In 2024 the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance and Hardscrabble Trails Coalition rebuilt the connections between Abram's Ridge, Catwalk and Mike's Night Out, turning a confusing patchwork into one flowing network. From the top of Abram's Ridge, new trail feeds the World's Greatest Trail Hub, and the rerouted Reynolds Wrap leads to the Cow Camp hub with better flow and less erosion. Catwalk then delivers riders to Mike's Night Out, which was substantially rerouted to kill the hike-a-bike sections and add a new descent full of berms and views. Depending on the segments you link, the day runs roughly 8 to 10 miles with intermediate-to-advanced technical riding.
Two Elk Trail
Two Elk is one of Vail's most iconic and most demanding rides, giving up roughly 2,500 feet over 11.8 miles with several moderate climbs mixed in. The route traverses the Back Bowls, passing technical sections near Chair 5 and running alongside Two Elk Creek before finishing at the Minturn Gun Range. Expect rugged granite rock fields, exposure, hidden pedal strikers and features that reward experienced riders. Hikers are better off treating it as a relaxed out-and-back from Minturn than a full traverse.