1. The downhill mountain biking style may seem intimidating, but every feature has a ride-around option. Mt. The trail begins with some climbing and gradual descending and about halfway across the plateau you will descend about 3500 vertical feet in 4 miles! It offers low-cost, energy-efficient, and emission-free transportation which also has physical and health benefits. There are many communities surrounded by dense trail networks, such as Missoula, Bozeman, Butte, and Helena, and there are small mountain towns with great access to big mountain epics, such as Red Lodge, Whitefish, or Philipsburg. Crested Butte, COJV Designs / Shutterstock. It is a 5 mile loop featuring 1000 feet of elevation gain, mountain and meadow views, as well as smooth and flowy trails. Situated in the northwest region, Montana is one of the biggest states in the union by the total area. The descent was rated the 5th best mountain bike trail in Montana, so you dont want to miss this one if you are looking for the best that Montana has to offer. Whitefish trail is situated near the Glacier National Park in Montanas northwest region. They're waiting for you. From the mountains rich with forests, lakes and rivers to the welcoming downtown, this is a place worth exploring and protecting for all those who love it. Helena recently. "It's a dirt route stretching 2,800 miles from Banff to Antelope Wells, giving a rider the remote wilderness experience, battling terrain, weather, and physical and mental strength." It stretches up to 10-mile and features a wide array of wildflowers. The Garage: Located less than 10 minutes away from the above featured trailhead. The town also has a decent range of eateries from local-style, hometown cooking to fine dining. The landscape also features rocky mountain ranges, making it more adventurous and fun for mountain bikers. The trail has a little bit of everything with singletrack, rock obstacles, and man-made features. MacDonald Pass mountain biking trail is the classic ride in Helena, Montana, equally famous for its killer views and downhill slopes. Various Spokes. It has a population of less than 3,000 and comes complete with friendly locals and stunning surrounding areas in the region of the Kootenai River. However, it is the 44th-most populated and ranked as 48th when it comes to population compactness. And then there's the Mount Helena Ridge Trail. Situated in the great city of Bozeman in Montana, the Grassy Mountain biking trail loop stretches up to 16-mile. Here are the 10 best ski towns in North America for the 2022/2023 season, as voted by our readers in the annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. But whatever your budget, you'll find the best places to stay with our list of the best resorts in Montana. Top 10 Mountain Bike Towns in the US with the Lowest Cost of Living 1. When she wants to escape for a little while, you'll find Butler on Reid Divide/Bill Creek, a reliable old school singletrack trail that's remote and revivifying. 5 Stunning Desert OHV Areas in the Western United States. 5. Whether you're planning a Montana family road trip or you're planning to stick around one area, we've compiled some of the best . Not to say that motorized bikes dont come with any problems, but their convenience and ease of use is just amazing. If you are looking to rent equipment then you can do it on site at the resort at Different Spokes Bike Shop located in the Snowcrest building. It's highly technical with lots of rock gardens. Furthermore, you can find the picturesque wildlife hotspot Freezeout Lake nearby, along with other popular attractions of this region of Montana; Flathead National Forest, Lewis and Clark National Forest, and Glacier National Park. Red Barn Bicycles: Located in Hamilton, Montana and open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm or 6 pm. https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/2274/Bike-Skills-Parks, Vigilante Bike Park: This park is located in Helena, Montana and has a variety of skills features for riders of all skills levels. This out-of-the-way locale is filled with desert canyons, rock spires, giant mountains, and vast ridges that spread themselves out along the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers. During the winter, ski at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and in the. Anniston, Alabama COL Index: 81.8 Median Home Price: $96,600, according to Best Places Population: 22,000 Miles of Singletrack: 120 Coldwater Mountain. America's 20 Best Mountain Bike Towns 1 / 20 Moab, Utah It's almost impossible to overhype Moab. Wearing a helmet and protective gear is very important. Fairfax. Helena Mountain biking trail system can be accessed via the trailhead on Prospector Gulch Road and is categorized as the hub of the vast array of exciting courses. Pro Tip: Since there are so many options of trails in this area, come to the trail network with a plan ahead of time. The granddaddy is up Warm Springs to the top of Saddle Mountain and descending down through Overwhich Falls. Mount Snow. Its red-rock landscape is truly like nowhere else on Earth, and the best way to appreciate it is. If you are about to purchase your first electric bicycle, there are a few things you will need to know first. (In other words,don't go alone.) If you are in the region of Montana looking for outdoor adventure or some of the most scenic views the Big Sky state has to offer, its highly likely that youll end up somewhere in the mountain regions. No matter which corner of the state you find yourself in, there are sure to be trails calling your name. Make sure that you start early enough to be able to make it back to your vehicle before dark. Kalispell is another one of the slightly larger populated mountain regions, and it is also classified as a city even though the population is only half that of Bozeman. Furthermore, Popularly referred to as Big Sky State, Montana is one of the biggest and most spectacular states in the U.S. The modestly technical single-track path has 50 switchbacks, steep climbs, beautiful forests, and gratifying views the whole way up, but particularly when you reach the 10,000-foot saddle. Buttercup Loop Trail - Near Hamilton Category: Mountain Biking Level: Intermediate/Advanced Round-Trip Distance: 21.1 Miles Getting Here: However, there is a separate fun of enjoying the rides in rain too as long as you are aptly ready for it. The trail begins at around 5,800 feet and climbs up and over 10,000 feet where the trees disappear. Trail Type - Fun singletrack with ample adrenaline rush opportunities. After grinding up the initial 7.5-mile climb, it won't be long before you're in the zone, gliding around three-foot-wide switchbacks and undulating terrain until you reach meadows and pause-worthy vistas. Beautifully designed and eager to reinvent itself, the Whitefish Trail encompasses roughly 30 miles of singletrack, with myriad route options and a network of new possibilities like the Swift Creek Trail and Woods Lake Loop (with future trail construction planned for Lazy Creeks, Whitefish Mountain Resort and Haskill Basin). It is best to climb up the fireroads and descend the singletrack trails. The small mountain town of Big Timber is rife with impressive mountain views and a sense of the Old West that goes back to the days of the Northern Pacific Railway in Montana. However, it is the 44th-most populated and ranked as 48th when it comes to population compactness. Electric bicycles prices range depending on what you want in your bicycle. The often tortuous and flowing trail is followed by a quick and very picturesque descent that necessitates the bikers to cross some challenging swampy land that is certain to be muddy even to the most cautious mountain bikers. Darby Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr of the road bike you intend to buy. The town is something of a cowboy town, and is surrounded by some impressively high mountain backdrops by way of the three ranges of Madison, Gravelly, and Tobacco Root. 4. Situated in the town of Red Lodge in Montana, this mountain biking trail is a few of the most famous tracks in the state and also one of the most interesting going by the technical hurdles it presents. 25 Best Colleges in the Mountains | Features | Ranking 25 Best Colleges in the Mountains Top Consensus Ranked Colleges for Hiking and Climbing Top 5 1 2 Washington and Lee University 3 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 4 Middlebury College 5 Bates College Here's our round-up of the best mountain biking at ski resorts. Your legs may be burning at the top, but the nine-mile descent is one more reason you'll never forget this teeth-gritting ride. The Grass Mountain Biking Loop is one of the most famous, challenging, and well-ridden course systems in the Bozeman area of Montana. Bozeman also provides fantastic views of the Rocky Mountains, as does Whitefish, which is located to the west of Glacier National Park. This first climb is considered brutal. Singletracks.com estimates that intermediate riders should be able to conquer this trail in 4.5 hours or less, but beginners may have to walk and take over 6 hours to finish it. So book your trip now. There's so much to do here and you'll be absolutely smitten with this great little place. Marshall Mountain lies just east of the Rattlesnake, NE of Missoula. So learn more about one of the best mountain towns in Montana, and then add it to your list! Bozeman is a popular mountain location in Montana that is actually classified as more of a city. By Jay. This mountain biking is true backcountry bliss. To help prove that point, there are no local bike shops in the area. Grizzly Outfitters: Just a quick 11 minute drive from the resort, Grizzly Outfitters is open from 8 am-6 pm Monday-Saturday during the summer. Different Spokes Bike Shop rents Specialized bikes ($50/3hrs, $80/day), including a helmet and single ride lift pass, but not the Bike Haul Lift Ticket ($35). The majority of the trails are blue and green with a few black trails to challenge the more daring riders. Jun 14, 2019. . Visit Big Sky explains that there are 64 mountain ranges in total in Montana, as per the Montana State Library. The trails are overly accessible, with multiple parking locations right off of local streets and neighborhoods. Of course, you have the legendary Moab bike scene. Along the Grassy Mountain Loop, bikers will require to deal with a vast assortment of obstacles, including some rooty, rocky, and steep laden drops close to the top of the course, followed by banked and bermed turns. Relatively few miles of road exist in the . With a population of around 3,000, Cut Bank has long been an integral part of the regions oil and gas industry, which started in the 1920s when the first well was unearthed. The Warm Springs Trail System offers 47 miles of trails that will best challenge intermediate, advanced and expert riders. The ski world's go-to source for news, information, weather, entertainment, and travel inspiration. This 10-mile route is an open secret, butit'll still likely just be you, fields of wildflowers, and the Big Sky if you take it. 12 Best Things to do in Helena, Montana. They are open Monday-Saturday from 10 am 5 or 6 pm and are also less than 10 minutes away from the featured trailhead. The park draws thousands of visitors who come to experience a wide variety of outdoor recreational facilities including camping, back-packing, hiking, cycling and . Cooke City is one of the closest towns to Yellowstone National Park, lying to the northeast of the park on the scenic Beartooth Highway. Helena Ridge is located in Helena, Montana and is a part of the South Hill Trail Network. The course is mostly a single course that takes an average of 1.5 hours to bike and encompasses a cumulative elevation gain of 1,780 feet. Nevertheless, Kalispell is a place with free-flowing rivers and surrounding mountains that rise high above the valley floor. Although the trail goes through braided narrow paths and doubletrack, a wide range of horse and social trails are available. Situated approximately a 2-hour drive from Canada, the Woodrat mountain biking trail is situated in Priest Lake in Idaho. The 60,000-acre Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, just outside of Missoula,contains a network of over 50 miles of seemingly endless possibilities for all skill levels. Livingston is located just 30 miles east of Bozeman, but it's location on the northern end of the Paradise Valley plus some wild weather patterns keep it away from the tourist hordes. Located between Truckee and Sacramento, Auburn is a small mountain town loved by bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. Dunsmuir Up in the Trinity Mountains, you'll find the charming town of Dunsmuir. Idaho Falls / Courtesy of Nicholas and Yin-Ying Sushkin under a CC 4.0 license. There are 75 different trails, featuring about 50 miles to explore. Whitefish is a popular stop-off point for anyone who ventures into Glacier National Park, which is little more than half an hour away from this town in the mountains of Montana. In the same regard, mountain bikers are advised to be keen on the weather as they explore the trail and look for shelter if they notice lightning and thunder. Certainly, all of these places have much to offer by way of adventure, scenery, and even a spot of history. Situated on 100 acres, the trails currently stretch ten miles and will eventually reach fifteen. They offer pump tracks which help mountain bikers perfect their abilities to carry momentum on the bike and corner with speed and confidence. We talked to local bike shop owners, trail builders, and photographers to uncover the greatest routes, with the most beautiful lakes, open meadows and dazzling descents. Many people like to pack a lunch and enjoy a day at the lake before descending that same route on the way back home. Downtown Bozeman has some of the best restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, and other amenities associated with a more developed region. The Mt. Whitefish is a prime Montana mountain town with arguably the best skiing resort in the state. Trails for all levels of skills are available; thus, no one should feel left out.