Mountain Biking in Park City, Utah

If you’re into mountain biking, you couldn’t pick a better venue than Park City, Utah. If that sounds like an extravagant claim, consider that Park City is the only place in the world to have been designated a Gold Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. That means you can expect a world class experience in all the areas that really matter to a mountain biker. There are of course fantastic trails for all skill levels, but also numerous high quality bars, restaurants, hotels, bike shops, public transportation, and entertainment opportunities after the ride.

Here are descriptions of just a sampling of the available mountain bike tours being offered in and around the Park City area.

BEAVER CREEK TRAIL

This is a 4.5 mile path situated in the western Uinta Mountains that is mostly flat terrain, so it is perfect for novice mountain bikers and families with children looking for a manageable ride.

The trail consists of hard-packed dirt, perfect for biking, and includes only one real hill to climb, which is right at the beginning of the trail. It passes between the mountains and a beautiful valley where Forest Service campgrounds abound, ideal for a picnic and sightseeing interlude. With no stops included, this tour can be accomplished in an hour or so.

THE RAIL TRAIL
This is another tour which is considered to be easy riding and is ideal for beginning bikers, although it does include 30 miles of ground one way. It extends from the Prospector Area of Park City down to Echo Junction, and as its name suggests, it follows an old railroad route through farmlands and canyons. It also meanders alongside the Weber River for part of its length and passes by the Echo Reservoir. Elevation changes along this route are gentle and easily manageable for all levels of ability.
DEER VALLEY RESORT
This trail is nestled in a valley just north of majestic Bald Eagle Mountain, and features a ski lift for positioning bikers at the top of a mountain where the trail begins. From that point, a wide variety of trail options can be chosen, but all have single pathways and are of variable duration, owing mostly to the fact that the terrain’s character is considered to be more difficult to navigate.
GLENWILD LOOP
This is another of the more difficult tours to navigate, and is aimed at bikers who are becoming comfortable with the more technical and challenging aspects of mountain biking. It has a single pathway running about 8.5 miles in length, and features some fairly steep climbs. The trail begins in the Glenwild area, and entails about 800 feet of elevation changes.
MID-MOUNTAIN TRAIL
For those bikers who really want to be challenged, this is a tour that fits the bill. Consisting of 22 miles worth of sometimes rocky terrain, this path features 1,500 feet of changes in elevation and is not for the faint of heart. Depending on which sections you include in your tour, the trail may pass through forests and canyons as well as the mountains, but most of the biking is rugged until finishing up on the highway which leads back to Park City.
SHADOW LAKE LOOP
This tour is categorized in the ‘most difficult’ level of mountain biking, due to its rugged terrain and elevation changes. It is nevertheless quite popular with advanced bikers and can be customized to be mostly uphill or downhill. The shortest route (via Spiro) is 12 miles long, but the easier route (along Crescent Mine Grade) is 15 miles long. From lowest elevation to highest there will be a heart-pounding 1,500 foot difference.