The Rattlesnake trail system is Missoulas most popular trail system. Once the bikers have enjoyed the majestic scenic views, they will eventually resume on a speedy descent, incredibly dropping up to 3,500 feet in the initial four miles. 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. This trail demonstrates just how bike friendly Montana tries to be! Asheville, North Carolina. 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. Woods Gulch Mountain Biking Trail MakeItMissoula While the trail is extremely challenging, none of the features are mandatory and can be avoided if you find yourself hesitant. Which are the Best Small Mountain Towns in Montana. Crested Butte, COJV Designs / Shutterstock. This little locale certainly isn't the only 19th-century mining town that you can find in Montana, but it's definitely one of the best. The top of the South Shore Traillooksout over the vast expanse of the northern Great Plains, just as Lewis and Clark saw them when theydiscovered the Great Falls over 200 years ago. 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. Electric bicycles prices range depending on what you want in your bicycle. In my personal experiences, the trails are well maintained, well-ridden, and generously shared. When it comes to taking your e-bikes out on adventures, sometimes you want to travel to distant places and use your e-bike to explore. . Bike, eat, sleep, repeat. Whitefish Resort is known for its laidback attitude and flowy trails. 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. The majority of Montanas mountain ranges are located in the western part of the state. There is certainly an abundance of things to do in Big Timber, making it one of the top choice mountain towns in Montana for those who like a quiet life but with the chance for a big adventure. Helena is the state Capital, Billings the largest city, and . Darby Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr Kalispell is within easy reach of both Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake, which makes it an ideal place to base any Montana vacation from. You can find over 2 million acres of public land for exploration Libby and the surrounding Kootenai National Forest has hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails. Whitefish trail is situated near the Glacier National Park in Montanas northwest region. The trails are designed to cater to every type of rider in the area from a first timer to a professional athlete. Getty Images. Nestled in the Hyalite Peaks high country, the trail is moderately technical, with up and down switchbacks and 2,000 feet of climbingthat endsat a30-acre alpine lake surrounded by rock walls. Situated in the great city of Bozeman in Montana, the Grassy Mountain biking trail loop stretches up to 16-mile. These are the trails that I have been privileged to ride the most in Montana. Cairns Way: This trail is marked as blue which would indicate an easier rating; however, beginners should be wary. This system is located in Butte, Montana and has 16 trails, many loop or out and back options, difficult climbs, switchbacks, granite, and sand. This is classic high alpine riding and the entire trail is a black diamond route. In between the fast big-ring descents and steep technical climbs up the ridge, the rolling terrain will give you plenty of moments to stop and take it all in, especially the views of Lone Mountain and the Taylor Hilgard peaks. Rider: Aaron Chamberlain Then, get ready to hit the trails. 10 Best Places to Visit in Montana. E-bikes are easy to learn how to use, cheaper than owning a car, and can be pretty maneuverable. Helena Ridge is located in Helena, Montana and is a part of the South Hill Trail Network. Top 10 Mountain Bike Towns in the US with the Lowest Cost of Living 1. The Rattlesnake Trail System is located in Missoula, Montana. It features an enormous 5,800-foot uphill slope and a 1,600 climb featuring a number of exciting hurdles. Tucked away on the Silver Thread Scenic Byway between Gunnison and South Fork is the historic Colorado mountain town of Creede. 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. Despite having a population of under 800 people, this tiny town in Vermont's Green Mountains sure packs in a lot of action. "It's an iconic route with incredible ridgeline views of the expansive wilderness that surrounds Montana's capital," says Bike Helena's Patrick Doyle. And dont forget a trip to Big Timbers old-fashioned soda fountain. Many people like to pack a lunch and enjoy a day at the lake before descending that same route on the way back home. Skylar Rispens Two riders descend from Mt. 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. Moab, Utah. That means that there is a lot of wide-open land to be explored and developed. The trail is a point to point mission and is best completed with a shuttle. 5. Since the Golden State offers only the finest, we turned to local experts to share their recommendations for the top mountain biking spots in California. Although Bozeman is somewhat larger than many of the other mountain towns in Montana, it does still manage to retain something of a charming small-town feel. Nevertheless, Kalispell is a place with free-flowing rivers and surrounding mountains that rise high above the valley floor. But whatever your budget, you'll find the best places to stay with our list of the best resorts in Montana. The exploration can be very challenging to navigate at a time. However, the $35 ticket for Bike Haul Lift is excluded. https://www.outsidebozeman.com/planning/reports-conditions/trail-time-share. Montana OHV Registration Title Your Vehicle. Trail Type - Fun singletrack with ample adrenaline rush opportunities. There are any number of great mountain biking trails in the Spokane, WA area, but if local resident Kate Hudson had to pick just one, she'd choose the Mount Spokane Bike Trail 140, less than an hour drive from downtown. 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. Looking for more How To MTB articles? You can challenge your fitness by riding up a rocky trail to make it to the Mt. Many cyclists claim that riding an e-bike is easier than riding a normal mountain bike. However, e-bikes have a limited range; As the popularity of e-bikes continues to rise, so does e-bike theft. You can rent afull suspension mountain bike for about $50 a day at Round House, just down the street from therecently opened Outlaw Brewing, where the Tumbleweeds food truck is smoking pork daily for its BBQ burrito. They're waiting for you. The trail is primarily singletrack with a few rocky areas, and as the trail suggests, a couple of creek crossings. Choteau is an authentic and scenic small Montana town with an agricultural background. Its red-rock landscape is truly like nowhere else on Earth, and the best way to appreciate it is. Emerald Lake isonly nine miles out-and-back, but it's worth the trip. Just upgraded by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) to one of 11 Silver Level Ride Centers in the world, Helenaknows how to sweep a mountain biker off his feet. It is in proximity to Yellowstone National Parks northern gate, and the town exhibits the typical Montana charm that one would expect in a location like this. This July, test your fitness skills at the Dirty Girl Mud Run obstacle course race, or your culinary knowledge at the Killington Wine Festival. of the road bike you intend to buy. Choteau is so scenic that, David Letterman even purchased a vacation ranch there. Riding in the birthplace of MTB. by Robert Earle Howells, Perri O. Blumberg and Laura Studarus. Lake Tahoe fits the bill. Many of the trails are not marked. There are 63 trails and most of them are designed for beginner or intermediate riders. Anniston, Alabama COL Index: 81.8 Median Home Price: $96,600, according to Best Places Population: 22,000 Miles of Singletrack: 120 Coldwater Mountain. Though this 28-mile loop is part of the Continental Divide Trail system and has a designated trailhead, you'll quickly discover you've entered West Yellowstone's backcountry, where grizzlies roam. 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. With a population of just over 7,500 and a strong community vibe, Livingston still makes it onto this list, but it's definitely one of the larger towns in Montana! The town has more than a touch of the historic about it which is evident from the Ennis Railroad and Cultural Heritage Museum, where you can get some deeper insights into the towns past. 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. You can also get a spot of rafting, horseback riding, and golfing if you fancy, and there are a few other interesting activities in the town like rodeos and other types of horse competitions, as well as a water slide. The area is popular for hunting and fishing, and the town has a small downhill ski area along with miles of backcountry roads for skiing and snowmobiling. This is a perfect spot for working out and mostly parked on weekends and during holidays. Montana is a state located in the Western United States. To get to the trail, you will have to park close to Hills Resort and proceed towards the fire road that leads to the trail entrance. Three Larches: Three Larches is more on the technical side but is still great for an intermediate rider. The Grass Mountain Biking Loop is one of the most famous, challenging, and well-ridden course systems in the Bozeman area of Montana. However, it is the 44th-most populated and ranked as 48th when it comes to population compactness. The Grizzly Mountain biking loop trail is managed by the office of USFS Gallatin National Forest. 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. For challenging singletrack, you may try the hundreds of splendid miles of National Forest Service Roads and tracks surrounding the Big Sky Resort. But it is a little more difficult to decide which is the best one. It is 15 miles long and has almost 2,000 feet of climbing and over 5,000 feet of descending. Situated near Lake McDonald in Montana, the MacDonald mountain biking trail is moderately trafficked and stretches up to 9.0 kilometers. https://www.bikehelena.com/vigilante-bike-park/. Pro Tip: Even if you have ridden these trails before, always make sure that you can stop within your sight range. Molly Ambrogi-Yanson says Blackfoot River Brewing is the spotwhere bikers drinkpost-ride. "Then the fun begins at a 2,000-foot descent with high-speed flowy sections to rock sections to keep you on your toes, providing 20 minutes of huge grins on everyone's faces." It has 33 trails that range from intermediate to black diamond difficulty level. The Beardance Trail is located in Kalispell, Montana. Montana is divided into 56 counties and contains 129 municipalities consisting of cities and towns. It encompasses scenic overlooks, gate logging roads, stacked loops, and beautiful singletrack. This town is located just 35 minutes north of Salt Lake City, and it sits at an elevation of 4,280 feet. You will encounter an old four-wheel-drive trail that includes a vast array of drop-offs, natural jumps, and bumps. Cost of living: The cost of living index in King Arthur Park is 102, which is two percent higher than the average cost of living in the U.S. and four percent higher than in Montana. Insane, speedy downhills are simply timeless. The location is. You will get the most bang for your buck that way and wont waste time standing at trail junctions debating what to ride. The Alpine #7 MTB trail is located inside the Flathead National Forest. There's so much to do here and you'll be absolutely smitten with this great little place. Popularly referred to as Big Sky State, Montana is one of the biggest and most spectacular states in the U.S. They offer over 40 miles of downhill bike trails fed by three different lifts. 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! This well-marked 6.25-mile single-track trail traipses out and back over the Continental Divide and Homestake pass and offers just enough steep climbs, fast and tight descents, sandy patches, stunning big skylines, and rocky sections to excite even the most jaded mountain bikers. The majority of the trails are blue and green with a few black trails to challenge the more daring riders. 970-870-2220. Stay: Located eight miles from Steamboat in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Dry Lake Campground's eight sites ($10, no reservations) put cyclists adjacent to the Spring Creek Trail, a breezy five-miler into town. The Garage: Located less than 10 minutes away from the above featured trailhead.