Cycling across beautiful landscapes is a great treat for everyone, whether you’re a new bike owner or a long-time aficionado. Enjoying nature and the fresh air of mountain trails and meadows is a truly rewarding experience and should be at the top of everybody’s list when thinking of new vacation opportunities. The USA is home to some of the worlds best bike routes due to the sheer amount of natural, untouched landscapes. Here are some of the top choices for you and your family’s next trip.
Sedona, Arizona
The red rocked, picturesque views of Sedona are our first choice here. While this area doesn’t necessarily have many routes, there are some really fun challenges across this space. Biking down broken slopes and paths and around the magnificent red rocks combined with the welcoming and exciting city nestled amidst canyon walls and pine forests makes for a truly unique experience. We highly recommend bringing a picnic along for your ride to enjoy some refreshments in one of the many rest stops too.
Bear Basin, Idaho
This area is perfect if your group has a mixture of beginners and experts as there are numerous routes suitable for many different skill levels. In fact, this system contains 24 different trails which interconnect so you’ll be able to switch things up if you’re searching for a bigger challenge or need a bit of a respite. This dense forest area is incredibly engrossing and the lush, dense greenery of the conifers has a mystical, ethereal feel to it.
Moab, Utah
This is one of the oldest mountain biking spots in the world, and is home to some fantastic, well-ridden trails. However, they are changing things up constantly, to maintain their strong reputation, and miles of new trails are created every single year. These new tracks are possibly more popular than the classics, although it’s worth checking out as many as you can. Not only are these trails super fun to ride, the near-endless horizons of Utah’s landscape are absolutely breathtaking. The nearby town is full of great amenities too, including great night life, as well as handy bike shops and transport links for some great ease of access.
Grand Valley, Colorado
This area is becoming more and more popular for tourism, especially biking enthusiasts, due to the continued improvements being made to the myriad of trails as well as the increased availability of bike stores and repair shops. While the trails in this area are being improved constantly, it’s still important to be as safe as possible for both you and your bike. Don’t forget to get yourself some bike insurance like that from Velosurance. This will cover damage to your bike in case you need to go in for repairs at some of Grand Valley’s bike shops, and even provides you with some coverage to medical bills if you suffer from any injuries.
Bend, Oregon
This awesome Oregon trail system is one of the most exciting places to ride, although some riders don’t enjoy the difficult, loose terrain. If you’re one for kicking up dust on your ride though, this is the place for you. Not only are there some great snaking routes to soar along, but there are also even some exciting dirt jump and skill parks within the town itself. Whether you’re the type to attempt these or are just wanting to enjoy the phenomenal skills of other riders, these are must-visits.
Ocala, Florida
It’s fair to say that people don’t often think of Florida as being a place for biking, especially mountain biking what with being flatlands. However, the Santos Mountain Bike Park was built inside an old quarry, and who says you need natural mountains to have fun? The steep ascents and descents of this old limestone pit have been transformed into some brilliant trails suitable for every skill level, with some even containing wooden jumps and corkscrews. The nearby Santos camp site is perfect if you’re looking to complete that outdoors vacation too.
Helena, Montana
The rolling hills and towering mountain ranges of Montana are likely a huge risk of stopping you in your tracks. You may forget you’ve gone there to ride and instead find yourself staring at this otherworldly scenery for hours on end. If you do manage to tear yourself away from the beautiful sights of Montana, this is the perfect place for those looking for some longer trails. Don’t forget to pack supplies for this trip as you may find yourself being drawn further and further along by these breathtaking views.
Copper Harbor, Michigan
If you’re looking for a trail in the northern reaches of the Midwestern states, Copper Harbor in Michigan should be one of your top choices. Not only are there some incredibly exhilarating singletrack for you to ride, but the surrounding area is simply spectacular. Situated on the coast of Lake Superior, this little community is so remote it’ll feel as though you’re on another planet. Pitch a tent at one of the areas beautiful campsites and enjoy an utterly gratifying rest overlooking the endless waters.