Porcupine Rim Trail, Moab, Utah. Moab’s second most popular mountain bike trail, this mostly single-track trail runs for 20 miles one way (31 miles if you do it in a loop) and climbs to the spectacular Castle Valley overlook. From there the trail drops 3,000 feet all the way down to the Colorado River. Once at the bottom, take a dip in the cool river. For more info (and shuttle info) check out www.rimcyclery.com.
Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, NV. Located 25 miles east of Las Vegas, Bootleg Canyon hosts 36-miles of trail riding near Lake Mead – everything from rolling loops to downhills that will burn your brakes. If steeps are your thing, check out Elevator Shaft, which boasts a 22 percent grade! In addition to DH and XC specific loops, there is a ski-area style terrain park near the base. Go to www.imba.com for more info.
Buffalo Creek Trail, Pine, CO. The Colorado Trail runs 550 miles, but that’s a bit long. The 20-mile Buffalo Creek section of the Colorado is a smooth and fast single-track located one hour west of Denver. The trail will reward you with mountain views, great downhills and smooth roller coasters. For more info, go to www.ridewrc.com.
The Edge Loop, Fruita, CO. This 35-mile, high-desert single-track will not disappoint you. Starting at 5,000 ft and ending at 7,500 ft, it involves 3,800 ft of climbing. So bring a set of healthy lungs. The ride starts with an hour climb and then heads down. Along the way, there is a mandatory 50-ft rappel down a waterfall. Oh, yeah and the views are amazing. For more info, go to www.otesports.com.
