[stgil888]

What are the 10 best places to ride a downhill bike in the continental US? Why?

Feel free to include local, undiscovered trails if you're not afraid of them being mobbed by RM members.

 

[Bicyclist]

Santa Barbara, rocky/tech/fun.

Mammoth. Uncrowded and loose and rocky. Not worth the drive unless you're in Cali.

Diablo and that place in TN I can't remember right now for some reason look fun, as does N-star (never been there).

 

[snowskilz]

#1 western jersey/eastern pa. easy access to diablo plattekill new england racing spots and va.

#2 colorado/nm. msc series.

#3 pnw. good riding plus easy access to bc

 

[hungryleprican]

whistler
beacon hill
exit 38 (local spot)

 

[Bicyclist]

whistler
beacon hill
exit 38 (local spot)

Whistler isn't in the lower 48. Otherwise it'd be the top of everyone's list!

 

[JacobDW]

snow shoe.... i like........

 

[Eren]

whistler
beacon hill
exit 38 (local spot)

lol whistler isnt lower 48.

BUT whistler
Beacon
38 (local)
27(local)
Duvall (very local)
Trail in bike magazine (super duper local/secret)

 

[bikerpunk98199]

snoqualimie pass
santa barbara

 

[kona-ryder]

Glacier (local)
Snakeonia (local and secret)
My backyard (super local)
Moab

 

[hungryleprican]

Whistler isn't in the lower 48. Otherwise it'd be the top of everyone's list!

Ahh, my bad


didn't realize cause fiirst thing I though when it said best riding..

I was all over the whistler

 

[stinky6]

PNW guys are all over this thread, funny too since on the PNW board everyone complains if you mention any trail by name.
I like the trails in Leavenworth, WA.
Who ever said Duvall needs to explore a little more, fun yes, but one of the best places in the lower 48?
I've never been but Utah and Colorado look amazing.

 

[frznnomad]

sugar,nc: local and the place has a lot of potential to be a great dh and slalom venue

snowshoe,wv: you just cant get enough of the mud
diablo,nc: never been but heard its everything between tech-smooth.
pisgah,nc: to local to even talk about.

kitzuma,nc: undesclosed location

greenlicks,nc:id tell you but theres way to many people on it now so no

trace ridge,nc: parkway trail

boone,nc: yet again way to local to even talk about.

thats two out of state and the rest are all my favs in state. so if your around look um up trust me it will be worth the digging.

 

[BKnight]

wow, like all of you guys are from washington, tahts crazy. Tahoes pretty sweet, we have th flume, not really down hill, but we do have downieville, which is badass. theres also North Star, which has some sweet trails

 

[vtminuteman]

Whiteface NY: lots of vert(7+ minute runs), fast gondola, great terrain, 2006 5k dh race was top notch, three more races in 2007, more trails in 2007.

Highlands NH: Short runs jam packed with ladders, drops, jumps, berms, ledge, rock gardens and tetters. Lift has great bike carriers, nice lodge, they organized a great race in 06, new jump line and more races in 2007.

Diablo NJ: US Open, fast lift, great trails mix of natural and man made, jump lines.

 

[hungryleprican]

Us PNW guys are pretty much naming places in the PNW cause we havn't really been across the country or even CA for that matter.

atleast I havn't

 

[blue]

Laguna Seca.

 

[A.P]

Highlands NH: Short runs jam packed with ladders, drops, jumps, berms, ledge, rock gardens and tetters. Lift has great bike carriers, nice lodge, they organized a great race in 06, new jump line and more races in 2007.

.

Hahahahahhahaahaha.....thats funny...

 

[Sandwich]

yeah, highland was the worst place I rode in 2006.

Plattekill is up there, for steepness and techness and because it's plattekill, and that's that.

Diablo was fun, I look forward to honing more of my skills there in the upcoming months. Lots of drops and man made stuff but it's nice, fast, and flowy, not like highland.

I look forward to good things from whiteface in the future, they have some nasty long DH runs with changing terrain that never gets boring. The lifts weren't that fast though, and the wood chips were kind of dumb. I wish there was more connectivity between woods sections.

Jiminy was fun too. There was a trail to the right side (facing the hill) that had some sick lines on it. It was too muddy to ride them well, but I look forward to being there next year.

 

[stgil888]

Awesome responses guys. Keep it up.

Seems like everyone has a lot of local pride. That's great.

What's disappointing is the realization that there are so few decent places to ride!

 

[frznnomad]

i think if we got most of the riders on here to post you would find that there is quite a bit of ridding to be had. the problem in nc is that most of them are local trails and everyone wants to keep them a secret, but it makes since cause well the less damn turists on those trails the better.

 

[profro]

You guys up North are so lucky. The amount of racing is insane.

My personal favs are:

Telluride Pirate Trails (RIP) for super steep and tech
Diablo for rough, quick, and numeruous trails
Snowshoe for tech mud
Bootleg Canyon for long, high exposure runs. Plus the atmosphere is great
Winrock for super long, unforgiving, steepness
Mammoth for history

 

[FCLinder]

"Wind Rock in TN". Have not made it up there in a few years but it rocked then and I know the Mad Scientist “DHBuilder” is up there 24/7 building some of the sweetest DH runs in the South East. Plan on going when they reopen.

Other favs: Snow Shoe WV “even in the mud”, Sugar Mt. NC, Massunutten VA, Mt. Snow VT, and all shuttle runs we have here in the SC and NC Mountains "To many to talk about".

 

[SinatorJ]

I know a secret...

 

[profro]

I know a secret...

Its no secret you are ghey...

 

[SinatorJ]

only with u

 

[JRogers]

yeah, highland was the worst place I rode in 2006.

Plattekill is up there, for steepness and techness and because it's plattekill, and that's that.

Diablo was fun, I look forward to honing more of my skills there in the upcoming months. Lots of drops and man made stuff but it's nice, fast, and flowy, not like highland.

I look forward to good things from whiteface in the future, they have some nasty long DH runs with changing terrain that never gets boring. The lifts weren't that fast though, and the wood chips were kind of dumb. I wish there was more connectivity between woods sections.

Jiminy was fun too. There was a trail to the right side (facing the hill) that had some sick lines on it. It was too muddy to ride them well, but I look forward to being there next year.

Not to try and hijack the thread, but what was bad about Highland? I have not ridden there yet, but was considering going at some point. Not worth the drive, I guess?

Some of you guys need to get out more or, you know, read the title of the thread. We are looking to list some of the best places in the country, not within 10 miles of your house.


Anyway....Diablo might make it in a best of list. Good terrain, good management and trails that are built for fun riding. I've ridden a bunch of mountains in the NE and Diablo is probably my favorite. Trails are a bit short, but they are all fun.

Whiteface could be in the top 10 with some more development. I try to get up there once a year or so. The mountain is huge, lift is fast and the area is great, but a few more trails and some more options would put it over the top. (I admit, though, I have not been there this year).

If it counts for anything, my two favorite places to ride in the country period are probably Crested Butte and the Kingdom Trails. Butte has tons of riding, a great layout, a great little town and simply amazing scenery. Kingdom (Burke, VT) has miles and miles of riding. Like many traills in CB, it's not too tech, but the trails are great fun. Scenery is awesome (Heaven's Bench, anyone?) and the town is small, but has some cool spots. It is set up perfectly for riding- trails right from town, pub across the street from the shop and a swimable river in the center of town. Each of these areas has some DH/FR, but that's not their primary focus. Both are worth long visit for anyone who likes riding.

 

[Stiff]

Bootleg for DH
Moab and Tucson for trail riding
A secret DH track in Maryland
Diablo DH -- trail quality high and gondolas superfast, but burned out on it a little

Over-rated: Downieville

Next on riding lists: SoCal + Colorado...and central Mexico which looks like loads of big mtn riding.

Exception: not in lower 48 but Quebec's Bromont has very high trail quality, fast lift, and great vibe.

 

[SinatorJ]

Its no secret you are ghey...

Weall know that you are a member of the IC king submarine racing team.

 

[pinkshirtphotos]

diablo (across the valley from my house)
platekill because thats the only other place ive been and they have some sweet trails.

 

[Sandwich]

Not to try and hijack the thread, but what was bad about Highland?

Well, the compactness of it was one thing. I'll compare it to diablo to make it more apparent; Where diablo is open, IE: jump, jump, jump, berm berm berm berm jump jump jump, trail trail drop, trail berm berm trail drop, etc.,

Highland is, drop, drop, drop, drop, ladder, drop, jump, drop. I felt like there was 0 trail in between. I like to ride DH and hit drops and jumps and berms while I'm at it, not hit drops and have to ride DH in between.

I hope that makes some sense. The stuff at Diablo also has some progression, ie, it's easy to hit when you're a noob. Highland is hit it or quit it. The owner is a little bit of a jerk from what I've seen. The lift is slow, but the bike racks are Bromont style. The parking lot is bare gravel with no shade for cooling off. The stunts are well built but they feel "forced," as though they were an afterthought rather than a part of the trail. There's 4 trails, it costs $35....

I might go back when they build more trails and I become a better stunt rider, but I'd rather learn to ride fast than ride roller coasters. It's only an hour and a half from boston, but I just wasn't feeling it like I do at Pkill or others.


Also, WRT distance, I ride close to where I live. I think PKill is awesome, there's a lot of variation and the experience is something else (camping). Diablo is a great mountain, and whiteface has potential. I would say that those three might have to be in the top 10.

 

[MinorThreat]

Us PNW guys are pretty much naming places in the PNW cause we havn't really been across the country or even CA for that matter.

atleast I havn't

I have been other places, but you name PNW places for good reason, Hungry. There's little need to look too far when you've got it all in your back yard.

Especially here on the dry side of the state (yeah, Beacon!!) We have the climate and the terrain with NONE of the user-conflict or access issues. Downhill is not a dirty word around here.

My only fear is that some fool (like me ) is going to get an article published about it some day, the cat'll be out of the bag and we'll be up to our armpits in more Californians than we already are.

 

[jbogner]

Highland is great. We took ten guys on a road trip through Whiteface, Bolton Valley (another great spot) and Highland, and every one voted Highland the best. If you're not into woodwork and stunts, you'll hate it. But the trails are immaculately constructed and tons of fun to ride (even for the guys in our group who weren't big stunts riders). Yes, you have to be "on" from top to bottom- the vert is short (around 700 feet), so the trailbuilders have packed each trail full of stuff. After days at Whiteface and Bolton, we all loved the shorter runs- more chance to recover. The only issue was the lack of trails- only 5-6 this year. But the ones they have are so much more developed than any trails anywhere else in the NE. Shade in the parking lot? More than offset by the cleanest bathrooms of any DH spot we've ever seen. Great vibe there- music pouring out of speakers on the beautifully renovated base lodge deck, easy to watch big stunts/jumps down the liftline, well-landscaped and replanted ski slopes, an amazing aesthetic attention to the way things look as well as the way things ride... they definitely did it right, and as they expand, that place is going to get better and better.

Diablo is always great. It's our local spot, so we take it for granted. Never have a bad time there, and every year they step it up a little more. Platty is a classic.

One place that should be on the list is Santos in Florida. No vert, but BIG drops, great DJ's and tons of fun. More terrain than *should* be there in the middle of flat Florida...

 

[nh dude]

I think that if you live smack dab in the middle of new england you have more than enough places to choose from for lift accessed riding that are within a resonable drive four hours or less
In defense of highland yeah they only have four trails or five now but it was also their first season- some people like stunts others dont I'm not really big into stunts myself but if they add some natural trails over the next few years then it will be a great spot. They did put on a great race, and what parking lot has shade?thats what ez ups are for
if you want to see a slow lift you should ride at bolton valley up in vt its 20 min the top at least.
plattekill is still number one for me just because its so rugged and you really have to look before you leap whiteface is up there also
the NEK trails are good too but without a lift

 

[Jim Mac]

My Right Coast bias...Lift served trails, in no apparent order:
*Plattekill - raw dh, where else does the owner allow you to build trails?
*Jiminy Peak - good flow, open 7 days a week (until 8pm although it's the small lift) and only 45 min's from my house and 30 min's from work.
*Mt. Snow - race courses only, however.
*Diablo - a lot of stuff for so little elevation.
*Whiteface - so much potential! Longest runs in the east.
*Snowshoe - haven't been there since '04, long runs, great terrain.

With the exception of Diablo and Snowshoe, they're all withing 2 hours of my house, how could you beat that?

EDIT: I want to check out Bolton, Highland, Bromont, etc. Just need to find the time when so much is so close!

 

[Total Heckler]

Downieville is totally near the top for great riding. you really cant beat 15+ miles of DH.

 

[JRogers]

Well, the compactness of it was one thing. I'll compare it to diablo to make it more apparent; Where diablo is open, IE: jump, jump, jump, berm berm berm berm jump jump jump, trail trail drop, trail berm berm trail drop, etc.,

Highland is, drop, drop, drop, drop, ladder, drop, jump, drop. I felt like there was 0 trail in between. I like to ride DH and hit drops and jumps and berms while I'm at it, not hit drops and have to ride DH in between.

I hope that makes some sense. The stuff at Diablo also has some progression, ie, it's easy to hit when you're a noob. Highland is hit it or quit it. The owner is a little bit of a jerk from what I've seen. The lift is slow, but the bike racks are Bromont style. The parking lot is bare gravel with no shade for cooling off. The stunts are well built but they feel "forced," as though they were an afterthought rather than a part of the trail. There's 4 trails, it costs $35....

I might go back when they build more trails and I become a better stunt rider, but I'd rather learn to ride fast than ride roller coasters. It's only an hour and a half from boston, but I just wasn't feeling it like I do at Pkill or others.


Also, WRT distance, I ride close to where I live. I think PKill is awesome, there's a lot of variation and the experience is something else (camping). Diablo is a great mountain, and whiteface has potential. I would say that those three might have to be in the top 10.

Thanks for the thoughts. Doesn't really sound like my kind of place. I'm not a big fan of drops (I've done all the drops at Diablo, but I'm not a huge fan) or do-or-die features. That's one reason I like Diablo. Most of the jumps are tables and even the bigger drops there are hard to mess up. You can roll of the Road to Nowhere at walking speed or at full race pace and, unless you do something dumb, you are going to be fine.

I like Platty, but the steepness and shale are not totally my style. Plus (although some might say it adds character), the ghettoness of the facilities is an issue for it being really a top destination.

Bolton Valley is cool, but not really a top destination. It's not open enough days, the facilities are a bit ghetto and the lift is crazy slow. The trails aren't totally my style, but there are some really good ones. The two races I did there were good times. Oh, and as a side note, hiking up Bolton SUCKS. The Long Trail goes over it. No real view at the top, trail seems to go up forever...it was a rough day for me...

 

[Sandwich]

That's fine if you disagree with me on highland. I thought the lodge was nice and the hill does have potential, I'd just like to see more regular trails and less XXXXTREMEEEEE garbage.

BOT, Bromont was killer, nice area, nice ammenities, and the trails are SWEET with fast and tight and steep and tech all in one. I highly recommend that place. Even the stunts were well thought out. The lift is the nicest and fastest I was on all year.

 

[sriracha]

big sky, montana
jackson, wyoming

 

[nmjb]

Big Sky is fun.

I'm surpried nobody has mentioned Angel Fire yet.

Durango has some awesome trail riding.

 

[stgil888]

What's the riding scene like in Montana and Wyoming. Not too much mention about what's going on up there. I know there's riding in CO, NM and some in Utah, but the northern rockies seem relatively unexplored bike-wise.