5 Mountain Bike Trails to Check Out in Utah
Published January 17, 2024 | Updated March 20, 2025
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Utah is one of the best states in the country for mountain biking. There are so many beautiful places to explore on two wheels! In fact, Park City, the famous ski and outdoors town in Utah, was the very first Gold Level Ride Center to be named by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). That means it's essentially certified to have a vast trail network for all skill levels providing the best of the best in mountain biking.
Here are some of the best places to hit the trails in Utah.
Slickrock Trail in Moab
This is arguably the best mountain biking trail in Utah. It’s 10.5 miles of traditional singletrack that’s physically and technically challenging, but an overall amazing experience. Those 10.5 miles are estimated to take 2-4 hours to complete.
You’ll enjoy plenty of weather-smoothed slick rock – hence the name – and beautiful red-rock desert scenery. Despite the name, the fine sandstone provides great grip. The trail is also unusual in that it's also open to motorcycles.
Get to Sand Flats Recreation Area just outside of town via Interstate 70 or U.S. 191. Then start at Slickrock National Recreation just beyond the entrance.
The "Whole Enchilada" in Moab
It’s considered one of the best bike rides in North America. The "whole enchilada" is the full set of a string of mountain biking trails from Geyser Pass to Moab. It's a 33-mile adventure, mostly downhill, through alpine singletrack, high-altitude forests, and the Utah desert. You’ll experience Burro Pass, Hazzard County, Kokopelli, the famed Porcupine Rim trail, and even the Colorado River. All with the most beautiful views the state has to offer.
Most cyclists hire a shuttle service to get to to the top of Geyser Pass above town, your starting point at about 10,400 feet above sea level. If you're feeling hard-core, you can also ride up to the top from Moab the traditional way, under muscle power.
Bunker Creek Trail in Brian Head
Brian Head Park, close to Bryce Canyon National Park and the city of Panguitch, is a pretty amazing lesser-known park in Utah. It’s made of volcanic rock deposited in the area over the last 20 million years. It's believed to have been the bottom of a lake at some point. So yes, surprisingly, it's a desert that’s a dried-up body of water.
The trail itself, officially the "Right Fork Bunker Creek Trail," is an 11.6-mile epic downhill ride that starts at Brian Head Peak trailhead (map link), at 11,307 feet in elevation. You can imagine that this Brian character must have been bald, because the mountain peak is bald, aka treeless, and views open up for miles in every direction.
Luckily for your lungs, you won't have to do much climbing on this trail. It's a 14-mile, 3,000-foot descent to the east down toward Panguitch lake. The trail goes from singletrack to a jump-laden 4x4-road and finishes with a half-mile coast down to the lake.
You'll want to shuttle this one to avoid a 10-mile climb on asphalt. Multiple shuttle services are available in the local town of Brian Head.
Thunder Mountain Loop in Brian Head
This is a mountainous ride near Bryce Canyon National Park and Panguitch. The full loop is just under 15 miles, with plenty of climbing (1,748 ft ascent and the same amount of descent). Along the trail, you'll find panoramic views, gnarled old trees clinging to the rocks, deeply carved and weather-worn red rock formations, and stunningly green pine forests standing out against the desert backdrop.
Although it’s not the highest track in the area, the trail is still at around 8,000 feet, so be prepared for the extra challenge if you're coming from a lower-elevation area. There aren't many steps or drops, just moderate climbs with unbeatable views. The technical sections are quick, easy, and walkable if preferred. Also, the last mile or so is flowy downhill for gliding down to the end.
You need to watch out for horses on this trail as it's shared-use with horseback riders.
To ride the loop trail, start at the Red Canyon trailhead (map link) off Utah State Route 12, which is itself a Scenic Byway with amazing views. You'll be able to access the single track past after riding on the Red Canyon paved trail section.
Mid Mountain Trail in Park City
We can’t forget about this trail, part of the 540 miles of trails in the IMBA Gold Level Ride Center that is Park City. It covers 22 miles around the two major ski areas in Park City. There are tons of options for shorter loops, with flowing singletrack through dense pine, aspen trees and wildflower meadows, depending on the time of year. The hardest part is reaching the trail itself. Once you’re on it, enjoy multiple short climbs and descents with minimal technical sections.
Most riders start at Armstrong Trail and hit several other loops 5-10 miles each.