What are you going to do on vacation this year? Mountain biking can make for a wonderful vacation. Check out amazing places to mountain bike in America. Tours of scenic routes are available through many companies. These tours often come with accommodations.
Athletic couples will really appreciate these relaxing but active vacations. From major mountain trails to lesser known trails with hills and rough terrain, mountain bikers will find great adventure in biking trails in each and every region in America.
Southeast Trails
The park service that manages Tsali trail got it right when designing and setting up a rule system to maximize riders experience. Four separate looped trails make up the approximately 42 miles of epic riding each of which have photo opportunity vistas throughout.
Mountain bikers will not have issues like running into horseback riders and will experience few if any riders coming head on as the trails have specific designated days only for biking and they also direct traffic flow to minimize any potential accidents. They charge a nominal fee of a few dollars at the parking area but considering the upkeep it is well worth it.
Western Trails
The American West Region is known for mountain biking trails, but you don’t need to stop there! The Southwest area has many popular trails as well! Whilst you are in this region a visit to Yosemite National Park can be recommended. This wonderful range of hills, forest and landscape is situated in California and is one it’s designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
This is an area made up of heath land, oak woodlands and historical parklands. It is a great place for walking, cycling and running. The Mariposa Road Grove located in Yosemite National Park is an often travelled two-mile path that is open from April through November. You need not complete the whole of the walk as you can easily do a short section of it. From the top of the hills, on a clear day, you get magnificent views.
Southwest Trails
The Piney Canyon Road in Arizona, South Boundary Trail in New Mexico, and Flume Trail in Nevada are some of the best trails in the Southwest. Grand Canyon is a must and you will be left breathless at the sight of the magnificent cliffs which rise to an unimaginable height from the depths of the gorge. This world famous beauty spot is also a National Park Reserve and is an international center for caving and climbing.
The Southwest is quickly becoming a popular spot for the sport. Some of the best mountain biking trails in the Southwest are the Pinery Canyon Road in Arizona, South Boundary Trail in New Mexico, and Flume Trail in Nevada. All of these trails deserve their reputations as tough challenges that are well worth the hard work for the scenic ride. Each of these trails is over 20 miles long, with Pinery Canyon Road being the longest at 50 miles. Of course, people don’t have to ride the entire trail.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous you can take a beginners course in caving and climbing where you will delve deep into and above the Hills. This is not for the faint hearted as you will be crawling through tight spaces and hanging off rock faces up to sixty feet above ground.
You could of course visit nearby caves which are more family orientated. Inside these splendid caverns you will see underground pools, waterfalls and an impressive display of stalactites.
While these trails are over 20 miles long, even new mountain bikers will enjoy them. You can ride as much of the trail as you want to. There is no pressure, for example, to complete the 50 miles of rough terrain at Piney Canyon. This is the last park in the string of parks located along the Provo River corridor. Its four manicured acres are covered with grass and trees and has plenty of parking.
Big Springs Park serves as a trail-head for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and motorcycling on the adjacent National Forest land, including the Great Western Trail. It is a popular spot for group meetings, end-of-school-year outings, astronomy clubs, and family gatherings because of its large pavilions, shade trees, and green grass.
Pacific Northwest Trails
Some of my personal favorites are in the Pacific Northwest. Surveyor’s Ridge in Oregon, Mount Tamalpais in California, and the Methow Trail System in Washington are both beautiful and relaxing while offering a challenging workout. Pretty much the entire American West is a great place for a mountain biking vacation.
Surveyers Ridge Trail is truly aggressive trail with short climbs and descents throughout. Technical rocky sections, open alpine meadows, and unparalleled views of Mt. Hood. The 12.4 mile trail has a average grade of 4% with a maximum of 19%.
Methow Valley is filled with superb mountain bike trails with everything from smooth dirt tracks to high alpine trails. The highlight to this trail is a 9 mile stretch of long, singletrack that takes you along the ridgeline of Buck Mountain. Entire loop is 13 miles in length with about 60% of the ride being singletrack.
California Trails
California Mountain biking can offer you all the pleasure of real biking drama. You will feel the adventure from the moment you begin your ride. While riding, you will not only enjoy the scenic beauty of Californian landscapes but also taste the excitement of mountain biking.
Mountain Biking At Its Best In California
Let us find out what is so special about mountain biking in California. Biking here is wonderful especially up and down the coast. San Luis Obispo County is the place where biking is immensely popular. You will find that the trails are not only better but also diverse and the best part is that this place is less crowded. These are just the ideal ingredients that can make your ride even more fascinating. You will be fascinated with the uneven old roads that run deep into calm mountains and if thats not enough then you can also try your hands at some technical tracks.
It is a fact that San Luis Obispo County is quite known for its diverse topography. Well, some moderately flat coastal roads, gentle climbs, and of course a mass of extinct volcanoes adds that bit of variety to the terrain.When it comes to scenic beauty then hold your breath for the Valencia Peak out of Montana de Oro State Park that boasts awesome views of the ocean, coast, Morro Bay as well as the Chorro Valley. While riding on the Santa Lucia Mountains, you can take a loop round western town of Pozo through Navajo Canyon.
California Bike Tours
Now, you can fetch your bike here and begin mountain biking all by yourself. Setting up your own tour is one option while the other is to indulge in a customized bike tour. The tour operators make sure that their local expertise and experience can see you through your tour successfully. They may also cater a package including lodging and transportation.
Californian bike tours witness countless riders each year. It is true that having a ride along the beautiful coast here is quite irresistible. And the benevolent weather, thanks to the Mediterranean climate, the long distance ride is a thousand times more enchanting. The rural roads here are present with no traffic at all, making it much easier for you to venture into the forests, meadows or vineyards. You can also feast your eyes at the beach towns and seaside agricultural areas while riding.
Much to the convenience of the Mountain bikers, Mammoth Mountain in California’s Eastern Sierras is one of the many ski resorts here. You will find extensive trail network that is well maintained.
Considerations
Few things which should be kept in mind and some prerequisites to have good bikes ride are as follows:
- Decide upon the place where you want to ride and get aware of the physical terrain and weather condition of that place. Before leaving, get prepared for any kind of emergency.
- If you planning for a long distance ride, then set smaller goals and let everybody in the group know about the checkpoints.
- The right kind of food is quite essential for the body especially for biking. So try to include a meal full of carbohydrates before getting started. Take plenty of fluids and snacks for the route in order to avoid muscle cramps and dehydration.
- Warm up the muscles and the body beforehand. Stretching up the hamstrings, lower back, knees and shoulder will be good for the long run.
- Take breaks after a few kilometers, and while resting, do not stand still, try to walk around and do the stretches. Hold the stretch for at least thirty seconds to shun cramps.
- And now the most important thing, enjoy and have fun while riding.
Site seeing can be wonderful in the lap of nature while biking. Cycling on a rail trail could be amazing. A rail trail is a former path for trains which now have been removed. Riding through that path allows you to see the priceless natural scenes.
People go for a bike trip to explore new locations and routes which is quite interesting and mind refreshing. Biking is not all about speeding to a destination. There are a number of websites on the internet which can guide the bikers to discover new places.
Proper Biking Gear
Dress with multiple layers of bike-wear or outdoor sports type clothes. On cold days this is 4 or more layers. A breathable base layer, mid layer, softshell, and waterproof & wind-proof jacket. If it is really cold, you may require more layers, so always carry an extra one in your rucksack. It is better to be too warm, than cold.
Wear good waterproof & wind-proof gloves, again preferably biking gloves. These are designed to keep out the wind, wet and keep your hands warm. Many of them have soft thumb patches for helping to wipe sweat or water from your face.
If you don’t have them, a good investment is waterproof socks. These are really essential for mountain biking in the winter, unless the ground is bone dry. To retain extra warmth, they can be enhanced with an extra pair underneath if your biking shoes allow.
If you have overshoes wear these too.When the weather is cold, any uncovered part of the body will lose heat, so whilst the adage that you lose 40% of your body heat from your head is false, the reality is, that if you dress warmly but leave your head uncovered, you will feel cold.
All that you need is a thin beany-type hat, or a specialist biking hat which fits under or over your helmet. NEVER ride without a helmet.
GoPro helmet mounts, bike mounts and chest mounts are used to capture your adventures while mountain biking. For stable videos you can use a GoPro Gimbal. This review site that can assist with selecting the best GoPro Gimbal.
In very cold conditions, you may also wish to use a bike scarf or similar item to protect any exposure of your neck.
Other Destinations
There are biking holidays in the UK, in European countries, even in Asia, Africa and Latin America. If you’re after truly exotic locations, look into a route that could take you on a scenic journey through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Or take a trip through the Red River Valley, get to know the natives who live along the tour route, and sample a genuine taste of Vietnamese culture.
Canada also has some amazing biking locations in British Columbia, so don’t miss out on the chance to have fun while visiting Vancouver. There are a incredible trails all around North Vancouver. World renowned trails are located on Blackcomb and Whistler mountains. If you and your loved ones are adventurous and able-bodied enough, this could be an extremely memorable trip.
Final Thoughts
Never underestimate the fun you can have when traveling with your loved ones, and don’t pass up the chance to turn your quality time together into mountain bike holidays. In fact, why not make biking holidays an annual family affair?
Speed and distance are the two different criteria for long distance biking. In case you are not a professional biker, then focus on distance first of all and then on speed.As the biking sounds fun, relaxing and is also inexpensive at the same time. But before you start, it is important to get in shape.
Riding a long distance requires the right mental stamina and leg power along with some shoulder strength to keep you upright to be able to carry to the distance. Each one of us may not be good bikers as some are. It becomes important to prepare the body and mind for riding the distance.
Select a favorite location to turn into a scenic spot for a regular family reunion, or sample different locations yearly with your free-spirited friends!