Tourfolio

The sport of mountain biking, defined by the masses, mostly involves riding off-road, requiring endurance, repairing broken bikes, replacing flat tires and the possibility to break a few bones. I’d have to agree that the sport can involve all of this but mountain bikers can also be rewarded with some awe-inspiring scenery due to the off-road nature of the sport. The list I’ve put together showcases six of the most scenic trails within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Trail 401 (Crested Butte, Colorado)

The scenery on this trail can only be described as ’spectacular’. The trail is located a few miles north of Crested Butte, Colorado. Overlooking the valley of the East River you will be able to see the the old mining town of Gothic that staged a come back as a tourist town due to outdoor activities (e.g., mountain biking, hiking, etc…). On your climb to the highest point on this trail (approximately 3460 meters or 11,350 feet), you will be rewarded with amazing views of the mountains and alpine wildflowers.

Porcupine Rim (Moab, Utah)

This is one trail that is going to require some advanced technical skills to enjoy the surroundings of Moab. On the trail you can admire the view into Castle Valley (to the north), including the spires made of wingate sandstone on the maroon mudstone beds which are about 220,000,000 years old. Some pretty awesome natural creations to gaze your eyes on while riding your mountain bike.

Buffalo Creek Trail (Buffalo Creek Colorado)

This trail is located about an hour west of Denver, Colorado making it an easy trip from downtown to enjoy some of the great scenery in Colorado. If you have the chance to ride this trail, you will be greeted with views of the majestic mountains, some intense rock formations and a few spots of barren landscape that nature is rebuilding after a few forest fires.

Sea to Sky Corridor (British Columbia, Canada)

Stunning views of British Columbia with new trails and improvements being made each year, how can you go wrong? The name of this corridor derives from the fact of the mountains meeting the Pacific Ocean. If you venture out on these trails you will enjoy thundering waterfalls, coastal inlets, steep granite walls and glaciers.

Alafia River State Park (Brandon, Florida)

Once the site of an old phosphate mine but now reclaimed for enjoyment of mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians, campers and bird-watchers. Being an old mining location, there are various elevation changes that offer a change of pace from surrounding environment. Lakes are scattered throughout the park offering some picturesque photograph opportunities along with rolling hills, pine flatwoods and mixed hardwood.

Copper Canyon (Creel, Mexico)

Copper Canyon is famously known as the home of the Tarahumara Indian tribe located in northwestern Mexico. If you are not familiar with the Tarahumara, they are mostly known for their endurance. If you are familiar with them then you already probably read Christoper McDougall’sbook Born to Run. You might need to match the endurance of the Tarahumara for some parts of this trail system but will be rewarded with some amazing views of the local tribes along with regional flora. It’s also important to note that some parts of this canyon are larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon in the United States.

If you are looking to get into mountain biking, be sure to check out SingleTracks.com as the community is beyond helpful and will answer all your questions about the sport.