Biking & Cycling

There are many good reasons why Utah is world famous for its bike riding, both cycling and mountain. First, and foremost, Utah abounds with landscapes, which provide epic scenery and trails, which come with a plethora of natural features, from forest-lined single track reaching ever skyward through scrub oak, to Aspen groves, on through dense pine past alpine lakes and meadows, and finally along barren summits kissing the atmosphere. Many of these are within a 35 minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Other trails follow rollercoaster-like sandstone through strange deserts, in gorges, past monoliths, mesas, domes, and plateaus filling the senses with a perspective on time, an intuition on how many millions of years this alien-like landscape must have taken to form to its present visage, but you've got to pay attention to your wheels. Canyons and curves and distance and whoops up and down and whip around a bend demand your focus. In the end, you absorb this place and get a craving for it, which will likely bring you back time and again.

Cycling in Utah through one of our five National Parks, our thousands of miles of scenic backways and byways, in the high desert or through majestic mountains beckons any rider with a love for spectacular scenery, and lonely roadways in curvy canyons or wide open expanse with endless sky. Utah's five geographic regions each contain geologic gifts, which have made this such an attractive place for bike riding. In Northern and and Eastern Utah is the Middle Rocky Mountain region. Here, are plentiful trails, many of which are less than an hour from Utah's population hub of two million people, the Greater Salt Lake Metro Area, and the Salt Lake City International Airport. In this region, a cyclist could ride through Antelope Island State Park along the Great Salt Lake, bison peering from a distance, or on the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway through the High Uintas, a place of grandeur and beauty dotted with seemingly endless high alpine lakes, color and wildlife. A cyclist's potential hitlist of fantastic and wonderful rides goes on and on in Northern Utah. The mountain biking opportunities of Northern Utah are chock full of some of the best trails in the state. Mueller Park Trail, the Pipeline and Dog Lake Trails in Millcreek Canyon, and Salt Lake City's most famous ride, The Wasatch Crest Trail are just a few of what the locals consider "Must Ride Classics." There are entire books devoted to all of the incredible mountain bike riding opportunities in Northern Utah.

Southeastern Utah, contains part of the largest physigraphic province in the state, the Colorado Plateau. This area is home to, perhaps, the most famous mountain bike trail in the world, the Slickrock Trail.  Originally created in 1969 by motocross motorcycle enthusiasts, this trail has become world famous for its sandstone surface, which is actually not "slick" at all. Slickrock has become commonly known as any sandstone surface that is level enough for walking or bike riding. The surface of slickrock is actually much more akin to something like sandpaper. It affords bikes excellent traction for climbing and descending its rollercoaster shaped formations. The sandstone of the Slickrock Trail is, in fact, remnants of petrified sand dunes and ancient seabeds. This Trail is one of the more difficult trails of the area and is not suitable for novice riders. However, there are scores of other trails in the area suitable for riders of all abilities. Not only are the trails themselves an attraction for mountain bikers in this area, but the bizarre and beautiful desert backdrop of deep gorges, wind-carved arches, natural bridges, and the La Sal Mountain Range, which crowns this biblical like setting with snowcapped peaks, and rise to more than 13,000 feet above sea-level.

Visitor Information Centers across the state carry area-specific cycling information and maps. Cycling suggestions covered in this section represent only a sampling of the routes and terrain opportunities available for bicycle exploration. Click here for a printable one-sheeter with additional information. For more information and for comprehensive listings of popular trails, check out the following:

• utahmountainbiking.com is a comprehensive statewide listing of trail maps and rides, including bookstore and bike maintenance tips.
• cyclingutah.com is a listing of bicycle shops, tours, festivals, races and events, including trail maps, forums and advocacy groups.
• bicycleutah.com is a resource for locating biking guides.

Call the Utah Office of Tourism hotline at (800) 200-1160 for a free Outdoor Utah Adventure Guide with a comprehensive statewide listing of popular trails in the state.