A First Time Visitors Guide to Angel Fire Bike Park

Angle Fire Bike Park is located in the small mountain town of Angel Fire, New Mexico.

You may be surprised to learn that the base of the lifts is at 8,600 ft and the top of the mountain is at 10,676 ft. Yes, you’ll be riding the lifts up instead of pedaling, but give yourself time to acclimate to the elevation. You’ll be feeling it!

The town of Angel Fire is really small and aside from a few small restaurants and a grocery store, there’s really not much there. The closest town is Taos, which is about 45 minutes away, so stock up there if you need/want anything special.

Angel fire bike park map

Angel Fire is a pretty easy bike park to navigate and get around. There is only one lift, the high-speed Chile Express which takes you to the top of the mountain. From the top, you can either descend down the ride side or the left side back to the base.

Click on the map below to zoom in on trails.

Bike Park Tickets & Season Passes

Lift tickets can be purchased in person at the ticket window or you can buy them online in advance. Discounts are given to kids under 15 years old, military personnel (active or retired), and seniors.

You can also buy a 4-pack pass for a slight discount (these passes cannot be shared but they’re good for the whole season). 

If you know you’ll be visiting Angel Fire Bike Park for more than 7 days, you’ll probably want to get a Gravity Pass which gives you full access to the bike park and hiking trails for the entire season.

With the Gravity Pass, you also get four 50% off buddy passes for your friends. Special pricing is available if you buy your Gravity Pass before opening day.

Safety at Angel Fire bike park

Safety first right? Thankfully, Angel Fire takes safety very seriously and has a number of policies and procedures in place to make sure everyone has a great time and stays safe.

• Helmets are mandatory. Obviously
• Bike patrollers are on the mountain during lift operating hours
• There are 6 designated hubs across the mountain that help keep you oriented
• You can call (575) 377-4383 if you have an emergency or get lost

Angel Fire Bike Park Trail Guide

Trail Breakdown

With almost 40 miles of trail at Angel Fire Bike Park, there is fun for everyone.

The trails are rated on a progression scale from Easiest to Pro’s-only starting with Easy Street and ending with Graveyard.

Additionally, the trails are broken down into categories: Technical and Freeride. The technical trails are mostly natural with few to no manmade features while the freeride trails have jumps, drops, and other ‘freeride’ features.

The 8 Best Trails At Angel Fire Bike Park

There are a lot of great trails at Angel Fire, but here are my top recommendations to get you started:

Duchess

I’m actually surprised Duchess is rated green/easy because it’s pretty raw and rough. Maybe they’ve don’t some work to it since I was last at Angel Fire.

Anyway, Duchess is a skinny old-school line through the trees with a few squeaky handlebar squeezes. There are some steep sections and since it doesn’t get the healing touch of machines, it can get pretty roughed up and rooty throughout the season. If you like old-school, you’ll like Duchess.

DIESEL/TURBO DIESEL

These two trails are almost parallel to each other and they’re very similar. They both have huge berms, small kickers and jumps off to the side, and plenty of flow.

They are super popular, so expect some brake bumps, but they’re two of the best trails on the mountain.

JAZZ HANDS/Smooth jazz

Jazz Hands (previously Lower Boogie) is a super fun and fast flow trail through the trees. There are bermed turns, some tabletops, and a few little drops to keep things interesting (and one big ramp drop if you link into the bottom of Pinball).

It’s a great trail for beginners and intermediates and a fun way to finish a run back to the chairlift.

BOULDER DASH

Boulder Dash may just be Angel Fire’s pride and joy. It’s one long jump line with tons of tabletops where you can go big, medium, or small. So basically it’s fun for everyone.

Boulder Dash is also one of the longest descents at the park, so if you do it in full your legs will be burning by the time you get to the bottom.

Lemonade

While Boulder Dash may be the gold star of Angel Fire for many riders, I personally prefer Lemonade.

It’s still an intro jump line with big berms and tabletops, but it sees less traffic and therefore receives less wear and tear.

It’s also fassst, which is kinda my thing. If you want a step up from Lemonade, try Hungry Hippo.

Angel’s Plunge

Angel’s Plunge has the most varied terrain on the mountain and it’s probably my favorite trail on the mountain.

It’s a bit pedal to get to the start (a hike-a-bike if you’re on a DH bike) and unlike a lot of the other smooth and bermed trails at the park, Angel’s Plunge is chundery, rocky, and rough with stretches of flow thrown in.

Expect a long descent through the trees with some kickers and natural rock features on the sides.

The bottom section will test your bike handling skills through a few tight sections and rugged terrain.

Devinci’s Code

Not everyone is going to love Devinci’s Code, but I think it’s awesome. It’s more old school and raw rather than new school and smooth, but I dig that.

There are some tight hairpin turns, several steep pitches including the drop-in, and a few wooden ramp features that will probably have you slamming on the brakes.

Chutes & Ladders

Chutes & Ladders is rated as an ‘easier’ advanced trail on the Angel Fire Bike Park map, but I definitely think it’s harder than that.

There are some features on Chutes & Ladders that could end your day if you aren’t on your game.

That being said, it’s probably one of the most engaging and fun trails on the mountain. There are wooden ramps, wall rides, bridges, drops, skinnies, and other man-made features.

Your first three runs

Need someplace to start? Here are three great first runs for Angel Fire Bike Park:

1. Boulder Dash Run

Beginner/Intermediate

• Ziggy – From the top of the chairlift, take the short traverse on Ziggy over to the start of Turbo Diesel
• Turbo Diesel – Get your flow on! Turbo Diesel is fast and fun with lots of big bermed turns and small kickers to the side.
• Boulder Dash – Take Turbo Diesel up a notch with bigger berms, bigger jumps, and bigger fun on Boulder Dash.

2. Angel’s plunge

Intermediate

• Angel’s Plunge – It’s a bit of a pedal and a slight uphill to get to the start of Angel’s Plunge, but it’s worth it!
• Jazz Hands – Angel’s Plunge will link you right into Jazz Hands, which is a really fast, fun, flowy section of singletrack.
• Smooth Jazz – Continue on to Smooth Jazz back to the lift.

3. Chutes & Ladders

Advanced

• Ziggy – Traverse across Ziggy to the start of Diesel.
• Diesel – Flow down Diesel.
• Easy Street – Follow Easy Street to Sierra.
• Sierra – Take Sierra to Transition.
• Transition – Chutes & Ladders is off Transition
• Chutes & Ladders – There are some big features on this trail. Always look before you send!

Things To do Outside Of Angel Fire Bike Park

If you want to make the most out of your trip to Angel Fire, here are a few non-bike park things to do in the area.

Relax at Ojo Caliente

I was really hoping to visit the beautiful and relaxing Ojo Caliente spa on our recent trip to Angel Fire, but… Coronavirus. Obviously, they were closed so I didn’t get to soak in their mineral hot springs or treat myself to a massage, but guaranteed that will happen next time!

Ojo Caliente is a small boutique spa and hotel located about an hour and a half from Angel Fire. You can opt to stay overnight in one of their beautiful suites or just visit for a few hours to soak in one of their half-dozen pools. There’s also a restaurant and walking trails throughout the property.

Visit Cimarron Canyon State Park

Depending on which way you drive to Angel Fire, you may pass through Cimarron Canyon State Park. It’s located on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway just outside of Eagle Nest north of Angel Fire.

The Canyon itself is beautiful with towering cliff walls and a lazy river running at the base. There is hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming within the park making it a great place to relax on a rest day!

Ride the South Boundary IMBA Epic Trail or Lost Lake Loop

The 21-mile South Boundary IMBA Epic Trail is a great ride to add to your Angel Fire Bike Park trip if you’re in the area for more than a few days. The South Boundary Trail requires a shuttle and the ride takes anywhere from 2-4 hours. It’s not all downhill, though – be prepared for almost 2,000ft of climbing and a lot of pedally cross-country!

The last four miles are pretty rough and steep DH (which I think is fun, but might not be everyone’s cup of tea 🙂 If you have the option, ride the South Boundary Trail in the fall when the aspen leaves are golden.

You could also do the Lost Lake Loop for a stunning (and challenging) ride. Start by climbing for a few miles on a fire road then traverse along East Fork before heading down to Lost Lake.

Explore Taos

Taos is a super cute and artsy town just 45 minutes from Angel Fire. There are tons of little cafes (definitely hit up Manzanita Market for breakfast or lunch and Chokola for a real-deal chocolate treat!) as well as endless shopping opportunities if that’s your scene.

If you’re into museums there’s the Kit Carson Museum, Harwood Museum of Art, and Taos Art Museum at Fechin House.

Go wine tasting

There are actually several wineries surrounding Taos and Angel Fire. There’s Black Mesa Winery in nearby Velarde and La Chiripada and Vivac Wineries both in Dixon. Black Mesa Winery and La Chiripada wineries also have tasting rooms in Taos.

Each winery is only 10 minutes apart and about an hour from Angel Fire so they’re easily visited in one afternoon. Just remember to rehydrate before you head back to the bike park!

Check out Rio Grande Norte National Monument

Last, but not least, the Rio Grande Norte National Monument. Designated a National Monument by former President Barack Obama in 2013, the Rio Grande is a stunning sector of land composed of volcanic cones, open plains, an 800-foot deep gorge, and towering mountains in the distance.

Probably the most iconic feature of the National Monument is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. There’s a ton to do in the National Monument including dozens of hikes, white water rafting, or, if you’re in need of a rest day, you can simply drive through and enjoy the scenery!

Final thoughts

Angel Fire Bike Park in New Mexico is one of my favorite downhill bike parks due to its awesome trails, 2,000 ft vertical drop, beautiful scenery, and laid-back vibes.

If you’re thinking about planning a trip – do it! You won’t be disappointed 🙂