Electric Hills: “Shockingly” Good Mountain Biking in Montrose, Colorado
During a recent solo van trip through northern New Mexico and Colorado, I found myself heading toward Crested Butte a little too quickly. Phil’s World was blazing hot, Purgatory Bike Park was closed, and I wasn’t meeting up with friends for a few more days. I needed a place to post up, ideally somewhere with good riding.
I’d already spent two solid days on the awesome RAT Trails in Ridgway, so I pulled up TrailForks to see what else was nearby. I thought Electric Hills, just outside Montrose looked interesting. I’d never heard of it and none of my riding buddies had either. But the trail descriptions sounded promising, so I decided to check it out.
Holy moly, am I glad I did.
Electric Hills blew me away. It’s easily one of my favorite new (to me) trail systems I’ve ridden recently. It reminded me a bit of Sedona, with red dirt, chunky but rideable rock features, fast-rolling singletrack, and a mix of juniper and oak forests. Add in expansive views, two days’ worth of trails, free camping near the trailhead, and a well-stocked town just down the road? It was kind of perfect.
If you’re passing through western Colorado and want a low-key, high-reward spot to ride for a couple days, Electric Hills should be on your radar. Here’s everything you need to know.
Quick Tips
For mountain biking Electric Hill in Montrose, CO
TWW Take
Please note that these are my personal opinions – you may argue otherwise! And if so, state your case (politely) in the comments 🙂
Fun-ness Factor
Trail Variety
Average Difficulty
What I like about Electric Hills
What I don’t
Planning your Electric Hills rides
Best trails to hit
All of them! They each have their own uniqueness and I thought they were all great. Here were my favorites, though.
- Ohmward Bound (intermediate)
- Amp Ridge (intermediate+)
- Shock Therapy (advanced)
- Rolling Blackout (advanced)
Tip: If you can, spend two days here so you can ride all the trails. They’re all worth a go!
Route recommendations
- Electric Hills Blues (intermediate) – If you want flow and a bit of challenging tech, this is a great intermediate loop that links together the blue trails.
- Electric Hills Day 1 (advanced) – This is a great first ride at Electric Hills. Watch yourself on Rolling Blackout – there’s some exposure!
- Electric Hills Day 2 (advanced) – another great ride to finish out the trails. Shock Treatment is a a bit easier than Rolling Blackout, but still has some good exposure.
Electric Hills Trail Map
FAQs for riding Electric Hills
Got questions? I’ve got answers! Here are some helpful tips for riding Electric Hills outside of Montrose, Colorado.
Need gear recs?
Head over to my gear closet! I’m always testing out new pieces of bike gear and if I really like them, they earn a place on this page.
Electric Hills wasn’t even on my radar when I set out on this trip, but it ended up being one of the highlights for me. The trails are fun, varied, and uncrowded, the camping is easy, and Montrose makes a super convenient base. So whether you’re passing through or looking for a new spot to explore in western Colorado, I definitely recommend giving Electric Hills a go. Sometimes the unplanned stops turn out to be the best ones!
Have you heard of the Electric Hills trails outside of Montrose? Have you ridden them? Are they on your bike-it list? Leave a comment!
Thank you for the Electric Hills review. I’ve been riding Buzzard Gulch and Spring Canyon nearby for 40 years. I tried Electric Hills once but I got on the wrong trail and it was too technical for me. Your review convinced me to try it again as soon as I rebuild my rear shock.
Definitely check it out again – I really loved it and was surprised at how well-built the trails are. The black-rated trails do have some tech and exposure, but there’s plenty there in addition to those. I’ll have to check out Buzzard Gulch and Spring Canyon next time I’m in Colorado!