Ely, Nevada is a small, historic mining town located in the eastern part of the state near Great Basin National Park. What most people don’t know about Ely, though, is that it’s home to some great mountain biking.
I recently spent a few days exploring the trails and networks around Ely and came away pretty darn impressed with what I saw. I was also excited to learn about all the plans for future trail building and development that are already in the works for the next 5+ years.
Ely may not be known as a world-class mountain biking mecca, but it certainly should be on your radar if you’re looking for a unique, up-and-coming destination with lots of great riding and potential. There are also lots of unique and interesting things to do around Ely like ride the Nevada Northern Railroad, visit ghost towns, and more!
Read on to start planning your Ely, Nevada mountain biking trip.
Thank you to White Pine County Tourism & Recreation for hosting me!
Why Mountain bike in Ely?
Close your eyes and conjure up an image of Nevada in your head. Go ahead, do it! You probably envisioned either the bright lights of Las Vegas or Reno or a vast expanse of sage brush-studded desert with dry, rocky mountains in the distance.
Now scrap all that and picture a small western town surrounded by 11,000-foot peaks, pinyon-juniper forests, a quaint main street filled with colorful mural art, and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure – that’s Ely, Nevada.
It’s definitely not the Nevada most people picture in their minds.
But what about mountain biking? It’s great, too! And it’s just going to keep getting better. Over the past few years, there’s been a big push by the White Pine Tourism Board – thanks in part to Kyle Horvath, who I had the pleasure of getting to know during my visit – to expand recreation in White Pine County, including Ely.
The town has received thousands of dollars in grants to build new trails, update old ones, and maintain what they already have. There are currently about 70 miles of trail already in place and ready to ride with 40+ more miles planned out over the next 5+ years.
In addition to great riding, Ely also has some awesome camping – both in paid campgrounds and free dispersed sites – as well as a number of fun and unique things to do around town to make the most of your visit (See ‘Other Things To Do in Ely’ below).
One final reason to plan a visit to Ely is its location. Ely sits on highway 50 near Great Basin National Park and it’s a convenient place to stop on your way to bigger mountain bike destinations such as Las Vegas, Hurricane/St. George, Salt Lake City, Moab, and Sedona.
Important Things to Know
Before I dive into the mountain biking in Ely, here are a few important things to know:
Trail Networks & route Recommendations
Ely has four main mountain bike trail networks. I’ve listed them in order of relative difficulty with Ice Plant being the easiest and Squaw Peak being the hardest.
- Ice Plant
- Ward Mountain
- Cave Lake State Park
- Squaw Peak
1. Ice Plant
Ice Plant is the trail network closest to town and is home to some of the best mountain biking in Ely, especially if you don’t want to work too hard for your downhill reward.
The trails here are mellow and slowly gain elevation until you hit the steeper slopes of Ward Mountain where you can then turn back around for a fun, fast descent.
The local kids love this area because there are lots of features to play around on like little kickers, drops, berms, and whoops (The Whoops trail is a must!).
Ice Plant Route recommendation
>> Figure 8 Loop
There’s not a whole lot of elevation gain or loss at Ice Plant, but the trails have some super fun features like rollercoaster whoops on The Whoops, drops and kickers, a few man-made obstacles, and more. This loop is great for kids or to do if you’re short on time.
Route directions: Ice Plant Parking > Ice Plant > Badger Hole > Upper Slalom > Tin Pan Alley > Ice Plant > The Whoops
Do more: The Ice Plant trails connect into the Ward Mountain trails, so if you want to extend your ride, you can keep climbing up Ice Plant either to Mid-Mountain Cut-off or alllll the way to the top where you can then descend down Total BS which is super fun. Be prepared for a hefty climb, though!
2. Ward mountain
Above Ice Plant are the Ward Mountain trails, which can be accessed via the Ward Mountain Campground or shuttling up Ski Hill Road.
For a nice warm-up pedal, the 5-mile G-Loop is a good intro to Ely mountain biking before tackling some of the higher-up terrains.
I will say that, currently, a shuttle is kind of necessary if you want to do longer descents off of Ward Mountain. The trails Powderberry, Tokey-Dokey, and Total BS all end near town, and you either need to pedal back to your car (which would be a hefty climb) or take a second shuttle vehicle back up.
There are plans to expand the Ward Mountain trails in the next few years, so this will add more options for non-shuttled rides.
Ward Mountain Route recommendation
>> G Loop
The G Loop on Ward Mountain is an easy, mellow warm-up ride and a good introduction to Ely mountain biking, especially if you aren’t used to the elevation. There’s a short grunt of a climb at the start, but then it mellows out into rolling singletrack before ending a fun, fast descent back to the parking area.
Route directions: Ward Mountain Recreation Area Parking > Ward H Loop (or G Loop) > G Loop > Rope Tow > Making Pancakes > Powderberry Divide
Make it easier: If you prefer machine-built trails over old-school tracks, you’ll enjoy the descent down Total BS more. This will spit you out at Ice Plant where you can then take The Whoops back to town.
Make it shorter: If you start at Ward Mountain Campground as this route suggests, there’s a bit of a grinding climb at the start. You can skip this first climb by parking at Ward Mountain Parking instead. You’ll still need to climb up Rope Tow Flow and Making Pancakes, but this will cut off about 560 ft of initial climbing.
Ward Mountain Route recommendation
>> G Loop to Powderberry Divide
This is a shuttled ride, so you will need two vehicles. Powderberry Divide is a steep, loose descent off of Ward Mountain with lots of tight switchbacks. It’s definitely the most challenging trail in this network, but doable if you like raw terrain and loose riding. There are a few log drops/rollers, but no overly technical features aside from loose terrain. Did I mention that it’s loose?
Route directions: Ward Mountain Recreation Area Parking > Ward H Loop (or G Loop) > G Loop > Rope Tow > Making Pancakes > Powderberry Divide
Make it easier: If you prefer machine-built trails over old-school tracks, you’ll enjoy the descent down Total BS more. This will spit you out at Ice Plant where you can then take The Whoops back to town.
Make it shorter: If you start at Ward Mountain Campground as this route suggests, there’s a bit of a grinding climb at the start. You can skip this first climb by parking at Ward Mountain Parking instead. You’ll still need to climb up Rope Tow Flow and Making Pancakes, but this will cut off about 560 ft of initial climbing.
3. Cave Lake
If you only have one day to ride in Ely, spend it at Cave Lake. The trails here are a great mix of cross-country pedaling, stiff climbs, and super fun, flowy descents. The views are also amazing!
There are even two campgrounds at Cave Lake where you can base yourself from and don’t forget your bathing suit so you can take a dip in the reservoir post-ride.
Ward Mountain Route recommendation
>> Tour de Cave Lake
If you only have a day to ride in Ely, this is the ride to do. There is some stout climbing, but the views and descent down Twisted Pines at the end make the grind absolutely worth it.
It’s best to ride High Roller counterclockwise unless you’re up for some steep switchbacked climbing.
Route directions: Lower Cave Lake Parking > Success Summit Rd (or Steptoe Creek Trail, but it’s nice to spin the legs on the road before climbing) > Fire Road 574 > Cave Overlook Loop > Twisted Pines > High Roller (counterclockwise) > High Roller/Overlook Connector > Twisted Pines
Make it shorter: To cut off about 3 miles and a lot of climbing, you can skip the High Roller Loop and just continue on Twisted Pines back to the parking area.
4. Squaw Peak
Looking to get rowdy? Squaw Peak on the other side of town from Ward Mountain has several raw, rugged DH lines that are great for riders who like loose, old-school trails with rocky features and plenty of chunder. They are definitely not for the beginner or even intermediate-level rider.
These trails are a bit challenging to access because the only road to the top of the mountain (West Squaw Peak Access Road) is quite steep and washed out in places and should only be attempted in a high clearance, 4×4 vehicle. Seriously. These trails are also not marked at all and not ridden as much as the other Ely trails, so trail-finding can be a challenge.
Note: I have not included a route recommendation for the Squaw Peak trails for several reasons: first, the road up is seriously rugged and requires a 4×4 high clearance vehicle, and second, these trails are for experienced DH riders only. If this sounds like you, Whorehouse Downhill and Rob’s Knob are super fun!
Best Time to ride Ely
Since Ely is situated at 6,500 ft and the trails are above town, it’s one of the few mountain bike destinations in Nevada that is great for summer riding. For spring, trails typically melt out around mid-to-late April and can be ridden late into September or October.
I rode in Ely during late May and the temps were perfect and the landscape was super green and beautiful.
If you’re looking for a challenge, head to Ely in June to participate in the Fears, Tears, and Beers race. It’s the oldest Enduro mountain bike race in the US and a day to remember for sure!
Ely Mountain Bike Shops
There is currently one bike shop in Ely – Sportsworld. While it’s not biking-specific, they do have a mechanic available and they sell a good selection of spare parts and gear.
Where to Eat & Drink in Ely
Despite its size and remote location, Ely actually has some great places to eat and drink.
Where to stay in Ely
Ely Camping
There is both free dispersed camping in Ely and paid campgrounds. The paid sites are:
For free dispersed camping around Ely, there are numerous fire roads on Forest Service land that have dispersed sites. Ski Hill Road, which is the shuttle road for the Ward Mountain trails, has several sites.
Ely bike-friendly hotels
I stayed in the Jailhouse Motel during my visit to Ely and it was simple but clean and quiet. They have non-smoking, ground-floor rooms, comfortable beds, and great water pressure in the showers!
Jailhouse is also home to the Cellblock Steakhouse and a small casino if you feel like trying your luck at the machines.
Other Things to do in Ely, Nevada
If you have some time to spend in or around Ely, there’s actually quite a bit to do despite its small size:
RELATED POSTS
Nevada is one of the most underrated states. Did you know it has more mountain ranges than any other state, including Alaska?! It’s also home to some great mountain biking. Plan your next trip with these Nevada biking blog posts:
What questions do you still have about Ely, Nevada mountain biking? Did you know Nevada had this kind of landscape? Leave a comment below!
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Just rode at Cave Lake today, my second visit there. Love the place.
Definitely recommend parking at the first parking area, although you’ll need to go up to the campground to pay the day use fee.
This time I added in Cave Springs Loop to start with; longer ride up the dirt road and then onto the trail. I’ll admit it was marked “Closed to Motor Vehicles – foot & horse travel permitted”, but then had a sign for “No ATV”. I figured I’m foot powered, and do less damage than a horse, so I went for it. First 1/2 mile was a bit of hike-a-bike, but after that it was a fun warmup for the main loop.
Second year now that they’re working on the dam with the lake drained. Looks much better now though, might be finished before winter and have a lake again next year!
The long climb is SO worth it for the 5 miles of downhill on High Roller to Twisted Pines. Benefit of parking low is you exit right at your vehicle.
Cave Lake is one of my favorites! There’s definitely some climbing and the trails aren’t exactly manicured, but I think it has some of the best riding in Nevada. Have you been over to Ice Plant?
Thank you for this post. I would have never thought of riding Ely without it. We stopped there a couple nights on the way back to Prescott from NorCal via Downieville. I rode Cave Lake and Iceplant. Both rides were outstanding! The downhills on Twisted Pines and Iceplant/Whoops were some of the best flow I have ridden, and they had just enough surprises to keep it interesting.
That’s so awesome to hear! I really loved exploring Ely – glad you loved the trails as much as I did 🙂
we were disappointed in the Ely trails. Riding up ftom the campground, the lower trails were just toads. The upper trails were pretty featureless getting up to the shuttke drop off point. The ends of some trails were poorly designed (i.e. they took you down to a jeep toad and then up it to get to the next trail when it could have stayed off road at the same elevation as the stsrt of the next trail).
Any features were man made, the tread is loose and horses have loosened it more, sections will not be fun if it becomes popular with horses. The whole trail system at Ward seems to be geared for shuttling. I guess it is easy to criticize after coming from Bend, Klamath Falls, Mt. Shasta, and Incline/Lake Tahoe areas.
Did you get over to Cave Lake? That’s where the ‘best’ mountain bike trails are. Also – would love to know what trails you rode if you want to share. Some of the trails definitely are looser and have horse traffic, but there are a lot of trails that are smooth and built for mountain bikers that don’t see any horse traffic.