The Monolith Garden Trail Is Worth A Stop On Your Way Through Kingman, Arizona
Mountain bike trails probably aren’t the first thing you associate with Kingman, Arizona, a place better known for its quirky Electric Vehicle Museum and its reputation as one of the most conservative counties in the state. But tucked around the outskirts of town is a surprisingly fun little network of trails that’s both beautiful and uniquely Kingman.
Think big views, a splash of slickrock, and oddball rock spires. It’s not a huge system, but it’s got personality. There’s even a funky brewery waiting for you in town at the end of your ride.
That said, not every trail in Kingman is worth your ride time. Monolith Garden is by far my top pick. I’ve heard good things about the trails across Route 93 and the White Cliff network, too, but I haven’t ridden them yet. My friend Carey has, though, and gives them a solid thumbs-up. You can read his take in the comments below.
Quick Tips
For mountain biking the Kingman, AZ trails
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
Should You Ride Monolith Gardens & The Kingman Trails?
What I like
What I don’t
Planning your Kingman rides
Usually I’ll include a ‘best trails to hit’ section, but to be honest, I haven’t ridden Kingman enough to feel like I can give an accurate rundown. My friend and fellow rider Carey Kriger has left a detailed comment at the end of this post with his take on the trails around Kingman, so definitely give that a read if you’re planning a trip.
Kingman Trail Map
Route recommendations
- Monolith Garden Loop (beginner+) – The Monolith Gardens Trail is one of the more unique trails I’ve ever ridden. It’s located just a few pedal strokes off the highway and the landscape is surreal. Towering monoliths dominate the foothills, goblin-like rock pillars line the trail, green hills are studded with cows… it’s super cool and absolutely beautiful. Add on Mars Attack and Land of the Lost for more unique rock riding.
- Camp Beale/Rattler Loop (intermediate) – A stout climb, but fun, fast, and flowy on the way down.
- White Cliffs (intermediate) – I haven’t ridden White Cliffs (yet), but this is the ride I’d do if I was to. It hits most of the trails in seemingly the ‘most fun’ direction.
FAQs & Planning Tips
🚗 Getting there: Kingman located at the junction of Historic Route 66 and highways 93 and 40. You’ll most likely be driving through if you’re headed east from LA or Las Vegas toward Phoenix, Sedona, Tucson, or the Grand Canyon.
🅿️ Parking: Each of the three trail systems has it’s own parking area:
🗺️ Navigating the trails: If I remember correctly, the trails were signed, but no trail maps. I recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone.
💧 Water: There is no water at the trailheads or on the trails. Bring all that you need with you and your pack essentials.
📅 How many days: When I first visited, I would have said you really only need just one day to explore the trails. But there’s been a lot of trail work and development and my friend Carey ended up spending three days there and did three ‘distinct’ and fun rides.
☀️ When to go: Winter (November through March) is ideal for mountain biking in Kingman.
🚲 What type of bike to bring: A short or mid-travel full-suspension bike would be best.
⚡️ E-bikes: I’m not sure, but I’m guessing yes.
🏕️ Camping: You used to be able to camp right at the Monolith Garden Trailhead, but unfortunately, I think they put a stop to that. There are several RV Parks around Kingman, but you’ll need to head a bit farther out of town to find free camping. There is free dispersed camping near Chloride Ghost town or a paid campground up at Hualapai Mountain Park.
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.
It’s been a few years since I last rode the Monolith Gardens Loop, but from what I’ve seen and heard, Kingman is really stepping up its trail-building and maintenance game. I once swore I’d never ride the Foothills Rim Trail again, but the recent comments on TrailForks make it sound like it’s actually a pleasant pedal now. And the White Cliffs network? I keep hearing that it’s the place to ride in Kingman these days.
If you find yourself passing through and hit the trails, drop a comment and let me know how things are evolving and what you thought of the Monolith Gardens Loop!
Have you mountain biked in Kingman, Arizona? What did you think of the Monolith Garden Trail? Leave a comment below!
Per your recommendation, I stopped off in Kingman this April en route between Sedona to Vegas. Ended up hanging around for three remarkably good and distinctive rides, so I can share a few updates on the area…
The main Monolith Gardens loop is still as unique and cool as you described, great recommendation! I’m happy to confirm that the upper trails (Foothills Rim and Tech Ridge) have indeed been reworked and both pedaled fine in 2025; a little rocky, but no hike-a-bike even for a lazy climber like me. There are also now three short but really cool trails near the highway trailhead (Johnimals, Mars Attacks, and Land of the Lost) that are definitely worth checking out, being routed over large expanses of blobby slickrock. I’ll also recommend adding a bonus short inner loop down Powerline and up Igneous Connector; mere green trails on the map, but ripping fast and flowy and they get you up close to some of the most interesting rock formations.
The White Cliffs trail system has indeed really grown, and is arguably the headliner of Kingman these days. There’s a pretty epic thread on the mtbr AZ forum that tracks its development over the past several years. Nice mix of challenging rocky tech (highlighted by the Skyline and Golf Course loops), plus some new-school bermy and jumpy bits and a few double-black chutey things, all tied together with “spicy XC” style trails through wacky geology. Not much easy cruising (my average moving speed was barely 5 mph), but compelling stuff for those who appreciate a little rock crawling.
Finished out with an unexpectedly big and tasty XC route on the trails across the highway from Monolith Gardens. Started with a stout climb up Camp Beale, into a long high traverse across Castle Rock, a down-and-up of the 3 miles of Badger, a retrace of Castle Rock, and finished with 5 miles of “mostly all downhill” on Rattler into the sunset. All the trails were in fine shape, and the day felt like a mini epic adventure up in the mountains somewhere, a real (welcome) surprise!
Also of note: I encountered ZERO other mountain bikers (and only a handful of hikers) over the three days, which was also surprising given the quality of terrain and trails. So for anybody craving a break from trail traffic, Kingman seems like a good bet 😉
Hey Carey! Cool to hear that the upper trails have been reworked. They were definitely not a fun time when I was there. It also sounds like they’ve added a bunch of stuff, so I need to get back out there. I’ll look at your Strava routes when I do!