8 Awesome Mammoth Lakes Bike Trails for Outdoor Adventure

Mammoth Lakes is an outdoor lover’s dream. In the summer, there are endless opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and of course, biking. With over 200 miles of singletrack trails in the area and additional paved bike paths, it can be tough to decide where to start.

That’s why I’ve put together a list of 8 of the best Mammoth Lakes bike trails, perfect for any level of rider from lift-served descents to cross-country pedals. So grab your bike and let’s hit the trail!

Discover the 8 best Mammoth Lakes bike trails for every two-wheeled enthusiast

Mammoth Lakes Bike Trails Map

Need a set of two wheels? Here are the best places to rent bikes in Mammoth Lakes.

Best Mammoth Lakes Bike Trails

1. Mammoth Lakes Bike Park

• Bike type: Mountain bike
• Need to know: Bike park pass required
• e-bike allowed? Yes
• When to ride it: Typically June through September depending on snowpack and conditions
• Trail map: TrailForks, Mammoth Mountain

First up is Mammoth Lakes Bike Park, the ‘crown jewel’ of mammoth lakes mountain biking. With over 80 miles of trail, 3 chairlifts, a gondola, and a shuttle bus, it’s a mountain biker’s playground.

The bike park at Mammoth Lakes is definitely more ‘old-school’ compared to newer and more professionally built bike parks, but what it lakes in features, it makes up in views and scope.

A run off Off The Top is a must for any rider visiting Mammoth Lakes in the summer.

A pass is required for all trails within the bike park even if you just plan on pedaling.

2. Mountain View Trail

• Bike type: Mountain bike
• Need to know: This is a two-way trail so watch for on-coming bike traffic
• e-Bike allowed? Technically, no
• When to ride it: Typically melts out by mid or late June
• Trail map: TrailForks, Mammoth Trails

If you’re looking to put your pedaling legs to good use, Mountain View Trail is one of the best Mammoth Lakes bike trails outside of the bike park. If you just stick to Mountain View Trail, you don’t need to purchase a bike park pass (although you can definitely incorporate Mountain View into your day at the bike park as well).

To access the trail, park at Earthquake Fault and then pedal up Mountain View Trail all the way up to Minaret Vista. It’s a 10-mile out-and-back ride with about 1,000 ft of climbing.

If you want to tack on a little extra and get some great views, continue a little way up San Joaquin Road to the Minaret Vista Lookout.

3. Mammoth Rock Trail Network & Panorama Dome

• Bike type: Mountain bike
• Need to know: A lot of hikers and trail runners use these trails, so be kind and courteous
• e-Bike allowed? Not sure
• When to ride it: Typically melts out by early June
• Trail map: TrailForks, Mammoth Trails

Mammoth Rock Trail is another great Mammoth Lakes bike trail that is outside of the bike park (so no bike park pass required). It runs along the lower slopes of the Sierra mountains and overlooks the town of Mammoth. The trail usually melts out earlier than other mountain bike trails in the area, making it a great choice for spring riding.

You can ride Mammoth Rock Trail as an out-and-back, but I prefer it as a shuttle or accessing it by pedaling up the Lakes Basin Bike Path to the start of the Panorama Dome trails, which are also super fun.

Another option if you don’t have a shuttle is to climb up Mammoth Rock Connector to Mammoth Rock Trail. Once you hit the road, climb the pavement and do the Panorama Dome loop before descending back down Mammoth Rock Trail to Meadow Trail Connector. (See route directions here)

If you do have a bike park pass, you can descend all the way from the top of Mammoth Mountain to the bottom of the Mammoth Rock Trail, which is a super long and fun descent!

4. Shady Rest Park

• Bike type: Mountain bike
• Need to know: Great family-friendly trail network
• e-Bike allowed? Yes
• When to ride it: Summer
• Trail map: Mammoth Trails

Shady Rest Park is home to several miles of mellow, fun, flowy singletrack including the 10-mile Knolls loop and many options for shorter rides. I’ve only ridden at Shady Rest once or twice, but I remember it to be fun and mellow, so great for a family ride.

5. Lower Rock Creek Trail

• Bike type: Mountain bike
• Need to know: Can be popular with hikers and can get overgrown, located about 20 minutes south of Mammoth Lakes
• e-Bike allowed? Yes
• When to ride it: Spring, Summer, Fall
• Trail map: TrailForks

This is THE mountain bike trail to do in the spring and fall (and summer if you get tired of the bike park).

There are three sections to Lower Rock Creek. The top two sections are fast and flowy with very little tech while the third section is the longest and has some pretty challenging features like chunky rock gardens, awkwardly placed rocks, and plenty of chunder. 

For a quick hour or so ride, I park at the base of section two (about 2.8 miles down Sherwin Grade Road on the right), pedal up to the top, and then cruise back down. It’s about 6.5 miles and 700ft of climbing.

You can climb up all three sections, but the lower section isn’t very much fun to climb. If you’re going to ride all three sections it’s best to find a few buddies and shuttle the whole thing. Keep in mind that the third section is quite a bit more technical than the first two sections.

6. Mammoth Lakes Town Loop

• Bike type: Cruiser or road bike
• Need to know: This is a multi-use path so stay in control and yield to pedestrians
• e-Bike allowed? Yes
• When to ride it: Spring, Summer, Fall
• Trail map: Mammoth Trails

If you want to take a spin around Mammoth Lakes on your bike, there’s actually a 7.8-mile Town Loop that circles the town. It’s mostly made up of multi-use paved bike path with a few on-street sections. It’s really pretty and is a great way to enjoy some time on two wheels!

You can start anywhere along the loop, but a good place to start is at Mammoth Creek Park where there is free, easy parking.

7. Lakes Basin Trail (Optional: Horseshoe Lake Loop)

• Bike type: Cruiser or road bike
• Need to know: This is a multi-use path so stay in control and yield to pedestrians
• e-Bike allowed? Allowed on the Lakes Basin Trail, but not Horseshoe Lake Loop
• When to ride it: Spring, Summer, Fall
• Trail map: Mammoth Trails

The 5.3 mile Lakes Basin paved bike path runs all the way from town up to Lake Mary and Horseshoe Lake in the Lakes Basin area. It’s super scenic, nicely paved, and a great way to spend the day on bikes.

If you need a bike, you can rent one from Footloose Sports. Opt for an e-bike to make it extra cruisy up the 1,000 ft climb, but keep in mind that e-bikes aren’t allowed on the Horseshoe Lake Loop. Pack a picnic lunch and make an afternoon of it.

8. Mammoth Scenic Loop

• Bike type: Road bike
• Need to know: The shoulder can be narrow in places; you’ll be on busy route 395 for about 5 miles
• e-Bike allowed? Yes
• When to ride it: Spring, Summer, Fall
• Trail map: Ride With GPS

For the roadies visiting Mammoth Lakes, the Mammoth Scenic Loop is a great 16+ mile road ride. You do have to pedal on busy route 395 for about five miles, but there’s a wide shoulder so it isn’t too bad.

The Scenic Loop is a windy paved road that, surprisingly, doesn’t have great views, but it’s a nice backdoor into Mammoth.

If you want to make this ride longer, there are several options including:

• Heading up to the Lake’s Basin via the Lakes Basin Trail (see above)
• Riding up to Minaret Vista or even out to Red’s Meadow via Minaret Summit Road (be sure to check out Devil’s Postpile!)

What are your favorite Mammoth Lakes bike trails? Are there any that I missed? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!

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