A First Timer’s Guide to Mammoth Mountain Bike Park (One of My Favorite’s!)

Mountain bikers riding bikes down singletrack trail from the summit of Mammoth Mountain with incredible mountain range views in the distance

I might be a little biased — the Eastern Sierra of California was home for me for several years, after all. But Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is hands-down one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever ridden. Step off the gondola at the summit and you’re greeted with sweeping views of alpine lakes, jagged peaks, and the vast Owens Valley below. Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic!

But Mammoth isn’t just about the views. The riding here is really unique. The park’s signature “kitty litter” pumice gives the trails a loose, surfy feel—kind of like riding sandy dunes on two wheels. With over 80 miles of trail ranging from beginner-friendly descents to chunky rock gardens and fast flow lines, there’s something for every rider.

What really sets Mammoth apart, though, is how the bike park connects seamlessly into miles of backcountry singletrack. You could easily spend all day exploring without repeating a trail. There’s even a two-hour descent from the summit all the way back to town!

If you ask me, Mammoth belongs on every mountain biker’s must-ride list. Here’s what you need to know to plan your first trip.

Mammoth Bike Park Overview

Location: Mammoth Lakes, California
Season: Usually late June through September (snowmelt depending). The Bike park season usually starts with just the bus shuttle that allows access to the lower trails like Shotgun and Downtown.
Lifts:
Panorama Gondola – Departs from the Main Lodge and takes you all the way up to the summit of Mammoth Mountain or you can stop midway at McCoy Mid-station.
Chair 11 (Discovery) – Also at Main Lodge. This short lift is great for families and beginner riders. It accesses several beginner/kid-friendly trails.
Chair 2 (Stump Alley) – From The Mill. It basically brings you just a bit higher than McCoy Station but also gives you access back across the mountain via Gravy Train and Bearing Straights. This lift is usually only open on weekends.
Chair 16 (Canyon Express) – Accesses intermediate/advanced trails on the eastern slope of the mountain. Not many people ride this lift! It’s usually only open on weekends.
Shuttle bus – Departs every 15 minutes from the Village. The pick-up is right across from the Westin and it takes you all the way up to the Gondola or you can get off at Chair 2.
Trail Count: 80+ miles
Vertical drop: 3,253 feet
Terrain Style: Fast pumice flow, techy volcanic rock, berms, wood features. A few jumps, but Mammoth isn’t know for its ‘bike park features’.
Elevation: Over 11,000 ft at the summit
Skill Levels: Beginner to expert
Lift Tickets: Single or multi-day tickets, season passes, pedal pass, and a few other package deals.
Rentals & Lessons: Full-suspension bike rentals, gear, and lesson packages available at the Main Lodge
Vibe: High-alpine, dusty, rowdy, and LA infiltrated on the weekends.

First time riding Mammoth Bike Park?

Grab my one-page ‘cheat sheet’ to help you navigate the park on your first four runs and check off (what I consider to be) the best trails on the mountain.

Get your free download!

🔥 Trail Highlights

Mammoth Mountain is huge. There are literally over 80 miles of trail to explore and most of those miles are pretty decent. Here are the ones that make the top of my list:

🟢 Best Beginner Trails

Discovery Zone: Mellow trails perfect for first-time bike park riders.
Downtown: Smooth, wide trail that weaves from the mid-mountain to the base. There’s some pedaling!
Big Ring: Gentle descent with optional side hits

🔵 Best Intermediate Trails

Off the Top: Iconic summit-to-base trail with killer views
Beach Cruiser: Long, flowing descent from the mid-mountain
Juniper: Ditch the crowds and explore a different part of the park.

⚫ Advanced & Expert Trails

Shotgun: My personal favorite. Short but sweet!
Flow: Fast and loose with big berms and jumps
Velocity: Steep, chunky, and techy—classic Mammoth gnar
Twilight Zone: A classic. Tight paved berms into a jump/drop line
Pipeline: Mammoth’s ‘best’ jump line

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park Map

You can also pick up a paper trail map at the main lodge or download the Mammoth Mountain App, which shows the trails, trail status, and more.

10 tips before you go

Brace yourself for the Kitty Litter

What sets Mammoth apart is its loose, kitty-litter-like pumice—you’re not riding dirt so much as shape-shifting lava dust, which can feel wild at first. My advice? Relax, stay centered, and keep weight over the front wheel to stay in control.

Woman sitting on bench wearing bike helmet in scenic clearing surrounded by fir trees — See how deep and loose the lava pumice is?! Not all the trails are like this, but there are definitely some spots…

Mammoth isn’t known for its bike park features

Mammoth is mostly an old-school bike park. Think hand-cut, natural trails, and raw over polished jump lines. If you’re after classic bike park features, your best bets are Smooth Operator, Pipeline, and Twilight Zone. That’s about it.

Mountain biker riding bike on elevated wooden berm at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park in California — This big berm wall ride is one of my favorite features at Mammoth – find it on Twilight Zone!

Get off the beaten path trails!

It’s easy to get stuck lapping the frontside at Mammoth, but don’t miss the quieter backside trails like Juniper, Paper Route, and Timber Ridge. Grab a trail map and explore, especially on busy weekends when the main zones get crowded.

The gondola isn’t the only way to the top

Mammoth isn’t just the gondola. There are 3 other lifts plus a bike shuttle and they’re often way less crowded. If the gondola line is long, skip the wait and hit one of the other chairs instead.

You’ll be at 11,053 feet

So the gasping is quite normal. The summit of Mammoth Mountain is really that high. Even though you’ll be riding downhill, guaranteed you’ll still feel it! Give yourself some time to adjust and maybe drink an extra glass of water before those post-ride beers.

Man stopped on mountain bike at top of Mammoth Mountain Bike Park looking out over mountainous landscape views — Those views!

The top may not open until July

Depending on snowpack, the summit might not open until July—but that doesn’t mean the bike park is closed. The lower mountain, serviced by three lifts and a shuttle, is usually open much earlier with plenty of trails to ride.

Mountain biker riding down large snow drift with beautiful mountain range views in the background — This photo was taken on July 25th! My descent down the snowdrift ended as you’d imagine it would…

The lifts close for lightning

If storms are in the forecast, be ready for lift closures. Mammoth shuts everything down for lightning, and if it’s late in the day, they may not reopen. Summer thunderstorms here can be intense, so it’s worth checking the weather and having a backup plan.

Group of mountain bikers stopped on trail for photo with stormy skies and stunning mountain landscape behind them — Mammoth can be moody in the summer, but it makes it even more beautiful!

There will be pedaling….

One of the biggest rude awakenings for first-time visitors to Mammoth bike park is… there is pedaling! What!? I know… but expect to work a little bit, especially if you explore the less popular trails on the backside of the mountain. There are traverse trails, flat trails, and (gasp) even some small uphills. Don’t bring your downhill bike.

E-bikes are allowed

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is one of the few places you can ride an e-bike in California! You might be wondering “Why do I need an e-bike at a lift-served bike park?” but if you read tip #8 you’ll recall that there is some pedaling required at Mammoth. Is an e-bike necessary? No, but it’s actually a good place to have one.

There are more great trails around town

Lastly, the trails in the bike park aren’t the only trails in Mammoth. Far from it! There are actually quite a few great bike trails in and around town. Check out my post on the best Mammoth Lakes bike trails for more riding outside the park.

Cyclist on paved bike path lined with green trees and surrounded by beautiful mountains — Mammoth is home to a lot of great trails outside the park for all types of riders

🎟️ Tickets & passes

Lift tickets can be purchased online or in person at either the Mountain Center in the Village or at the Adventure Center adjacent to the Gondola at the base of the bike park. Here are a few good-to-know’s when buying tickets:

Ikon Pass holders can get deals on season and day passes
A pedal pass is available for those who don’t want to ride the lifts. There are a few uphill trails like Uptown and Beach Cruiser. You cannot pedal to the top during bike park hours. They do have people out on the trails that actually check whether you have a ticket or not. That being said, if you want to ride after hours (the lifts shut at 5 and the shuttle stops at 6), no one is going to stop you.
Save money by purchasing a 4-pack pass
A twilight ticket allows you to ride the lifts and shuttle after 3pm (lifts usually close at 5pm and the shuttle usually stops at 6pm)
A Discovery ticket is just for the Discovery lift (great for small kids)

Two mountain bikers riding down flowy section of singletrack at Mammoth Bike Park in California with Sierra Mountains in distance — Mammoth Mountain hands-down has some of the best views in California

Mammoth Bike Park FAQs

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park is open 9-6 every day. The Gondola, bus shuttle, and Discovery Chair run daily. Chair 2 and 16 are typically only open on the weekends and holidays.

Surprisingly, Mammoth doesn’t have many bike shops, but they do have one great one: Footloose Sports. It’s located down in the Village and they have a great selection of mountain bike rentals as well as a full-service bike shop.

Mammoth Mountain also has two bike rental centers. One in the Village right in front of the shuttle stop and one at the Adventure Center at the base of the gondola. You can choose from a full fleet of Trek rental bikes including e-bikes. You can also sign up for lessons at Mammoth Mountain Center.

Yes, The Gear Up has two locations – above the Mountain Center in the Village and in the Gondola building across from the Main Lodge.

For a small town, there are some good hotels and plenty of vacation rentals. Be forewarned, though, it’s not cheap! Here are a few mountain biker-friendly places to stay in Mammoth Lakes:

The Westin: definitely a splurge, but it’s located right in the village and you can roll your bike to the bus shuttle.
Outbound Mammoth: Located in town, this hotel is a few miles from the Bike Park, but there’s a free shuttle that you can take your bike on. It’s super cute and all the rooms are on the ground level, so no lugging your bike up stairs. It also has a crepe food truck on site!
Vacation Rentals: Mammoth Lakes has no shortage of vacation rentals. A lot of them are condos and apartments, but you can also find some houses that sleep 6 or more people.

There are lots of great camping opportunities around Mammoth Lakes:

Camp High Sierra: a family-friendly campground with tent/RV sites as well as cabins. Conveniently located within easy pedaling distance to the Village bike shuttle. Take Juniper trail as your last run to return straight to camp.
Shady Rest Campground: Located close to downtown. It would be a pedal to the bike park, but there is a free shuttle.
Lake Mary Basin: these are a cluster of popular campgrounds located in the beautiful Lake Mary Basin. Cruise down the Lake Mary Road bike path to meet the village bike shuttle then take the free Lakes Basin Trolley back up the hill at the end of the day.

Mammoth Lakes has some pretty decent places to grab something to eat and drink post-ride. Here are a few of my favorites:

Mammoth Tavern – A cozy tavern located on Old Mammoth Road away from the bustle of the village. Great happy hour from 4-5:30.
Mammoth Brewing Company – Mammoth’s own local brewery with lots of house beers on tap and a great outdoor seating area. The food is also delish. Definitely get the waffle fries. This place gets really busy.
Distant Brewing – Another local brewery that serves great sandwiches and other bar food.
Stellar Brew – A funky place to grab coffee and sandwiches to go
Burgers Restaurant – Need a burger after a full day at the bike park? Burgers Restaurant is where you need to go. Their buffalo burger is so good
The Latin Market – Tucked away at the back of a little Mexican grocery store, this is the place to get a burrito. It’s a hidden gem
Elixir Superfood and Juice – A little bit of LA in Mammoth Lakes. Expensive, but delicious smoothies and super healthy salads and grain bowls made to order
Cafe Crepe – a food truck serving delicious sweet and savory crepes

Not really, actually. If you stay in the Village, you can take the bus shuttle up to the Gondola. If you stay in the main part of town, there’s a free trolley equipped with bike racks and bike paths that link everything together. The trails are pretty accessible no matter where you stay in Mammoth.

I’d say give yourself at least 2 or 3 days to explore Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. It’s a huge park and there’s a lot of ground to cover.

I will also say, though, that it’s not like other parks where you can spend lap after lap working on your jumping skills. It’s just not the park for that kind of riding.

If you want to ride the whole park, your best bet is August. I’ve ridden Mammoth in July and there’s still been snow at the top.

Midweek: Fewer people but not all lifts will be open.
July & August: Peak season with full lift access and LA crowds. Weekends can be crazy.
Early Fall: My favorite! Cooler temps and changing aspen trees, but the trails can be real rough from a season of kitty litter sliding.

Becky riding off the wooden Flow Drop at Mammoth Bike Park — The Flow Drop is one of the biggest features at Mammoth Bike Park

While Mammoth Mountain Bike Park isn’t your typical bike park with machine-built trails and tons of bike park features, it remains one of my all-time favorite bike parks. The epic views, ‘kitty litter’ pumice, and huge network of trails are just a few reasons to plan a visit to this Eastern Sierra gem. I think you’ll love it, too!

Have you ridden Mammoth Mountain Bike Park? What do you think of the ‘kitty litter’ and what’s your favorite trail? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!

4 Comments

Brandon says:

June 27, 2022 at 2:14 am

https://youtu.be/8mZvNfw_w3w is a funny and entertaining video guide to Mammoth 🦣.

Meghan says:

June 26, 2022 at 9:14 pm

We were there last summer and it would have been very helpful to read something like this beforehand. We were surprised how much climbing (in full faces and all padded up) we had to do to get around the mountain. Wish that everything connected better or all the lifts were working etc. Very accurate description of the trails. Rather than go back any time soon, we plan to checkout other bike parks.

1. Becky Timbers says:
  
  June 27, 2022 at 1:59 pm
  
  Mammoth definitely has more pedaling than some other bike parks depending on what trails you link up, but the amount of terrain makes it super unique (and the views!)
  
CD says:

July 5, 2021 at 11:51 pm

This information is so helpful – thank you!

A First Timer’s Guide to Mammoth Mountain Bike Park (One of My Favorite’s!)