You call yourself a true mountain biker, but you haven't taken a ride out of your home state? Now is the time to challenge yourself with some of the most advanced trails across the country. Grab your bike and get geared up to book a ticket to these five exhilarating rides across the most epic terrain in America.
Here are the five top mountain biking trails in the U.S.
Downieville Downhill, California
The Downieville Downhill mountain biking trail in California is so tough it serves as a challenge in the All-Mountain World Championships. A 5,000 foot vertical decline for 17-miles, it's big, bad, and extremely beautiful. After the sweat's settled and the adrenaline's worn down, bikers are rewarded at the lower area with a view of picturesque waterfalls and creeks.
Fruita, Colorado
Travel to Colorado's high desert for hundreds of miles of cycling fun.The Book Cliffs area offers great views of the Grand Valley basin with steep climbs and descent that'll leave you exhilerated and out of breathe. Challenge yourself with a 2,000 vertical drop above the basin or for more intermediate riders, Fruita offers 17 other road trails with natural beauty that are a combination of rocky and technical.
Copper Harbor, Michigan
A Midwest gem, Copper Harbor trails is a 25-mile windy road located on Lake Superior at the northern tip of Keweenaw Peninsula. Isolated from city life, this trail provides biking enthusiasts with a quiet and peaceful spot to get one on one with nature. With continual tradeoffs between uphill and downhill climbs, don't think of the Midwest as all flatlands, there are mountain biking spots that will keep you on your toes.
Moab, Utah
The Amasa Back Trail in Moab, Utah is indisputably one of the best in the country. An11-mile ride meant for jeeps that can climb over a thousand feet to the mesa overlooking the Colorado River and the Kane Creek Anticline, if you're up for an aerobic feat, head to Moab. The trail surface is mostly Kayenta Sandstone and has many small ledges making it best left to the experienced.
Gauley Headwaters, West Virginia
The Gauley Headwaters trail in Slatyfork, West Virginia is a 37-mile rocky single track, but the scenery is well worth the effort. You'll be pushed harder than you've ever thought possible on the Tea Creek Mountain descent, but you'll have a big grin all the way down. The best time of the year for this mountain biking adventure is between July and October and you'll be treated to a rainbow of colored leaves.