California’s Great Beyond

Top Bike Rides

Top 5 - Mountain Biking Rides (easy to difficult)

Name

Description

Distance

Difficulty

Mammoth Lakes Bike Path

The Mammoth Lakes bike path is a paved route that winds through areas surrounding the town of Mammoth.  You can start the trail at Shady Rest Park, located off highway 203 as you enter the town of Mammoth Lakes. From Shady Rest bike under highway 203 out to the sage brush landscape of Sierra Meadows, where there are benches for resting and awesome views.  The trail continues to Mammoth Creek and through Mammoth Creek Park, and then starts again next to the intersection of Minaret and Old Mammoth Road, and continues past Snowcreek Athletic Club.

2-3 miles

Easy

Mammoth Mountain Bike Park - Uptown/Downtown Trail

The Uptown/Downtown single track trail follows along Minaret Road, from the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge to the Village at Mammoth.  The trail is a great climb from the Village (700 vertical feet) or a fun and long downhill ride from the Main Lodge.  The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park shuttle whisks riders from the Village back to the Main Lodge.  Bike park tickets are required during the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park's regular season from mid-June through September.  
For more info  visit: www.mammothmountain.com

 5 miles

Easy to Moderate

 Shady Rest

There are numerous mountain bike routes throughout Shady Rest that offer gentle single-track to heart attack hill climbs.  Pick up the OHV/Mountain Biking Map at the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center, located just off highway 203 as you enter the town of Mammoth Lakes for more complete route descriptions.

 2-8 miles depending on trail

Easy to Difficult

Mammoth Rock Trail

The Mammoth Rock trailhead is on Old Mammoth Road, just above the winter closure gate on Old Mammoth Road.  This fun and challenging trail drops along the Sherwin Range, providing riders with excellent views of the town of Mammoth.  The trail ends on Sherwin Creek Road.  Take a left on the road to head back to town.

3 Miles

Moderate

Lower Rock Creek Trail

Lower Rock Creek is a technical single-track trail, and is considered one of the areas best mountain biking trails.  The ride begins just below Hwy 395's junction with Lower Rock Creek Road, south of Tom's Place.  An obvious parking area is present near the trailhead and a sign exists marking the beginning of the ride.  The upper two sections of the ride are fun, fast single-track that is not overly technical.  The trail crosses the road in a couple of sections.  The third section is much more technical and rocky, and ends in Paradise on Lower Rock Creek Road.  Leave a car in Paradise to shuttle yourself back to the top parking area.

8 Miles for all three sections

Moderate to Difficult

 

 

Top 5 - Road Biking Rides

Name

Description

Miles

Benton Crossing Road

Benton Crossing road is an out and back ride, with rolling mellow hills, and spectacular views of the Sierra and Mount Morrison on the return.  Start at the green church on Benton Crossing road just south of Mammoth Lakes on highway 395.

20 miles or longer

 Mammoth Scenic Loop & 395

From Minaret Road in the town of Mammoth Lakes, turn right on the Mammoth Scenic Loop.  At highway 395, make a right and head south back to Mammoth Lakes.

15 miles

June Lake Loop (Hwy 158) 

Winding through a glacial carved canyon and the town of June Lake, the June Lake Loop can be ridden by itself, or combined with another ride from destinations along 395.

14 miles one-way

Scenic Passes

Directly off of highway 395, Tioga, Sonora, and Monitor passes offer some of the most challenging climbs, with amazing views and scenery, and well deserved downhill rides.  Tioga Pass(highway 120)- the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park, will take your breath away with amazing views and one very steep climb; Sonora Pass (highway 108) - this is the steepest and second highest pass in California; Monitor Pass (highway 89) - high desert landscape with breathtaking vistas of the Sierra Nevada crest.

varies

Century Ride

100 miles of riding throughout Mono County without traffic lights, and most of which is on low traffic, two-lane rural roads.  This ride is featured during the High Sierra Fall Century Bike Ride, recognized by the League of American Bicyclist as one of the country's best century rides, and occurs each fall after Labor Day weekend.  The 100 miles course takes riders from just south of Mammoth on Benton Crossing Road, along 395 to the Mono Basin, onto highway 120 heading east toward Benton, past Mono Lake, and back to Benton Crossing road, with dramatic views of the Sierra.  For complete course description and event details visit: www.fallcentury.org

100 miles