My Favorite Winter Mountain Biking Destinations of 2023

On 12/17/2023

Want to take a fun winter mountain biking holiday? Here Are My Favorite Winter Mountain Biking Destinations of 2023 when the temps drop.

Please tell us about your favorite winter riding destinations in the comments!

I have left the Southeast out as I simply haven’t ridden there in close to a decade. Alabama, Georgia, Tennesse, North Carolina, and Florida all have great winter riding.

Here are my favorite spots in North America.

7. Sedona, Arizona

A favorite spot for deep winter mountain biking is Sedona, AZ. Sedona has some great trails and incredible scenery but cooler weather (usually about 10 degrees colder than Phoenix or Tucson). Sedona used to be higher on my list but it is getting more and more crowded. In my last two trips to Sedona I’ve encountered a lot of hikers.

My favorite trail in Sedona by far is Highline. It has a fantastic climb and the most fun descent in Sedona. Combine this with Slim Shady, Made in The Shade, and Templeton for a great ride. Across town on the West, Sedona Cockscomb has incredible views and connects to a plethora of trails to make a ride as long or short as you would like.

Hangover is kind of a must-do trail as it is unique but not for the faint of heart, with a few exposed sections and a few steep sections. I rarely ride this as it feels like it’s 80% uphill but those steep sections are challenging and fun.

The crew at Thunder Mountain Bikes will hook you up with all your MTB needs.

6. Austin, Texas

Reveille Peak Ranch and Spider Mountain are a little over an hour from Austin in Burnet and they have greatly improved on the already good riding in the Austin area. RPR has some excellent beginner through expert trails and great camping with showers. Spider Mountain might be small (only 350 vertical feet) but it has great trails and is the only lift-serviced bike park in the US that is open in the winter. They also offer ‘ride-in-ride out’ lodging at Thunderbird Lodge on-site.

Station Mountain Bike just opened in Marble Falls, Texas and it’s also about an hour from Austin. It features gravity-focused trails from green to double black.

Here is a video of me riding Full Commando Trail at Reveille Peak Ranch.

Austin has friendly people, great music, and really good trails. It has no huge elevation gains or losses, but fun flowy trails at Walnut Creek (with a great pump track), and one of the most technical trails I have ever ridden at City Park.

There is an excellent and ever-expanding trail system at Brushy Creek, tons of local trails like Cat Mountain, and fun trails you can ride right from downtown in the Green Belt.

5. Boulder City, Nevada

My number 5 spot for deep winter mountain biking in the continental US is Boulder City, NV. Boulder City has the famous Bootleg Canyon mountain bike park (known for its challenging downhill trails but it also has some fantastic cross-country trails like Ernie’s Epic).

Visit the most well-stocked bike shop I have ever seen – All Mountain Cyclery for advice on trails to ride and any upgrades you are seeking. It is also 20 miles from the Las Vegas airport and 30-ish miles from the great Cottonwood Trails, Southwest of Vegas. For shuttle info at Bootleg contact Downhill Mike.

Guest Coach, Greg Minnaar followed by Mckay Vezina in my Downhill Camp at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV.

4. Saint George/Hurricane/Virgin, Utah

Saint George/Hurricane/Virgin, UT, has so many great trails! Hurricane has Slickrock trails like Gooseberry Mesa Trail and Little Creek Area and high desert blue and green level singletrack with great scenery. Say Hi to Quinten and DJ at Over The Edge in Hurricane. They can update you on trail conditions and recommend rides.

Virgin has an incredible amount of expert and pro-level trails. My favorite shuttle is Flying Monkey to King Kong, the trail network off Grafton Mesa also has fun shuttle trails.

If you would rather push up, the old Red Bull Rampage jumps and drops are there to ride – your own paramedic crew is optional! Even if you don’t want to ride those huge features it makes for some great spectating as the area has become a training ground for many free-riders.

Virgin is also right outside of Zion National Park which has great hikes and stunning scenery.

I like Hurricane because it has excellent riding just 10 minutes off I-15. I usually ride the Green Valley trail network. My go-to trails are Zen Trail and Barrel Trail. There are a lot of Blue and Green trails at Green Valley too.

3. California

Although late winter can be the rainy season in California, there are good trails from San Diego to Oregon. Do some research online before heading out to California. My favorite areas include inland San Diego (Nobel Canyon area), the Laguna Hills, the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Cruz (I haven’t explored much North of there yet).

Shuttling Mount Wilson was a highlight of a SoCal trip a few winters ago. It features excellent trails, gorgeous views, and 4,800 feet of descending! LifeRush Adventures offers shuttles.

2. Tucson and Sedona, Arizona

My next favorite spot for deep winter mountain biking is Tucson, AZ. Tuscon is littered with trails! Mount Lemon offers multiple options to descend more than 7,000 feet (or climb if you are so inclined) on technical, rocky, desert trails. Bug Springs to Milagrosa offers some great descending with some challenging climbs thrown in.

On the Northside of Mt Lemon in the Oro Valley, the 50-Year Trail can be combined with other trails for a fun cross-country ride with beautiful cacti and scenery. Sweetwater Preserve has similar trails on the West side of town. It makes an easy trail to hit on the way in or out of Tucson.

Green Trail at Hawes, Mesa AZ

1. Phoenix metro, Arizona

My number 1 spot in the US is Phoenix, AZ! Phoenix is by far the best big city in the country for mountain biking. In Phoenix (not off in distant suburbs) are two great riding areas and one pretty decent mountain biking area. When you add in the suburbs, Scottsdale, Mesa, Cave Creek, Glendale, and Black Canyon, you could ride for over a month and never repeat a trail – but that would be lame because the trails are so good you will want to repeat them.

Arizona is the furthest West state in the Mountain Time Zone so the sun sets a 5:20 on the shortest days of the year and the winter weather is amazing, warm, and sunny. Mid-60s are the average high temps in January, the coldest month of the year! If it does rain, it just makes for better riding as the rain makes the mountain bike trails tacky and fast.

We will start with South Mountain at over 16,000 acres and over a thousand vertical feet. For comparison, Vail Resort is the largest single mountain ski resort in the US at 5,289 acres. It has great trails for advanced beginners to pros. South Mountain is my favorite place to ride in Phoenix as it has some of the rockiest, most challenging trails in the country that always keep me on my toes.

They claim 51 miles of trails, but I bet there are double that if you include the super challenging ones like Old Man Trail. Despite being in the city of Phoenix, South Mountain is getting more crowded as Phoenix grows but nothing like trails in the Denver Front or Salt Lake City. South Mountain also has great views in all directions and cool cacti everywhere.

Next is the Dreamy Draw/Trail 100/Camel Back/Phoenix Mountain Preserve area (locals will use any of those 4 names to describe the area). Although not as big as South Mountain, the terrain is similar, fun, flowy, flatter trails, and very steep and technical trails. A very fun and underrated area to ride.

Right between Phoenix and Tempe is Papago Park which doesn’t have the elevation or size of the other parks, but has some fun flowy trails scattered about as well as a little free-ride jump area.

Mesa, AZ (an Eastern Suburb of Phoenix) has a great little bike park and is home to two great trail areas, Hawes and Usery Pass. Pass Mountain Trail in Usery Pass Park is one of my favorite trails in the state. Fun singletrack and gorgeous views!

Hawes has added some super fun trails. Red Mountain Rush is one of the most fun blue trails I have ever ridden! Sunset Ridge is a legit double black diamond trail that keeps me challenged in the winter.

There are awesome mellow blue and green trails there too. I met the owner of Junction Bike Commpany last winter who moved across the country because he loved riding there. Give him a call with any local riding questions you have.

Scottsdale has more mellow trails and the best trailhead bathrooms in the world at Pima/Dynamite. Brown’s Ranch has fun, flowy desert singletrack and even a small rock area like Moab to challenge yourself. McDowell Mountain Regional Park has more flowy singletrack, a cross-country race area, two small dirt jump lines, and a pump track.

The owner of Dynamite Bike Lab took a course from me a few years ago and has 5 star rating on Google! The shop is right by these trails and is a great resource when you are in the area.

Sunset at McDowell Mountain Park

For great camping and fun advanced beginner/intermediate trails, check out McDowell Park. There is a $7/day usage fee, but the trailhead has a shower. The main mountain-bike-focus trails are short loops with a lot of fun corners and dips. It’s not as challenging as South Mountain, but very fun if you crank the speed up a bit. They also have trails that can be linked to form epic rides including the punishing Quadruple Bypass ride that some sadistic locals enjoy.

North of Phoenix off of I-17 is the Black Canyon Trail which has several trailheads and will one day go from Flagstaff to Tucson. It has quite a few fun sections all not far from I-17.

For the more adventuresome traveler here are my favorite two destinations requiring more than 24 hours of travel time.

Garden Route, South Africa

Another favorite winter riding spot is the aptly-named Garden Route in the Western Cape of South Africa! There are mountains popping up right out of the Indian Ocean and there is riding along the cliffs above the ocean (Harkerville Forest). Knysna and George are the two biggest cities in the area (George has an airport) and there is great riding in George, Knysna, and in between the two at the Garden Route Trail Park.

Photo from the Harkerville forest trail.

Did I mention that if you are coming from anywhere in Europe or the US that it is an incredibly inexpensive country to stay, travel, and dine in? Their infrastructure is surprisingly robust with great cell reception, good roads, nice airports and it is an English-speaking country (as well as 11 other languages but almost everyone speaks English).

There is much to do off the bike too: surfing (one world-class surf break just outside of George and the famous Jeffreys Bay less than two hours away), photo safaris, hiking, shopping (inexpensive), paddle boarding, bungee jumping, fine dining, sport fishing, and just good old sightseeing.

Sweet flowing Singletrack at the Garden Route Trail Park.

If you are in the Garden Route and looking for more spectacular riding head west to Stellenbosch and Cape Town for more great riding, friendly people, and great food and lodging at prices that will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time 30 years!

Stellenbosch is also wine country with trails winding through the vineyards! As well as the location of Darkfest!

Reunion Island, Indian Ocean off of Africa

Reunion is a bit far from the US but if you are in Europe or Africa it’s not to far to travel for some great riding.

I took a vacation there in February of 2019 and it was spectacular! Beautiful beaches, huge volcanoes and truly fun and challenging trails. Reunion is an island in the Indian Ocean off of Africa. It’s a Department of France and even has the tallest World Cup downhill racer living there, Flo Payet.

My favorite trails there are the network of trails that they use for the Megavalanche race. Starting at one of the highest volcanoes on the island and dropping all the way down to sea level.

Here I am bombing down a volcano in the rain on the gorgeous Reunion island:

I have purposely left out a lot of great trails and areas near those above, as we live in a big, beautiful world, go out and explore!

If you have a favorite winter spot or two tell us about them!

Please share this article with anyone you think may benefit and feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.

Thanks and create your best ride yet,
Gene

Comments

6 Comments

Stephen Fullerton on 12/17/2023 at 5:55 pm

Definitely Phoenix & Scottsdale for the winter time. Haven’t hit the Tuscon area yet but Hurricane and St George are great a well. Another 50 degree day here in Grand Junction so I call that a golden day at home
Reply
- Ilse Hamilton on 12/18/2023 at 11:18 am
  
  Hi Stephen! Thanks for the response and hope you enjoy those golden days!
  Gene
  Reply
Julius on 12/30/2023 at 7:56 am

Hi,
Very useful notes, especially on Africa, my continent.
Have you been on a purely adventure bike trail in Africa, where you are out there in the woods and on gravel road for days? I know some emerging trails like this, but does this appeal to you or would you rather be in a place with good mobile phone reception, access to hotel, etc?
Cheers,
Reply
- Gene on 01/09/2024 at 5:16 pm
  
  Hey Julius, my wife and kids are from RSA. I’m not big on gravel riding but the RSA locals love it. They are always out for hours on the roads!
  Reply
Mike on 03/30/2024 at 8:20 am

All trails out west and most are same trail profile, rocks and dust. I actually love the Tucson trails especially but Appalachia has killer trails rideable in winter such as Brevard and North GA
Reply
- Gene on 04/02/2024 at 5:23 pm
  
  Thanks for the input Mike! I love the trails down South.
  Reply

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Rider Reviews

Thanks again, you were a great part of my succees for 2005. I had the best year of my life. Part of which at the age of 52, I entered numerous mtn bike races, podiumed 5 times and won the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association series for my division.

Your instruction, professsionalism and emails went above and beyond all expectations.

Kent Wells
2016

Thanks Coach Gene for your time the last 2 days! Your coaching is spot on! I’m so lucky to have had the chance to spend this time learning from the most passionate mountain biker out there – one who cares about the sport and all the techniques that go into it! Total respect! That’s all I have to say! If anyone is questioning or “thinking” about signing up for his camp- DON’T , just do! Thank you Gene!!!!

Gretchen Wavro

This was by far the best use of both money and time in regards to my mountain bike training.
Its 3 days of my life I will never forget.

Jim, BetterRide Camper

The results are starting to trickle in as I have the time to ride some of my local rides that I track my times on. I’m astonished!

My descending time from the summit of Chimney Gulch to the Beaver Brook cross over dropped from a personal best of 6:51.0 to 5:46.0, for the bottom section it went from a personal best of 13:42.0 to 10:12.2. Considering that I really haven’t had enough time to practice a lot yet, I’m stunned at the improvement. I can also say that I felt more in control than I used to and I cleaned a section I’ve never had the balls to even try before.

Again Gene, I can’t thank you enough. The camp was great. Your ability to break skills down into digestible parts, watch riders and help them refine techniques, your humility and sense of humor make you a world class coach. I’ll be taking your next level two clinic this year and probably a refresher next year.”

Mark Forgy
Expert XC racer, Mountain Bike Fanatic

Just wanted to give you an update and let you know that I am starting to experience the delayed effects of your camp. I knew when the camp ended that I was leaving with some new skills that were helpful immediately. But I also knew there were other skills that were going to take more practice, patience and time. Well, I’m starting to see them.

I’ve been practicing descending the way you instructed us but until the last couple of weeks, I knew I was still faster descending the way I always had – I was just more comfortable that way. But in the last couple of weeks, it all kind of clicked.

I’m not winning any downhill races – yet – but all of a sudden (and it really did seem to happen pretty suddenly) your techniques took over and instead of just using them at low speeds only when I thought about it, I was using them all over the trails and feeling pretty comfortable. Now I find myself only reverting to my old techniques when I come into a corner already off balance. Anyway, thanks, it’s a great feeling – can’t wait to use them on race courses this year!

Sarah Kaufman
Top Pro Endurance Racer

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had big improvements in my racing this year after taking the betteride course (about 10 minutes improvement from last year). I got 2nd place in the beginner category at Eldora, then placed 15th out of 35 in the Sport category at Winterpark in my first ‘sport race’. I passed people on the downhill for the first time in these two races, and am feeling much more confident on the downhills (I hit 31.5 mph max on a tight singletrack in the Eldora race).

Jonathan Jones

Tonight was the first night of practice cyclocross races. The cornering techniques I learned in you camp last weekend rock on the cross bike. I was able to carry speed through the corners and off cambers that I could only dream of last year!

I actually found myself cranking up the speed before the corners instead of braking. Nobody else is using this technique. I found my self keeping pace with stronger riders just on cornering skill alone. Imagine after I’ve a had a few weeks to practice.

I had best time of my life on a mountain bike at your camp, and look forward to doing another one next spring.

Chris Cornelison
September 24, 2010

I took your Neshaminy clinic in June. I wanted to fill you in on my race results. I raced all season in the Midatlantic Super Series in Women’s Sport. I won the overall championship! I am so happy that I won! I will be moving up to Elite next year.

I’ve been doing the drills you taught for 20 minutes, twice a week. I almost always preride my race courses. I work on hard sections to figure out the best lines. Since the clinic, I have noticed that my balance has improved tremendously.

So, Gene… thank you for the clinic. I still tell all my riding buddies about it. Especially how you break down the mechanics of everything that you teach. I let them know how you explain the physics behind the techniques. I tell them that the learning environment you provide is the perfect way to learn something, practice it, and really get it. I’d love to do a refresher course.

Angie Wallace
September 15, 2009

Attending Gene’s camp in Sedona was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. You can read skills articles and watch the youtube videos all day, but these will never engrain the skills needed to become a good mountain biker.

Gene’s course teaches you all of the primary skills, and then he drills them into you. You repeat these drills under his watchful eye until the become engrained. It’s been about 9 months since I attended the course and I still hear Gene correcting me if I’m going about an obstacle or turn in the wrong position.

I still make every ride a learning experience because of what he taught, and my riding has improved immensely as a result. Thanks Gene!

Steven Peyton
August, 2018

Just wanted to show you what your lessons made me do this past weekend! If you click on the photo or link to the photo album look through the album and on the 2nd page, bottom row, there’s a great shot of me doing what you taught me to do with my elbows-totally Brian Lopes style.

I was impressed to see myself doing that-a big change in my riding style and I know it’ll make me faster in the long run.

So thanks and I may have some time coming up where I can make it to one of your camps-I’ll let you know.

Amanda Riley, Kenda, Titus, Hayes Team
Winners of 2008, 24 hours of Old Pubelo

Thanks again for holding the camp last weekend. I was finally able to get out and ride yesterday on the falcon trail (loop that goes around the Air Force Academy). There are two sections that I have had problems with in the past. One is a tight turn with two drop offs that are oddly spaced and the landing slopes off into some bushes. I’ve ridden the trail a dozen times and walked that section most times. Once I tried it and endo‘ed into the bushes. When I rode it yesterday, I cleared it with confidence.

I kept repeating to myself “Do or Do Not – There Is No Try” I relaxed, saw the line I wanted to take, found my balance and went through the section very controlled – it was great!

The next section is a steep switchback climb with a ton of sand. I have never made that turn, although I have tried to every time I’ve ridden the trail. This time I approached the switchback using the techniques and strategy you taught us. The result – made it! No problem!

The last thing I noticed is that the whole ride was smoother. I focused primarily on the vision techniques – and body position skills. The ride felt slower than what I normally ride, but it was actually six minutes faster! Absolutely amazing!
Brad
Oct. 8, 2008 (5 days after his 3-day coaching session)

My son took your camp in winter park at age 14. He is 16 and just completed the Laramie Epic (30 miles) last weekend. He placed 2 in the age bracket 0-29. He continues to use your techniques and tips. Smooth is fast! Your worksheets are worn out and weathered from continued use! Worth it….you bet!!!

Sheila Palmer
July 2019

Your camp gave me the confidence to go out and try a few races this summer. My first race was in the beginner 40 to 45 age class in the “Point to Point” cross country race in Winter Park. While I certainly did not break any records – I at least had a respectable finish and more importantly had a total blast.

My second race was a Super D (much more my style in that there is MUCH less uphill cranking) at Winter Park where I got a second place finish in my age group. 3rd race was a Mountain States Cup Super D race in Copper where I came in tenth. Again no records but still having a total blast.

My friends the same age as me think I am crazy doing this stuff but I think they are crazy to be sitting on their arses. Again, thank you for giving me the confidence to go out there and try some racing and hopefully in the near future I will be in another one of your camps!

Will Edgington
September, 2009

Thanks for the e-mail. By the way, after completing your camp in Arizona, I dropped 5 minutes off my previous best lap time at the 12 hours of Temecula mountain bike race (59 to 54 minutes). Obviously, this was a significant breakthrough.

I’ve also noticed that by being a smoother and more efficient rider and by decoupling my body from the bike, I exert less energy and travel faster. “Looking to victory” works like a charm. Most importantly, the basic skills I was exposed to in your camp (and continue to develop) have made mountain biking more enjoyable.

Keith
January 2008

I’ve been wanting to pass on a personal success story. I participated in my first mountain bike race in Copper Harbor, MI. I placed 6th in my age group (over 6 min. behind 3rd place) on a very technical course. Considering the field, I was happy with the results.

My goal after the BetterRide camp was to be in the top 3 in the same race with a similar field. With my new found skills I placed 1st this time with 2nd place over 7 min. behind. I tore it up! Thanks, I’m always telling people that no matter how much they think they know how to ride a mountain bike, they owe it to themselves to attend one of your camps. A year later I still practice my skills every time I’m out.

BTW, a while back you suggested some reading material. I chose Body, Mind Mastery by Dan Millman. (in audio book form). Not only do I feel it helped my mountain bike skills with things like, how tension is counter productive and how the “opponent is not the enemy, but instead the teacher” it also helped me in my own personal life. Good recommendation!
Keep up the good job.

Rich Schmit
April 2011

Gene and fellow BetterRiders!
I have been smiling all day long today, thinking about our rad weekend together! I taught 4 of my kids how to do wheelies today and they thought I was super cool for a solid 5 minutes until they had it completely mastered and were smoking past my on their rear wheels.

Thank you forever, Gene, for sharing your passion and deciding to teach. An empowering, motivating, completely exhilarating weekend. I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning with my new toy. It was a total honor to cross paths with you all!

Currently standing on one leg while I brush my teeth and dictate this email…
Jen

Friends took the 3 day a while ago and really enjoyed it.

I didn’t think I was ready for that but I hired him privately for most of a day. Best experience going. It helped my skiing also. Eyes, eyes and balance via movement on the bike.

Steamboat in the rain…..

John Rostenbur

MTB Skills Camp in Fraser, CO. It was amazing. Phenomenal skills coach, Coach Gene Hamilton, literally broke down the fundamentals of mountain biking in 3 days. Super fun fellow campers. Enjoyed every bit.

Now I need to practice and strengthen some new neural circuits. If you want to improve your MTB skills, no matter your level, take a course from Better Ride.
Patricia George

Thank you, Gene! I thoroughly enjoyed your skills camp. One of the most effective learning environments I have experienced to date. Now it is all about due diligence!

I am interested in a “day with Gene in Moab” and future course offerings.

Ryan Bertram

Gene, The first thing I did was buy some cones. My drive way is pretty steep so can do switch backs there. My pedal wheelies are coming along. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough ride with my vision. On a ride with some small drop offs I realized by using the vision technique I was more balanced, more comfortable and jumped further without trying.

That was the best clinic I have ever done. Thanks for the reading list. I’ve read a number of those books but I now have more to read.

Don Leet

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