Things to do / Travel Guide
When it comes to variety, you can't beat the views and trails of the Yellowstone area. Outside of the parks, Big Sky and Grand Targhee offer lift-serviced trails and West Yellowstone hosts an excellent network of bike trails, with Bozeman serving as the region's mountain-biking hub. Bike services, repairs, and rentals are not available in the parks, but are plentiful outside the region in gateway towns, such as Jackson, West Yellowstone, Cody and Moose (Grand Teton National Park). Bikers will find the Bicycle Guidance Map published by the Wyoming Department of Transportation to be a very helpful guide.
Biking in Yellowstone National Park
Inside Yellowstone National Park, cyclists can ride on all public roads and some designated service roads, but are not allowed on trails or in backcountry areas. Bikers should be aware of the heavy traffic and the fact that many of Yellowstone's roads are winding and narrow with little or no shoulders – not always the best conditions for bikers. Some of the best main roads in the park for bikers include the sections between Mammoth and Tower, from Tower to Cooke City, from Canyon to Lake, and from Lake to Grant Village. The unpaved climb from Chittenden Road trailhead to Mt. Washburn's summit at 10,250 feet is a strenuous but thrilling three-hour ride that consists of three up-hill miles, and a heart-pumping decent.
The Old Gardiner Road between Mammoth and Gardiner is one peaceful ride for bikers looking to steer clear of the crowds and commotion of the park. After an uphill climb, the dirt road descends 1000 feet in a distance of five miles. Bikers will need a car shuttle – or a lot of strength – for the uphill trek back. From Gardiner, bikers can continue on into Paradise Valley along dirt roads. Six-mile Bunsen Peak Road is another popular dirt road route for bikers, as is the more challenging Blacktail Plateau Drive.
Biking Grand Teton National Park
As in Yellowstone, bikers are generally not allowed on Grand Teton's backcountry roads or trails, but there are plenty of pleasant to strenuous options located on the park's main paved roads, dirt roads, or bordering bike trails. The wide-shouldered Teton Park road from Moose north to Jackson Lake Junction is one paved road option. November through April, the road is closed to vehicles and ruled by bikers, pedestrians, and skaters. The Antelope Flats area provides an easy, quiet ride on both paved and dirt roads past some of the area's most picturesque views – bison, barns, and views of the Tetons themselves. Biking tour companies often run tours in this area. From the highway turnout by Blacktail Butte, a 13.5 mile loop takes in Mormon Row and the Kelley settlement before returning via Antelope Flats Road. Another popular route is the Shadow Mountain bike trail located just east of the park in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is a fairly strenuous nine-mile round trip, looping along a gravel road, taking off from Antelope Flats and climbing through Forest Service land to beautiful vistas.
Biking Trails Near Jackson Hole
The Cache Creek Loop, also known as the Game Creek Loop is an incredibly scenic and rewarding route, located southeast of Jackson with striking views of the Gros Ventre Range and Snake River Valley. The route has a little bit of everything including dirt roads through forests and a steep single-track rising to high alpine meadows. The route begins at the base of Snow Kind Mountain in Jackson, and follows Cache Creek through a dense forest. The wide trail, which eases as it nears the junction with Game Creek, becomes steeper, but never for long enough stretches to over exhaust one. After a few miles of uphill climb, bikers are rewarded with almost five miles of incredible downhill, a twisting perfectly banked trail through Jackson's mountain scenery. The trail meets up with U.S. 191 where riders can access South Park Road for a pleasant ride back to town.
The Black Canyon Creek ride involves three miles of challenging uphill climb, followed by eight miles of steep downhill down the eastern side of the Teton Range towards the Black Canyon Creek. Riders will spot the Snake River Valley stretching below the trail, which winds across the mountains through shoulder-high brush and forest land.
Biking in West Yellowstone, Idaho
Bordered by Yellowstone National Park to the east and Gallatin National Forest on all other sides, West Yellowstone is surrounded by excellent biking terrain with an extensive network of road and mountain bike trails. Once the snow melts, users of the Rendezvous Trail System switch in their skis for hiking boots. The ski trails become West Yellowstone's most popular and easy to accesses mountain biking trails come March. Starting at the south end of Geyser Street, a variety of rolling single track winds its way through the middle of 30 miles of groomed ski and skating trails, providing plenty of cutoffs that allow for short, medium or long distance rides.
For a more challenging ride, the 30-mile round trip route between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction is another popular pick. One of the trails highlights is the wildlife you're bound to spot along the way – bison, elk, coyote and eagle sighting are common. Some other challenging tracks are outside of town, located on US Forest Service land: Tepee Creek to Red Canyon, Coffin Lake, Lion's Head and Mile Creek.
Bozeman (not Bozman!), Montana Bike Trails
Criss-crossing the nearby foothills and mountains, single track mountain biking trails surround the town of Bozeman. Riders can even enjoy touring the city streets. Located about 17 miles southeast of Bozeman, and four miles south of the Hyalite Reservoir, the single track Emerald Lake trail has rocks, roots, and water bars but is still a rideable thrill. Intermediate bikers will enjoy Emerald Lake's switchbacks, and all riders will enjoy the surrounding alpine scenery, wildlife, lake, and creeks. Mountain bikers flock to 10-mile long Bangtail Trail (Grassy Mountain), starting at Highway 86 and ending at Bangtail Station.
Grand Targhee Resort Biking Trails
Grand Targhee resort offers bike trails ranging from novice to expert, with a chairlift that provides great views and a fun downhill ride for advanced cyclists. A network of trails start at the base, offering double track and single track riding among a landscape of wildflowers and aspens, through the Caribou-Targhee National Forest with excellent views of the Teton Range and Grand Teton. Easy to moderate routes include 4.3 mile Ricks Basin and the 2.5 mile Bike Loop. Quakie Ridge at 6.9 miles and 6 mile long Mill Creek Trail are the mountain's moderate trails, and Teton Vista Down is the mountain's most challenging track; a 2.8 mile route that takes you to the drainage between Fred's Mountain and Peaked Mountain and onto Fred's. The mountain resort hosts a unique 24-hour bike race every year, which can be a solo endurance or team event.
Biking Big Sky, Montana
For miles of back country scenery, wildflowers, and spectacular wildlife sightings, Big Sky Ski Resort serves up access-easy biking trails in the summer months. There are 10 trails on and around the mountain that bikers can explore. Ski lift access and forest roads offer off-pavement and out-of-traffic experiences. Downhill trails offering beginner, moderate, and advanced thrills are access-easy with the ski lift and forest trails of the Big Sky Ski resort. Downhill mountain biking on the resort's scenic gondola ride takes you 9,000 feet in an enclosed, four-passenger car lift together with your biking equipment.
Biking Routes in Greater Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana
Biking
|
|
|