Nevada’s wide-open roads and untamed trails were made for two wheels. Cruise along paved bike trails in Reno and Tahoe, or tear through rugged desert washes and alpine ridges mountain biking in Las Vegas. From leisurely rides to heart-pounding descents, the Silver State serves up endless miles of epic terrain—just pick a path and pedal.
Cycling & Mountain Biking in Nevada
Bike Paths, Mountain Bike Trails, and Wide-Open Roads
Adventure doesn’t stop at the pavement. Nevada is stacked with mountain biking trails for every style: smooth and scenic, fast and flowy, or champs-only challenging. Ride legendary switchbacks, tackle EPIC-certified routes, and rip through fresh-cut singletrack popping up all over the state.
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Nevada’s Best Mountain Biking Regions
Ely
Ely and White Pine County are eastern Nevada’s mountain biking basecamps. There are hundreds of miles of trail systems in the region crisscrossing unforgettable terrain, from Cave Lake State Park’s limestone cliffs to Ward Mountain’s pinyon and juniper forests. Sacramento Pass Recreation Area has two-track trail riding that’ll take you past historic mining ruins, while Great Basin National Park is a stunning locale for road cycling.
Caliente & Barnes Canyon
Just minutes from downtown Caliente, riders can get in on solitude, adventure, and excitement while exploring diverse geology and topography on concentric loops of difficulty. Barnes Canyon Mountain Bike Trails—one of Nevada’s newest and fastest-growing single trail systems—offers a wide diversity of runs that range from fast and flowy to rocky and technical. With even more miles of trails at Kershaw-Ryan State Park, Ella Mountain, and the Caliente Bike Skills Park, it’s easy to see why Caliente is one of the Silver State’s hottest biking spots.
Northern Nevada
The name says it all. Winnemucca’s Bloody Shins Trail promises 17 miles of leg-scratching sagebrush. The track is divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced grades, with some playful, flowy stretches and a few rock-studded challenges. For a more remote ride, plan an overnight or multi-day stop along Austin’s mountain bike trail network, whose chaparral-cloaked hillsides draw bikers of all skill levels looking to log solid miles.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Feeling competitive? Head for Nevada cycling events like Caliente’s Beaver Dam Gravel Grinder Mountain Bike Ride or the country’s oldest mountain bike enduro race: Ely’s Fears, Tears and Beers.
Reno
Reno’s biking scene rolls through river corridors, sagebrush basins, and pine-covered switchbacks that keep dirt lovers coming back for more. The Tahoe-Pyramid Trail runs right through the heart of the city, following the Truckee River on a mix of paved and dirt paths. This ambitious route connects Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, offering quiet stretches, bridges, and views that shift with the season.
If you’re riding in search of a rhythm, the Steamboat Ditch Trail delivers it. This mostly flat, gravel route traces an old irrigation canal and carves a winding line into Reno’s western hills, perfect for cruisers, cross-country riders, and anyone chasing golden hour.
For mountain bikers, the options open up fast. Sky Tavern Mountain Bike Park, just south of Mt. Rose Highway, serves up lift-access trails with flowy turns and forested drops. On the city’s northwest edge, Peavine Mountain offers a gritty network of climbs and descents with wide-open views. And for a quicker loop close to town, Huffaker Hills delivers short climbs and smooth singletrack with postcard-perfect views of the surrounding valleys.
Lake Tahoe
Internationally regarded as one of the most jaw-dropping trails in the world, the Lake Tahoe Flume Trail offers unbeatable hiking, mountain biking, and some of the best views of Big Blue. Much of the trail hugs the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side, but a portion winds through Spooner Lake & Backcountry State Park, climbing 1,100 feet before topping out at Marlette Lake. Expect to ride through granite boulders the size of Volkswagens, bomb an incredible 1,600-foot drop into Sand Harbor State Park, and follow an all-around spectacular singletrack along this Lake Tahoe mountain biking wonderland.
Your time two-wheeling Tahoe isn’t complete without riding the iconic Tahoe Rim Trail: a 165-mile trail system circling the entire lake. Cyclists can access via nine trailheads and ride all sections—except those within the Desolation Wilderness—and expect a variety of terrain for intermediate and advanced skill levels.
Looking for a Trail?
View and download up-to-date maps, descriptions, and directions for thousands of miles of Nevada trails for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, OHV riders, and more.
Las Vegas
Southern Nevada thrills visitors in so many ways, and Las Vegas bike trails are no exception. Just beyond the bright lights of The Strip, you’ll find mountain biking in Red Rock Canyon, one of the most gorgeous recreation areas in the U.S. Boasting small drops, rock gardens, and mixed terrain, the Blue Diamond Loop along the North Cottonwood Valley Trail system is loaded with everything the cyclist in all of us hopes for. Badger Pass Loop also weaves its way through vibrant desertscapes.
Less than 30 minutes from Las Vegas, Bootleg Canyon—considered one of the best biking spots in the country—offers gravity-testing descents and cross-country trails in Boulder City. There are more intermediate and advanced trails than beginner options, but all are welcome to take on this renowned riding network.
A short drive from Las Vegas, get into great mountain biking trails in Mesquite, or ride hundred-year-old burro trails-turned singletrack at Spicer Ranch, just outside of Beatty.
A Road Biker’s Paved Paradise
Every year, thousands of riders take on the 400+ miles of the Loneliest Road in America, which stretches from South Lake Tahoe to Baker with elevation gains ranging between 2,300 to 5,000 feet per day. By riding the entire route on Highway 50, you’ll get bragging rights for traversing the most mountainous state in the Lower 48.
Road bikers can loop through Red Rock Canyon, too, as well as climb up and down Elko’s glacier-carved Lamoille Canyon. Feeling ambitious? All 72 miles of road around Lake Tahoe are cycling territory.
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