Crested Butte Mountain Bike
Trail Guide
The high alpine valleys and forests of Crested Butte is home to some of the most beautiful mountain bike rides in the United States, and an awesome bike park to boot. There are great mountain bike trails in Crested Butte for riders of all styles, from the downhill trails at the ski area to the cross country adventure riding. The descents through aspen tree forests and meadows are some of the best rides mountain bike trails in Colorado. With mile after miles of gorgeous singletrack, this southern Colorado town offers mountain bikers a bounty of fun riding to explore.
| Total Trails | 50+ | Difficulty | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert |
| Total Distance | 200+ miles | Style | Cross County, All-Mountain, Downhill |
evo's Favorite Trails
401 Trail
Intermediate/Advanced | 8.6 Miles | 1,484' Climb | 2,389' Descent
Huge views of the Elk Mountains and a more than 2,000’ vertical descent make 401 is one of Crested Butte’s best mountain bike trails. The wild flowers make quite the backdrop as the smooth trail drops through the high (11,000’+) Colorado Rocky Mountain alpine. There are some portions of the 401 trail that have exposure and high consequences falls, but for the most part, the trail is smooth and fast. 401 is ridden as a loop with a forest road climb up Gothic Road to Schofield Pass. Copper Creek Trailhead
Doctor Park
Advanced| 7 Miles | 416' Climb | 2,750' Descent
Doctor Park is one of the best mountain bike trails in Crested Butte, it really shows off what southern Colorado mountain biking is all about. The flowy singletrack through meadows, and technical sections through the aspen forest are all-time. The rocky sections earn the advanced rating for sure, along with some tight turns, but most confident trail riders will be able to handle Dr. Park, and have a great time doing it. Most mountain bikers will ride Doctor Park as a 20 mile loop using forest roads to climb, and descend on the singletrack, or shuttle to the top. Reno, Flag, Bear Creek & Deadmans Loop
Intermediate/advanced | 18.3 Miles | 3,400' Descent
Mountain bikers visiting Crested butte from afar and local riders alike will love this loop of trails just outside of town. The loop has mostly smooth natural singletrack that works in and out of the alpine meadows and forests. A pretty tough climb up Reno Road delivers riders to great singletrack and some killer descents. The Flag Creek Trail is smooth and fast as it descends from the road climb. Soon after crossing a gravel creek crossing and entering the forest, Bear Creek Trail turns right to continue the loop. Bear Creek has another awesome descent. Deadman Gulch trail caps off the ride with a long and steady climb to a switchback filled (there are over 30) descent.Trailhead Directions
Teocalli Mountain & Teocalli Ridge Trails
Advanced | 6 Miles | 1,135' Climb | 2,027' Descent
Crested Butte has a wealth of great mountain bike descents, and Teocalli is certainly one of them. Good lines of sight and smooth trail mean high speed fun here. After ripping through aspen tree clad hillsides, Teocalli Ridge opens up to reveal gorgeous valley views, before dipping back in and out of the woods. Despite the advanced rating, confident intermediates will be able to handle the trail. Strand Hill
Intermediate | 2 Miles | 143' Climb | 735' Descent
Strand Hill is a fun shorter mountain bike trail, with only about 800’ of elevation change. This can be a good changeup form the longer rides and big climbs.Intermediate mountain bikers and advanced riders will love the fun and flowy singletrack. Climbing Strand Bonus to get to Strand Hill is a good 6 mile loop. Evolution Bike Park
at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
The Evolution Bike Park is Crested Butte ski area’s chairlift accessed mountain bike park, where there are all kinds of awesome downhill mountain bike trails. Two chairlifts serve more than 25 mountain bike trails for riders of all ability levels. There are great beginner cross country style trails near the base of the ski hill, and some awesome intermediate trails, but the gnarly technical advanced and expert downhill trails are the star of the show. Luge and Frequency are the preferred intermediate trails, with the later having some of the best jumps on the mountain.
Captain Jack
Expert | .9 Miles | 773' Descent
Captain Jack is a really fun singletrack descent. The trail is singletrack with embed rocks, more natural than normal buffed out bike park flow. Mixed in throughout the trail there are plenty of jumps, drops, and a couple wooden features. There are a couple tricky rock garden sections where line choice is definitely important, and some tight squeezes through the woods.The technicality definitely keeps you on your toes. The lower section gets faster, flowier, and jumpier as it emerges from the woods onto ski runs. Avery
Advanced/Expert | 1.6 Miles | 937' Descent
The Avery trail is a very well-balanced downhill mountain bike trail, with a nice mix of flowy berms and technical rock gardens. Avery is definitely challenging, but it is super fun. The very tricky Psycho Rocks trail branches off of Avery. Expert mountain bikers will love to test their mettle on the Evolution Bike Park’s Psycho Rocks trail. Starting with a steep wooden roll into berm, the technicality is unrelenting, with tricky lines in and around every corner. There are long rock gardens, wooden skinnies and plenty of drops. Ride it if you dare. 
Our Favorite Mountain Bike Pads for Crested Butte
Crested Butte is located in southwest Colorado, a four hour drive from both Denver and Colorado springs. Mountain bikers visiting from afar also have the option to fly into the Gunnison airport, a 35 minute drive from Crested Butte. There are direct flights from several major cities, and shuttle services to town.
Our Favorite Bikes for Crested Butte
Rental and demo bikes are available at evo Seattle, evo Portland, evo Denver, evo Whistler, evo Salt Lake, evo Snoqualmie Pass, and evo Hood River. (Note: The cost of up to three evo bike demos can be applied toward the final cost of purchasing a new or used bike from us.)
Located at high altitudes in the San Juan Mountains, the mountain bike trails in Crested Butte can take a while to melt out from winter snowfall. The trails usually emerge from their winter hibernation between mid June and mid July depending on the year. The mountain biking in Crested Butte is awesome all summer long, but fall is perhaps one of the best times to visit, with mild temperatures, and beautiful golden leaf clad aspen trees.
