7 Great National Parks for Mountain Bikers

Written by
Ryan Wood
See the beauty of preserved national land from the seat of your mountain bike. Here are seven parks that encourage mountain biking on designated roads and trails throughout their beautiful landscape.
Canyonlands National Park
Utah
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A mountain biker's paradise, particularly at the Island in the Sky district which has the famed 100-mile White Rim Road off-road bikers love. (Photo: Canyonlands NP)
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Big Bend National Park
Texas
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Located near the U.S.-Mexico border, this park has 160 miles of dirt roads for all types of cyclists. In all, about 10 different trails provide views of the Chisos Mountains and beautiful rock formations.
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Mammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
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Though the draw of the park is underground, there are plenty of great mountain biking opportunities on the surface of Mammoth Cave National Park. A 9-mile hilly Railroad Trail and a shorter White Oak Trail is open to both bikers and hikers. More trails are currently being developed. (Photo: Mammoth Cave NP)
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Saguaro National Park
Arizona
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Several trails that explore this park are open to mountain bikers, including the Hope Camp Trail, the Cactus Forest Trail, the Cactus Forest Loop Road and the Bajada Loop Drive.
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii
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Several cinder and gravel trails tour some of America's most stunning landscapes. A favorite is the 12-mile Escape Road that travels through dense rain forest and an old lava flow. It is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but bikers are asked to be mindful of sulfur dioxide gas and sulfuric acid mist from the volcanoes that could make breathing difficult.
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Badlands National Park
South Dakota
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Three routes are recommended for off-road biking: The 27-mile Northeast-Big Foot loop, the 17-mile Northeast loop and the 23-mile Sage Creek Loop. All three routes are a mix of paved and unpaved road.
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Death Valley National Park
California
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The hottest, lowest, and driest place on Earth has hundreds of miles of roads that mountain bikers are free to ride on. It includes paved roads, dirt roads, loose gravel, wash-board gravel and rutted gravel. In all, the massive park has hundreds of miles of off-road riding available.
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