Known for flowy, laomy buff singletrack complemented with more rowdy, advanced terrain in the sub-alpine and alpine, riders can turn it up for weeks on end without ever repeating the same ride. In a place where every ride takes you somewhere magical, it’s as though you’ve arrived in mountain bike nirvana. It can be overwhelming at first so we have put together the 5 things that will help you best maximize your experience in Sun Valley.

Bike Shops and Guide Services

With so many trails of varying levels of difficulty it can be overwhelming on where to start. Whether your just getting into the sport or a seasoned professional looking for that brutal expedition there is a bike shop or guide that can get you headed in the right direction. Beyond decades of local knowledge and having all the best spots to go Guides are crucial in local stewardship and personifying etiquette. Whether your looking to dodge the crowds or expand your skills there is a guide in town that will make your short time here unforgettable.

Blogs

Lift Access

Whether you’re enjoying lunch at the Roundhouse Lodge or the of hiking and biking trails, you can’t beat the incredible panoramic views of some of Idaho’s highest peaks and the cool temperatures on top of Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain (9,150 ft.). With 3,400 feet of vertical drop to the valley floor, the European-style ski mountain lends itself quite well to a hair-on-fire big mountain experience on two wheels.

Riding the lift to the top might take a lot of the leg work out of the equation but be ready for the decent because the vertical on Bald Mountain will have your arms pumping. The Saddle Up trail is downhill-only mountain bike trail that invites experienced riders to take on the banked turns, rollers and jumps. From there you can connect to the newly added Mindbender Trail that then connects down to River Run Trail. This segment offers a sequence of switchbacks in the thick trees returning you to base of Sun Valley. Connecting these three trails provides a 9.5 mile downhill on purpose build flow trail, arguably the longest flow trail on any resort in North America.

Pump Tracks and Bike Park

Hailey and Ketchum both offer bike parks with closed loop pump tracks suitable for everyone from kids on Stryder bikes to adults looking for a bit of air time and a lot of flow. Ketchum’s is adjacent to Hemingway Elementary School.

Quigley Canyon is now home to a new pump park, flow trails, and jump lines near Wood River High School. This new bike park offers room for progression as well as some huge features to get the pros excited!

Mountain Biking Trail Etiquette

• Stick to Open Trails | Abide all trail rules, regulations, and closures and only ride open trails. Don’t trespass over private property or federal and state protected lands.
• Share the Trail & Yield | Be a courteous rider and yield appropriately to others. Bikers should yield to hikers, horses & uphill moving dirt bikers. Yield with one foot on the ground and two wheels on the trail. When yielding for horses, step to the downhill side of the trail. Downhill bikers yield to uphill riders. In many cases, hikers will yield to uphill bikers.
• Leave No Trace | Stay off of muddy trails don’t cut corners, or skid your turns to help us maintain the integrity of the trails. We also ask that you pick-up any wrappers and trash that you might accumulate along the way.
• Stay in Control | Keep your riding in control and be sure that you can safely stop for others.
• COVID-19 Precautions | On narrow trails, announce your presence when coming up on others. Stop and give a friendly greeting, followed by a request for the other party to stop also. Give people lots of room, as some prefer to have much more than 6 feet of space.