Log in
My Account
Subscribe 99¢ for 3 months
Newsletter

Today's Digital Newspaper

The Gazette

Weather Block Here

Login
My Account
Subscribe
Newsletter

Archive Information

Carrier Portal

Search

Buy Our Photos

Study asks, Where does Colorado rank in ‘best mountain biking experience’ nationally?

By Jonathan Ingraham June 27, 2025 | updated 2 months ago

Mountain bike park returning to former glory this summer in Colorado

Steamboat Bike Park is expected to fully open this summer for the first time since 2018. Photo courtesy Steamboat Resort

Mountain bike park returning to former glory this summer in Colorado

Steamboat Bike Park is expected to fully open this summer for the first time since 2018. Photo courtesy Steamboat Resort



Where does Colorado rank nationally among the best mountain biking experiences in the U.S.?

A recent study from bike rack company VelociRAX (www.velocirax.com) tackled this question by analyzing seven key factors the company felt shape the riding experience.

Here are the factors, along with their respective weights:

  • Number of trails per 1,000 square miles – 22.5%
  • Percentage of hilly terrain – 22.5%: (Terrain with slopes greater than 3 degrees)
  • Miles of trails per 1,000 square miles 15%
  • Percentage of difficult trails 15%
  • Average trail score (out of 100) – 10%: (Based on rider reviews, this reflects the overall quality and enjoyment of the trails)
  • Bikeability rank – 10%
  • Average elevation (in feet) – 5%

All 50 states mountain biking experience ranking

Rank State Number of Trails per 1,000 Square Miles % of Hilly Terrain (Defined as >3° Slope) Miles of Trails per 1,000 Square Miles % of Difficult Trails Average Trail Score (out of 100) Rideability Rank Average Elevation (in Feet) Total Score
1 Vermont 64.89 69.02 53.24 25.8 81 22 1,210.00 56.8
2 West Virginia 15.36 78.31 27.27 24.28 84 33 1,657.55 50.55
3 Idaho 18.21 32.55 65.34 36.4 74 36 5,231.24 48.61
4 Massachusetts 132.37 3.87 108.39 14.39 79 2 534.87 45.99
5 New Hampshire 71.18 25.85 70.96 18.02 76 31 1,121.31 44.62
6 Colorado 45.35 14.97 109 27.41 72 6 6,860.61 43.96
7 Connecticut 88.4 11.82 94.53 17.35 79 13 464.2 42.64
8 Montana 6.98 36.53 20.81 38.39 68 43 4,134.57 42.53
9 Maryland 93.74 3.3 126.59 13.76 77 9 400 41.96
10 Pennsylvania 41.97 32.36 65.14 21.68 77 19 1,233.22 40.34
11 Hawaii 6.86 39.14 26.62 29.33 80 25 2,956.55 38.36
12 Utah 22.3 26.36 62.49 25.99 69 14 6,011.91 37.36
13 Wyoming 7.95 21.21 14.09 25.84 74 44 6,396.12 35.22
14 Tennessee 23.44 20.37 38.77 23.71 78 29 938.15 33.56
15 Virginia 34.87 12.34 65.11 25.78 74 12 993.25 32.85
16 New Jersey 50.56 4.39 83.8 12.7 76 26 227.95 32.41
17 Alaska 0.42 39.52 1.27 26.16 76 34 710.56 32.1
18 Kentucky 11.63 21.26 23.36 19.57 88 32 815.66 31.13
19 New Mexico 11.42 13.23 28.12 24.21 66 35 5,771.76 30.18
20 Arizona 14.32 8.72 36.83 23.59 68 37 4,213.12 29.9
21 Nevada 4.08 14.7 13.05 23.5 74 38 5,527.71 29.66
22 Arkansas 25.65 10.5 27.04 16.94 83 39 524.22 29.65
23 Oregon 11.01 31.92 32.61 23.27 73 3 3,520.85 29.17
24 Missouri 9.87 3.23 21.26 21.51 84 49 844.72 28.75
25 California 31 17.96 60.47 18.84 69 4 2,796.36 28.58
26 Alabama 8.03 9.24 11.27 21.85 83 46 451.86 27.97
27 North Carolina 22.06 8.93 40.19 18.87 77 17 744.65 25.2
28 New York 31.03 8.49 34.9 15.89 79 15 1,045.33 24.94
29 Washington 22.86 20.06 34.87 17.98 73 1 2,280.59 24.35
30 Rhode Island 33.66 0.41 25.89 19.23 81 18 248.13 24.02
31 Nebraska 1.02 0 4.02 19.23 78 48 2,604.78 22.82
32 South Dakota 2.89 6.76 6.95 14.8 79 45 2,184.60 22.77
33 Georgia 13.14 3.36 27.93 20.36 74 23 498.37 21.57
34 Ohio 14.57 6.08 24.34 17.3 79 16 891.44 20.9
35 Wisconsin 8.02 2.65 14.67 16.84 83 27 1,006.09 20.77
36 South Carolina 12.22 1.18 24.61 7.34 78 47 316.71 20.32
37 Indiana 10.02 0.53 14.39 20.55 82 20 738.93 20.25
38 Maine 7.63 6.84 15.66 13.33 82 28 757.45 20.22
39 Mississippi 3.05 0 4.56 9.09 89 50 282.35 20.14
40 Oklahoma 4.45 0.96 7.23 11.8 80 42 1,287.86 19.04
41 Delaware 32.32 0 50.28 7.94 78 7 44.57 18.38
42 Texas 5.59 0.57 8.5 14.51 79 30 1,649.20 18.06
43 Iowa 6.68 0.48 7.14 15.16 84 24 1,062.98 17.94
44 Michigan 13.92 0.11 39.27 12.01 80 10 771.49 17.43
45 Minnesota 8.92 1.72 16.28 19.58 76 5 1,198.06 15.97
46 Florida 13.49 0 20 12.63 76 8 58.26 13.36
47 North Dakota 1.17 0 2.68 7.41 69 41 1,827.50 13.14
48 Kansas 4.84 0.13 9.1 6.53 80 21 1,906.83 12.9
49 Louisiana 1.4 0 4.91 4.92 74 40 93.5 12.1
50 Illinois 9.81 0.03 18.35 7.04 79 11 618.71 11.82

As for Colorado, well, the Centennial State ranked sixth, according to the study.

Colorado was found to be famous for its high mountains and outdoor sports. It has fewer trails per area but offers over 109 miles of trails per 1,000 square miles. Its terrain is less hilly than some others at 15%, but it has a good percentage of difficult trails at 27%. Colorado’s high average elevation of nearly 6,900 feet adds to its appeal for riders seeking altitude and challenge.

Colorado Trail bikepack trip Gudy's Rest on Segment 28

Denver Gazette Digital Producer Jonathan Ingraham's helmet dangles from his mountain bike with the northern massif of Perins Peak visible in the background Tuesday, July 30, 2024 northwest of Durango, Colorado while at Gudy's Rest on Segment 28 of the Colorado Trail.

Jonathan Ingraham jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com

Colorado Trail bikepack trip Gudy's Rest on Segment 28

Denver Gazette Digital Producer Jonathan Ingraham’s helmet dangles from his mountain bike with the northern massif of Perins Peak visible in the background Tuesday, July 30, 2024 northwest of Durango, Colorado while at Gudy’s Rest on Segment 28 of the Colorado Trail.






Only two other western states made the top 10.

Sign Up For Free: Denver Gazette Outdoors

View all of our newsletters.

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

View all of our newsletters.

function subscribeSuccess() {
var nsltrform = document.querySelector(“#nsltr”);
var nsltrSuccess = document.querySelector(“#successnsltr”);

nsltrform.classList.add(“hideblock”);
nsltrSuccess.classList.remove(“hideblock”);
}

function validateEmail(email) {
return String(email)
.toLowerCase()
.match(
/^(([^()[]\.,;:s@”]+(.[^()[]\.,;:s@”]+)*)|(“.+”))@(([[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}])|(([a-zA-Z-0-9]+.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/
);
}

function validateEmailAddress() {
const result = document.querySelector(“#result”);
const email = document.querySelector(“#email”).value;

result.innerText = “”;

if(validateEmail(email)) {
newsletterSubscribe(email);
} else {
result.innerText = ‘The email entered: ‘ + email + ‘ is not valid :(‘;
result.style.color = “red”;
}
return false;
}

function newsletterSubscribe(email) {
fetch(“https://services.gazette.com/mg2-newsletters.php?action=subscribe&site=denvergazette.com&emailPreferenceId=60&email=” + email, {
method: “POST”
}).then(res => {
console.log(“SUCCESSFUL POST”);
subscribeSuccess();
});

}

#nsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #2076b3;

background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/dg%20outdoors%20sign%20up.png);
background-size: cover;

}

#nsltr-header {
color: #fff4f4;
}
#nsltr-body {
text-align: center;
color: ;
}
#nsltr-button {
margin-top: 5px;
}
#successnsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: green;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}

#successnsltr a {
color: white;
}

.hideblock {
display:none;
}

h6 a {
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px;
background-color: #bbccdd;
font-weight: 600;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
#nsltr {
background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/dg%20outdoors%20sign%20up.png);
background-size: cover;
}
}

Featured Local Savings

Idaho ranked third, standing out with its high average elevation of over 5,200 feet. It has fewer trails per square mile but offers the highest percentage of difficult trails at 36.4%. With 65.34 miles of trails per 1,000 square miles and a solid average trail score, Idaho appeals to more experienced mountain bikers.

Montana ranked eighth, with fewer trails at about 7 per 1,000 square miles but a decent 36.5% hilly terrain. It offers fewer miles of trails per area but has the highest percentage of difficult trails along with Idaho, at 38.4%. Its high elevation of over 4,100 feet adds to its rugged mountain biking options.

VCMP Session Series

A female mountain bike racer banks on a berm on Drop Shaft trail during race three of the Session Series Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at Trek Trails at Virginia Canyon Mountain Park in Idaho Springs, Colorado. Part of Idaho Springs, including I-70, is seen in the distance.

Jonathan Ingraham jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com

VCMP Session Series

A female mountain bike racer banks on a berm on Drop Shaft trail during race three of the Session Series Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at Trek Trails at Virginia Canyon Mountain Park in Idaho Springs, Colorado. Part of Idaho Springs, including I-70, is seen in the distance.






The No. 1 spot went to small, but mighty Vermont, according to the study.

Vermont topped the list for mountain biking with a solid balance of factors. It has 64.89 trails per 1,000 square miles and nearly 70% hilly terrain. The state offers 53.24 miles of trails per 1,000 square miles, with over a quarter marked as difficult. Vermont’s trails score well on average, and its moderate elevation of 1,210 feet adds to a varied riding experience.

Methodology use:

The study ranked U.S. states for mountain biking by evaluating seven key factors influencing the quality and challenge of the riding experience. Each factor was assigned a specific weight based on its importance to mountain bikers, and data was collected for all 50 states.

The factors were scored on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing better mountain biking conditions.

Sources came from:

  • MTB Project
  • USDA Economic Research Service
  • Trailforks
  • League of American Bicyclists

(Contact Denver Gazette Digital Strategist Jonathan Ingraham at jonathan.ingraham@denvergazette.com or on X at @Skingraham.)

94db2538-c02e-4c66-bf18-25544ffa9161

View Original Article | Split View
Tags
Jonathan Ingraham

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Popular trail in Colorado's mountains to celebrate groundbreaking ceremony in early July

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Two females walk along a section of the Eagle Valley Trail in Eagle County near Eagle, Colorado. Courtesy photo, Eagle County Recreationalists not only in Eagle County, but throughout Colorado, should be excited to know that construction on a 7-mile gap along the Eagle Valley […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Popular Colorado mountain recreation area to see realignment on trails

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Starting in early July, visitors to the very popular Brainard Lake Recreation Area west of Boulder, Colorado can expect delays and some safety hazards in place as maintenance crews work to realign and build trails at the Indian Peaks Wilderness location. The U.S. Department of […]