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5 of the best mountain bike trails in Idaho

1 week ago 1

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Idaho might just be the most underrated state in the Western USA. While the uninitiated may envision flat fields filled with potatoes, most mountain bikers know that Idaho is home to some of the most rugged and remote mountains in the Lower 48. When you get the chance to journey deep into Idaho’s backcountry, you’ll find towering mountain peaks and deep river-scored valleys that will imprint an entirely new vision of Idaho in your brain.

The Continental Divide runs along the eastern edge of the state, and the formidable Rocky Mountains hide an endless array of big mountain epics. Close to population centers, dense trail networks have been developed. Boise, Idaho’s largest city, boasts some 220 miles of singletrack spread across its foothills. Mountain towns like McCall are surrounded by modern trail systems on all sides, while Ketchum/Sun Valley splits the difference between classic backcountry trails and newer builds. And it seems like Idaho has a true wealth of lift-served bike parks, with ski resorts both large and small spinning lifts in the summertime.

If a “best of” list could ever claim to offer under-the-radar epics, this is it!

Osberg Ridgeline Epic, Ketchum

The Osberg Ridgeline Epic is a high-alpine point-to-point adventure that is “hands down one of the best rides in Idaho,” according to Miles Eyre, Field & Logistics Coordinator for the Wood River Trails Coalition. The ride lives up to its name with big climbs, long-distance singletrack, and jaw-dropping views. The trail traverses a post-wildfire landscape where blackened trunks contrast with vivid wildflowers, offering a dramatic visual experience.

“The Osberg section offers about 11 miles of true backcountry singletrack featuring some brutal climbs and fast, technical descents that drop you right into the top of Alden Gulch,” said Eyre. “From there, it’s like flipping a switch — you transition onto five miles of fully machine-built, one-way downhill trail, packed with features you’d expect to find in a bike park.

“What makes this ride so unique is how it seamlessly blends two completely different trail styles: raw, rugged backcountry and smooth, flowy downhill. Somehow, it just works, and it adds up to one of the raddest rides on the planet. I stand by that.”

Brundage to Bear Basin, McCall

It’s no secret that the McCall mountain bike scene is going off, and now the renowned destination is home to its own epic shuttle run. Thanks to the recent completion of the final missing link in 2023, mountain bikers can now descend over 2,800 vertical feet from the summit of Brundage Mountain on 12 miles of spectacular singletrack. The shuttle run, known as “Brundage to Bear Basin,” is quickly becoming known as “the best 12 miles of mountain biking in McCall.”

“The different sections of this trail have been built piece by piece over the past seven years,” according to a press release from Brundage Mountain. “The Brundage Mountain Bike Park opened the Lakeview Vista trail in 2019 and added Rock Garden in 2021, then CIMBA (Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association) spearheaded a coordinated effort to complete B2BB in 2023. All three trails are rated intermediate.”

Chief Joseph Pass -> Sheep Creek, Salmon

Chief Joseph Pass is a paved highway pass that crosses the Continental Divide on the Montana/Idaho state line. From the pass, riders can head south on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), which climbs out of the trees and into the alpine, offering jaw-dropping views. Like many other trails in the region, the CDT passes through an eerie landscape filled with the still-standing blackened trunks of dead trees. However, life will always persevere — carpets of wildflowers and first-growth vegetation are already growing through the ash-covered landscape.

Two of the best descents off the CDT are Sheep Creek and Threemile Ridge. While you can’t go wrong with either one, Sheep Creek is arguably the most popular. The seven-mile trail drops about 2,900 vertical feet off the Divide, although it climbs 1,600 feet as well. The singletrack curls around a steep mountainside on narrow singletrack, offering even more views from wildflower-choked meadows. When it’s finally time to go down, the trail drops fast and furious on mostly-smooth singletrack.

Missing Lynx, Lower Basin Trails, Sandpoint

The Lower Basin trails in Sandpoint have seen a radical amount of trail development in recent years. The Pend Oreille Pedalers (POP) have built 10 miles of new trail in 2024, and another seven miles are slated for construction in 2025. One of the best new trails in the system is the black diamond-rated Missing Lynx downhill trail.

“Missing Lynx is as close to world-class as it gets,” said Emily Strizich, Executive Director for POP. “I think it’s pretty insane… It’s like a hybrid black tech flow trail.”

While this black diamond trail has ride-arounds on all the features, if you decide to send the main line, you’d better be committed. “There is a probably 15-foot wood gap jump that, if you miss, you land in rocks,” said Strizich. “There’s also a rock drop, but it also has decking that you can roll.”

“A lot of it’s just developed on these really cool granite lines,” she continued. “The trail is getting ridden, and there’s these new lines forming on it. So it’s awesome now, and I think it’s going to keep getting better the more ridden in it gets.”

Missing Lynx can easily be shuttled, or you can pedal to the top on a nearby climbing trail.

Around the Mountain, Bogus Basin, Boise

The foothills above the city of Boise are home to over 220 miles of singletrack in the Ridge to Rivers trail system. But for truly epic riding, keep heading up the mountain until you reach Bogus Basin — Boise’s hometown ski hill. While Bogus offers great downhill riding, trail riders can find fantastic singletrack to pedal, too.

“By combining with Deer Point trail, the Around the Mountain Trail takes visitors on a 360-degree tour of the Bogus Basin Ski Area,” said David Gordon, Ridge to Rivers Division Superintendent for the City of Boise. “The trail contains banked turns, short rock features, and stunning long-distance views of the Snake River Plain, Owyhee Mountains, Sawtooth Mountains, Squaw Butte, and the West Mountain area south of McCall. The final descent can be made via any number of great downhill trails developed by Bogus Basin in recent years.”