The Gunnison Valley is home to some of the best mountain biking trails in Colorado. With more than 800 miles of singletrack to choose from, you could stay here for a month and still not ride every trail! Gunnison and Crested Butte offer a wide array of bike trails, from rocky desert rides in Gunnison to flowy alpine descents in Crested Butte. No matter where you ride, panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains surround you. If it’s time to plan your Colorado mountain biking vacation, start here!
Hartman Rocks is a large trail system just outside the city of Gunnison. There are more than 50 miles of mountain bike trails stretching over the rolling hills of rocky terrain. Trails at Hartman’s range from beginner to expert. Most trails are a mile long or less and can be easily linked to others to create a ride of any length. In addition to mountain biking, this popular recreation area is open to hiking, camping, climbing, OHV and shooting.
There are hundreds of miles of bike trails surrounding the town of Crested Butte. Some trails, including the Lower Loop trail system, are able to be ridden to right from downtown. Or, drive up any Gunnison National Forest road, including Slate River, Washington Gulch or Gothic, and you’ll find MTB trails. There are large swaths of trails to be found south of Crested Butte, including off Brush Creek Road and Cement Creek Road (near CB South). There are too many trails to name here, so we’ve created a map so you can find the trails that suit your ability level and transportation capabilities.
Whether you like flowy alpine singletrack, technical desert rocks or pine forest plunges, it’s all here. You might have heard of Hartman Rocks, Doctor Park or the 401. These famous trails offer incredible riding, but there are some phenomenal lesser-known trails in the valley too. Use the below resources to plan your next ride.
Two short films chronicle mountain biking’s beginnings in the Gunnison Valley. Immerse yourself in the story of mountain biking’s ragtag origins in Crested Butte and its racing heyday in Gunnison.
Check out our collection of trail videos to get a taste of what some of the trails in Crested Butte and Gunnison have to offer you for a Colorado mountain biking vacation.
Gunnison Trails and Crested Butte Mountain Biking Association—the oldest mountain biking club in the United States—are the two local trails organizations that build and maintain the Gunnison Valley’s mountain bike trails and educate locals and visitors alike about land stewardship.
While enjoying our trails on your Colorado mountain biking vacation, please consider supporting these hardworking volunteers who care for our treasured public lands.
Pit toilets are available at Hartman Rocks and a few trailheads around Crested Butte, but most trails do not have bathroom facilities. “Go before you go,” and learn how to properly dispose of waste if you have to answer the call of nature outdoors.
The seven principles of Leave No Trace guide us on how to behave in the outdoors. Abiding by the principles helps minimize human impacts on the land. To learn more about Leave No Trace principles specific to mountain biking, visit LNT.org.
If possible, plan your route to avoid riding on wet or muddy trails. If you do encounter snow or mud on the trail, ride through it rather than around it.
Obey all trail signs and posted trail closures. Learn more about seasonal trail closures on our spring trail closures page.