To close out 2023, we've narrowed down the top 10 rated mountain bike trails around the globe. These trails have been reviewed by the Trailforks community, representing the heart-pounding descents, addictive airtime and technical ascents that keep us coming back for more. As we ease off the brakes and coast to the end of this epic countdown, it's crucial to recognize that the rankings you're about to feast your eyes on are a culmination of the collective experiences shared by riders. The Trailforks community thrives on the stoke shared by riders like you, so the more you rip down these trails, log your rides, and share your thoughts into the digital wilderness through the Trailforks app, the richer and more accurate these rankings become. Alright, time to grab that protein bar and cruise through 'em!
10. Illegal, Trail Park Klínovec, Karlovy VaryOur global tour kicks off across the pond in the Czech Republic to a trail so good, it should be 'Illegal'. This isn't your run-of-the-mill park trail—it's raw, wild, and slightly rebellious. Consider it an untamed adventure; it's not officially maintained, adding an element of unpredictability and a genuine rugged feel to the ride. This track isn't for the faint-hearted, but if you're up for it, be sure to 'Czech' this trail out when you're in the area.
"This is one of the best trails I have ever ridden." - Einfach
Photo: fullface-productions
9. Big Chook, Blue Tier Forest Reserve, Weldborough, TASVenturing into the Southern Hemisphere, our ninth-ranked trail leads us to Tasmania, Australia. Part of the Blue Tier Forest Reserve trails network, Big Chook is a popular blue singletrack trail in the region, and for good reason!
"A fantastic flowy descent, continuing on from a similar descent on Blue Tier." - thetownbicycle
8. Yeah Gnar, Mākara Peak, WellingtonNext up we head further south to Wellington, New Zealand. Yeah Gnar is known as one of the toughest trails around the Wellington area, and was built to test the limits. It links a range of challenging features one after the other as it makes its way down the valley. It's always a good idea to scope out beforehand to figure out entry and exit speeds, lines and options, and don't forget if you're not feeling up to it... it's okay to say 'yeah gnar', not today!
"Such a great trail! Thanks for that! Scared the sh*t out of me!" - longliveenduro
7. Salmon Run, Fernhill Trails, QueenstownNestled in the stunning landscapes of Queenstown, Salmon Run at Fernhill Trails is popular for both its unreal beauty and diverse terrain. This trail provides a perfect blend of flowy sections for the speed demons and technical segments to test your skills
and patience."Top 10....top 5..maybe....in the world!? It doesn't get much better than this!" - punkture
6. Te Poaka, Whakarewarewa Forest, RotoruaTucked away in the Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua boasts trails that are the holy grail for mountain bikers. The trail name Te Poaka, translates to "the pig" due to the discovery of pig tusks while being built by Empire of Dirt, funded by the Rotorua Lakes Council. This trail is suitable for beginners and provides all the fun for experienced riders too.
"Best trail in the forest, suitable for beginners and still huge fun for experienced riders, makes it worth climbing back up and doing it a few times." - Beemerdude
5. Boundary Line, Frederick Watershed, Frederick, MDDeeply situated within Frederick Watershed, the Boundary Line trail is a hidden MTB haven that cranks up the thrill factor while immersing riders in nature. Picture riding through lush forests, manoeuvring tight corners, and navigating janky terrain.
"Starts off slow and then blasts down with nice berms and jumps all the way down - awesome trail!" - foco1515
4. Dirt Merchant, Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Whistler, BCYes the Whistler Bike Park may be closed, and the snow season is soon to take hold in Whistler...
right? But it's never too early to be Dirt Merchant dreamin'! Locals will argue that the most popular lap in the Whistler Bike Park is Dirt Merchant --> Dirt Merchant Pro Line --> Aline Zone 3, where your wheels will spend more time in the air than on the ground.
3. Boneshaker, Velo MSM Lac-Sainte-Marie, QCTucked away in the heart of Lac-Sainte-Marie, Quebec, Boneshaker appeals to both seasoned riders seeking a challenge and those looking to test their skills. For those craving an off-the-grid MTB adventure that pushes boundaries while showcasing the unspoiled beauty of Quebec's backwoods, this one's for you.
"One of the nicest trail on the east side of North America! A rowdy yet very well designed double black trail that will get your adrenaline flowing…" - pierre22
2. Black Bear, Kingdom Trails, East Burke, VTNamed after the elusive black bear, this trail evokes a sense of wildness and adventure, offering riders the opportunity to immerse themselves in the lush forests and diverse terrain of the Northeast Kingdom. The climb up to this trail may be a challenge for some, the grind is undeniably worth the reward that awaits.
"Insane flow. You're constantly floating the bike up or down, left or right." - thesquid
1. Captain Kangaroo, Merry Creek, Castlegar BC
This is your captain speaking. Ranked as the undisputed champ of 2023, Captain Kangaroo isn't just a trail - it's a rite of passage. Its flawless flow and ridiculously smooth sections make it a trail masterpiece that showcases jaw-dropping alpine views along the way - that is, if you can even tear your eyes away from the trail.
"This trail is definitely one of the top 5 trails off all time for me. If your natural riding style is to double up everything you see, this will have you giggling. It goes soooo good i cant believe its not butter." - KiwiClint
It's important to acknowledge that while this ranking system is founded on user feedback, it remains subjective and reflective of personal preferences and experiences. This ranking aims to provide a general overview of the trails highly regarded by the Trailforks community. The more you log your rides to Trailforks the more accurate this data becomes, so make sure you record your rides in the Trailforks app, and don't forget to rate/review your favourite trails!
Plus the EXACT SAME item costs 25% more in Canadian Walmarts than US Walmarts for some reason!!
I mean, a dollars a dollar right!?!?
What a rip off!!
Bentonville has so many USA Walmarts and so much better trails than any listed here……
East Coast Jank on point!
@moonsaballoon yeah I understand that, and agreed; I’m glad it exists. But it highlights why aggregated Trailforks trail ratings are meaningless at face value. If I visited Roto and solely used those ratings to create my route, I’d be missing a LOT of “better” trails; at least those I consider better anyway. Local recommendations will always beat crowdsourced digital aggregations in my opinion.
Worst place to visit or choose to live. Just a warning PSA from a miserable Hamster.
Upper Black Bear is the "flow trail" part of Black Bear and its jumps, tables, and switchbacks are much tighter than Sideshow Bob - think of Upper Black Bear as a downhill pump track. Both the upper and lower Black Bear sections are much tighter than Sideshow Bob - I think the lower section is handmade vs machine made.This means it is more like a tech trail in terms of regular rocks, stumps, roots, and sizes of jumps, but it is very much not a pedaling trail.
I usually go from Black Bear to Stormin Normin after that. Such a sick trail system over there.
We do a 2 car shuttle that starts at the Burke campground too. Leave a car at the East Haven lot. Start from the campground, Ride down Roly Grail, head over to Trillium, up to Magill Fields, Down Butter Tubbs to Shonter Shuffle (Awesome Trail too!) Besaw up to the Pavilion then do the Black Bear ride I suggested above. Finish at the EH lot, ice cold beers at Dirt Church brewery. Ah, love the KT trail system.
Trail ratings by metallurgists
Great bikepark line though. Flowy fast and technical.
This highlights how silly such a rating system is.
1. Demo Soquel Flow trail
2. Downieville - Tower to Town has some amazing riding
3. Mt. Hough
4. Mills Peak
5. Tahoe trails - too many to list but South Lake Tahoe alone has such incredible riding.
Also not a CA guy myself, but I've ridden there a bit. At Soquel I prefer Braille DH and Ridge over the Flow Trail. Although I will say that particular Flow Trail is far and away the best of the new generation of "Flow" trails that I've ridden to date.
And yeah, Downieville alone is worth getting on a plane for me. Butcher Ranch being the highlight, it's everything I personally like in a trail.
All this to say this list just looks like a Trailforks Popularity contest much more than an actual trail rating. Different strokes for different folks of course though...
Then again... I'm not even sure its on trail forks.
Giggled the whole way down
I still think to my self "uh-oh....busted!" Every time I eat a cookie.
And how are these ten trails selected? Is there an overall worldwide rating on trailforks?
Yes there is. A whole stats page with plenty of information to play around:
www.trailforks.com/statistics/stats
- @Nonsmoker