Tag Archives: Vail mountain biking

Two Elk mountain biking trail

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Two Elk mountain biking trail is a LONG… ride.  Figure on 4-6 hours.  It starts at the Antlers at Vail hotel and conference center and ends up being a 30 mile loop.  It offers around 4000+ vertical feet of climbing.  Just click on the attached map for details or even to print out the route.  Two Elk mountain biking trail is usually open from July 1 – until the end of September and travels through Vail’s Back Bowls (see our Vail ski map).  It is a combination of double track, single track, regular road and Vail bike path.  If you do ride by yourself, mention to someone where you are going, because you’ll be a LONG way from anything on this ride.  And bring tools and tubes.  I seem to get one flat tire each time I do this ride.  Chris R.


View Two Elk Trail mountain biking trail Vail in a larger map

On the top of Benchmark overlooking the Gore Range and I-70.  Great place for a snack and a drink.

Up on top of Outer Mongolia Bowl ready to take the single track along the China Wall heading West above Vail’s Back Bowls.  We are at 11,600 feet at this point.

Looking up towards China Bowl from the Trail.  The base of the China Bowl lift is behind me.

Lost lake loop Vail mountain biking trail

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The Lost lake mountain bike trail is one of the top mountain bike trails in Vail Colorado.  It is quite a long loop depending on how many “add ons” you do.  It is a 3-4 hour 25 mile ride.  So bring food and water.  You start at the Antlers at Vail condominiums and conference center.  Head up the road, across the pedestrian bridge and take a left down the bike path for about a 1/4 of a mile.  Take a right up Red Sandstone road and continue up a couple of switch backs until you get to the rock/gravel road of Red Sandstone going to Piney lake.  You then travel up this road about 3 miles?  until you get to a fork.  Take the right fork to Lost Lake.  Continue for another 30 minutes or more until you get to Lost lake.  If you hit any forks, just stay on the most traveled path.  If you get off, virtually all the roads end up at the hiking trail head to Lost Lake anyhow.  From here on it is single track around the lake and back down to a parking lot off of Red Sandstone.  You might be 2-3 hours into your ride at this point.  Take a left on Red Sandstone but only go a block before taking a right onto another forest service road.  You are now heading south back to Vail on top of a big ridge.  When you top out at a camp site, take a left off the main road to a faint double track.  Follow the trail/road down until you pick up a crazy single track called Buffehr creek.  You’ll be taking a number of switch backs before intersecting the Vail North Trail on your left.  Follow this back for even more vertical downhill until you exit onto Red Sandstone road again near Vail village.


View Lost Lake Trail to North Trail Vail in a larger map
Map of the trail

An elk we saw along the trail almost at Lost Lake (perhaps it was sleeping?)
They should call this trail “one elk”


All smiles


Nice single track section


Big hairpin turns coming down into Vail

Meadow Mountain biking

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Looking for an easier mountain bike ride near the Antlers at Vail hotel ?  Try Meadow mountain for some mountain biking down near the town of Minturn.  Go West on I-70 to Down junction, exit 171.  Park at the U.S. Forest service station at Dowd Junction just southoff of Interstate 70.  Once in the parking lot and on your bikes, go south of the parking lot and start up the double track road.  After about 1 mile of climbing you’ll come to a sign on your left that says, “1 mile to Grouse mountain trail”.  Take this single track here that goes south.  It is a fantastic trail.  There are two short hike a bike sections for about 10 feet.  Once you cross the bridge (over Grouse Creek), you’ll come out to a double track (Grouse Mountain trail)  Turn left here going back down to Hwy 24.  Just return on Hwy 24 going North for about 3/4 of a mile back to the parking lot.  Quick and easy.

Riding on Meadow Mountain

Overlooking Minturn, CO