2026 Best Ski Resorts For Mountain Biking By Region

Featured Image: Zara Johnson, Unsplash | Location: Whistler, British Columbia

It's that time of year when the chairlifts at ski resorts stop spinning, and the seasonal depression starts settling in. Gone are the days of lift-served downhill thrills, or at least, on snow, for the next few months. Arguably, the closest activity to downhill skiing is downhill mountain biking. Trade snow for dirt and skis for wheels and you're essentially doing the same thing—using gravity to test your tolerance for speed and air time. It's the flow state we're all after and mountain biking is one way to emulate that same feeling we get on our skis.

Ski resorts are privy to this link between the seasonal activities and there are more than a handful of resorts across North America that dedicate time and resources to transform their ski slopes into mountain bike trails every spring. No matter if you live on the East Coast, in the Mountain West or somewhere along the Pacific, we've compiled a list of the best ski resorts for mountain biking in 2026, organized by region.

Best Ski Resorts for Mountain Biking — **Photo:** Courtesy of Whistler Blackcomb

East Coast

Killington Resort, VT

Killington Resort's dedicated bike park features three chairlifts serving over 30 miles of bike trails. From the beginner-friendly Snowshed area to the freeride-centric Ramshead zone and the classic New England flow trails off Killington Peak, there is a trail for every level and style of rider. Killington offers a variety of different passes for the bike park, including an unlimited season pass, youth passes, and an all-season pass for skiing and biking year-round.

Mount Snow, VT

Mount Snow has offered Vermonters lift-served mountain biking for decades, but the resort has recently dedicated time and resources to revamping its bike trails with berms, ladders, dirt jumps, and man-made surfaces to keep up with the current expectations of bike park offerings. Mount Snow is home to one of the longest introductory downhill trails in the region, opening up the world of downhill mountain biking to more and more skiers every summer.

Loon Mountain, NH

Loon Mountain offers 15 miles worth of downhill mountain bike trails, decked out with berms, jumps and other manmade features. If cross-country is more your vibe, Loon Mountain also offers access to the old logging roads that are now known as the East Ridge cross-country network, which hug the banks of the Pemigewasset River and ascend the lower shoulders of Black Mountain.

Midwest

Spirit Mountain, MN

Spirit Mountain overlooks the mighty Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, and offers mountain bikers a picture-perfect setting for some serious lift-served downhill riding, for being in Minnesota. Spirit Mountain boasts 24 trails with five dedicated to beginners but the majority are made for advanced and expert riders.

The Highlands, MI

Whether you're a seasoned rider or just getting into it, The Highlands in Harbor Springs, Michigan, offers riders a mixed bag of lift-served downhill trails as well as cross-country trails. With day ticket and season pass options, The Highlands opens for the season May 23, 2026.

Giants Ridge, MN

In the heart of the Superior National Forest, Giants Ridge opens up its Sarajevo Express lift for gravity-fuled fun on the downhill-specific trails. If you're more of a cross-country rider, Giants Ridge also has over nine miles worth of perfectly manicured trails for pedaling.

Mountain West

Park City, UT

Park City's bike trail network links together over 400 miles of terrain, accessible by bike path or bus from virtually anywhere in town. With lift access, Park City offers downhill-only trails, bike parks, and cross-country systems for every style of rider. Because its system is so vast, Park City also hosts multiple mountain bike guiding businesses for visitors to make the most of their time riding, not checking maps.

Crested Butte, CO

Crested Butte Resort offers over 30 miles of singletrack served by the Red Lady Express. While you can lap the downhill trails, you can also connect to the greater trail system around Crested Butte for an extended cross-country ride. Note: A bike helmet is required to use the bike haul.

Grand Targhee, WY

Touting itself as the first downhill mountain bike destination in the Tetons, Grand Targhee offers over 2,000 vertical feet and over 70 miles of beginner flow trails, classic descents and jump lines to get the adrenaline flowing. When summer starts to swelter in the valley, Grand Targhee's higher elevation keeps the temperatures comfortable for riding all day, every day.

Pacific Northwest

Whistler Blackcomb, BC

Whistler Blackcomb is practically synonymous with downhill mountain biking. Host to Crankworx every year, Whistler offers the gnarliest downhill trails in North America but it also caters to complete beginners. Arguably as popular in the summer for biking as it is for skiing in the winter, Whistler offers four different bike pass packages, whether you're looking for unlimited riding, 10-day or even 5-day passes.

Timberline Bike Park, OR

The only ski resort on this list that offers summer skiing and mountain biking at the same time, Timberline Lodge cannot be overlooked for its multi-sport offerings. Nowhere else can you ski and bike at the same resort in the same day, Timberline offers lift access to a mix of flowy downhill trails to more technical descents.

Mt. Bachelor, OR

Mt. Bachelor operates 13 miles of bike park trails via two chairlifts: Little Pine for beginner access as well as top-to-bottom trails off Pine Martin Express. Bachelor's bike park is a combination of machine-built flow trails and hand-built singletrack over playful, volcanic topography and through ponderosa forests.