- Round Valley
- 19th Ave (Long Way Home)
- Bob’s Basin
- Wasatch Crest Trail
With epic views of the Wasatch Mountains and a relatively dry climate, Salt Lake City, Utah is a hotspot for mountain biking. Utah is known for its stunning mountain views and slick red rock trails. Salt Lake City is conveniently one of the most accessible cities for those seeking a quick mountain bike ride after work. A short car ride out of the SLC valley will provide dozens of mountain bike trails with approachable terrain for beginners. There are a variety of trails that will satisfy all different kinds of riders, but the abundance of beginner mountain bike trails in Salt Lake City makes it so accessible for novice riders.
Here at White Cloud Concierge, we interviewed Mallory Draeger, a Salt Lake City local who rides a Juliana Furtado and has been mountain biking for three years. Mallory shared with us her recommendations for the 4 best beginner mountain bike trails in Salt Lake City and her story of why mountain biking has become one of her passions.
Round Valley
A short drive out of Salt Lake City to neighboring Park City will bring you to the Round Valley Trails which is where Mallory had her first-ever mountain bike ride. This trail system provides many blue and green trails that you can bike for a few miles or 20 miles. This high desert terrain doesn’t have much shade so it’s a great place to ride in the Fall or Spring and it’s one of the best beginner trails in the area with very easy and simple terrain.
19th Ave (Long Way Home)
If you are feeling confident at Round Valley try out the relatively new 19th Ave Trail just above the Avenues near downtown Salt Lake City. Starting at 5300’ of elevation this route has some long switchbacks, but after the challenging climb enjoy plenty of smooth downhills. This well built beginner-intermediate trail is accessible from downtown without a car and can help build some more confidence while maintaining speed over rollers. It is recommended to take it slow on the rollers at first and come back several times to become more comfortable on this trail. This is the most accessible route form the city out of the 4 best beginner mountain bike trails in Salt Lake City.
Bob’s Basin
Another great novice network of trails that offer loops that are easily linked together is Bob’s Basin in Jeremy Ranch close to Park City. Bob’s Basin is another beginner bike trail network nearby and after a short steady climb enjoy fun, flowy downhills. Fly through aspen groves and pine trees and lookout for wildlife around the pond. This is a great go-to spot for a quick ride after work and it doesn’t get too much traffic so avoiding crowds is relatively easy.
Wasatch Crest Trail
While not particularly beginner friendly, this classic mountain bike route is a great goal to work towards building technical skills for and is one of the most popular mountain bike trails in the Wasatch.. The Wasatch Crest Trail can get busy, so know your trail etiquette by pulling over when people catch up to you, yielding to uphill bikers on a downhill and always yielding to hikers. This semi-one direction trail encompasses everything you want in a mountain bike ride: one tough climb, playfulness, flow sections, endless views and a short drive from town. Keep in mind that descending through Millcreek Canyon is only allowed on bike on even-numbered days. Odd numbered days are for off-leash dogs.
Mallory first moved to Utah for ski season, but after her first summer in the mountains she wanted to try everything! After finding a used mountain bike on Facebook Marketplace she started to play around on some of these easier trails. The flow state hooked her in and the ability to clear her head and only focus on the trail and the line in front of her helped relieve all of the stressors of life.
At first Mallory was really intimidated by mountain biking and found it a bit of a struggle to keep up with her more experienced male identifying friends. This was a bit of a challenge as a beginner female mountain biker, but by staying persistent in the community she eventually met more female mountain bikers. Once she started going on group rides with women regularly her skills improved drastically and she took more time to session trails, scope lines and felt really encouraged by a supportive group of women.
Mallory also joined a Facebook group called Womenmtb which helped her meet more female mountain bikers in the area and other women interested in learning how to mountain bike. “They organize rides and trips for all experience levels and clinics for building specific skills. I’ve joined a couple of the group rides and it’s awesome to roll deep with a group of rad women.”
Check out these 4 best beginner mountain bike trails in Salt Lake City that Mallory recommends. These are great options if you are a beginner mountain biker in the SLC area and want some trails to push yourself on as you improve. Now go out and enjoy the crisp air above the valley, improve your technical skills and enjoy the beauty of the Wasatch and surrounding areas of Park City.
Do you want more time to get outside and hit the mountain bike trails in Salt Lake City? Consider booking a service with White Cloud Concierge so you can have more time to ride these great trails! From house cleaning, yard work, pickup and delivery bike tuning and running errands, we have you covered.
Check out www.whitecloudconcierge.com for a full list of our services and to reach out for a booking and learn about other outdoor recreation options in Salt Lake City to enjoy this summer.