While mountain biking has been around since the 1970’s, it still has more of a grassroots feel compared to road cycling. Road bike races have formal institutions like the Tour de France while the downhill mountain bike race series’ are more regionalized. So, what does that imply for mountain biking fans? It means you can see professional caliber racing in your own neck of the woods! Here’s a guide to the Best Mountain Bike Racing Series out there across the US.
Mountain Biking Racing Disciplines Explained
Before diving into the racing series, it helps to understand the main styles of mountain biking and how different they really are.
Cross Country (XC) is the most popular discipline, where riders race point to point on a marked course. The terrain can range from wide fire roads to tight, winding singletrack, with the fastest overall time taking the win.
Downhill (DH) is where things get rowdy. This is the discipline for adrenaline seekers who live for speed, steep terrain, and technical features like rock gardens, drops, and jumps. Riders typically gear up in full face helmets, body armor, and chest protection to take on the descent.
Enduro blends the best of both worlds, combining timed downhill stages with untimed climbs. It is the ultimate all mountain test of endurance, skill, and descending speed.
The Best Mountain Bike Racing Series in the US
Now that you have a handle on the different disciplines, let’s dig into the top race series across the country. This is not about one off events like Fears, Tears & Beers but the core regional circuits where riders compete all season long.
The Northwest Cup – Pacific Northwest
Race Type: Downhill
The Pacific Northwest is home to what many consider to be the most prestigious downhill mountain bike racing series in the country. With more than a decade under its belt, the series covers seven races over six venues.
GRT Dry Hill (Port Angeles, WA)
April 10 – 12, 2026
GRT Dry Hill (Port Angeles, WA)
May 15 – 17, 2026
Tamarack Bike Park (Donnelly, ID)
June 19 – 21, 2026
Whitefish Mountain Bike Park (Whitefish, MT)
June 26 – 28, 2026
Silver Mountain Bike Park (Kellogg, ID)
July 17 – 19, 2026
Mount Bachelor Bike Park (Bend, OR)
August 7 – 9, 2026
Championship (Stevens Pass)
September 11 – 13, 2026
Cascadia Dirt Cup – Pacific Northwest
Race Type: Enduro
The Cascadia Dirt Cup is the Northwest’s premiere Enduro mountain bike race series and not just for the races, but also as an incubator for the NW MTB community to grow. How? This Enduro series does it by making each event available to all levels AND by donating their proceeds to local trail stewards. In addition to the funding, they also contribute over 1,000+ hours of trail work through the Work-Eat-Shred program. A great series with a great cause! And with 2026, it brings back a MONSTER of races.
North Slope Enduro (Olympia, WA)
May 8 – 9, 2026
Raging River Enduro (Snoqualmie, WA)
May 22 – 23, 2026
Yacolt Burn Enduro (Battleground, WA)
June 26 – 27, 2026
Gailbraith Enduro / NW Tune Up Festival (Bellingham, WA)
July 10 – 12, 2026
Tiger Mountain Enduro (Issaquah, WA)
July 24 – 25, 2026
Post Canyon Enduro (Hood River, OR)
September 18 – 19, 2026
Eastern States Cup – East Coast
Race Type: Enduro
What Cascadia Cup is for the PNW, the Eastern States Cup is for the East Coast. The MAXXIS Eastern States Cup (i.e. ESC) began in 2010 as a USA Cycling Eastern Regional Downhill MTB Championship Series, with two USA Cycling State Championships. Over the years, they’ve continued to expand. As part of this series, in 2013 they added what is now the Stan’s Enduro Series. Events from Rhode Island to New Hampshire and everything in between, this is THE series for the East Coast.
Diamond Hill, RI
April 26, 2026
Powder Ridge, CT
May 17, 2026
Arrowhead Rec Area (Claremont, NH)
May 31, 2026
Norbrook Brewery, CT
June 28, 2026
Killington (VT)
July 12, 2026
Thunder Mountain, MA
August 9, 2026
Otis Mountain, NY
September 20, 2026
Jiminy Peak, MA
September 27, 2026
Arrowhead, NH
Oct 18, 2026
Intermountain Cup – Utah
Race Type: Cross-Country/Endurance
The Intermountain Cup or I-Cup is a great event for beginners and pros alike. For beginners, the course is approximately seven miles long or one lap. At the other end of the spectrum, the elite racers are tested with a three lap, 21 mile race. The major events happening this year are as follows:
Three Peaks Classic (Cedar City, UT)
May 16, 2026
Fast Time in Richfield (Richfield, UT)
June 13, 2026
Alpine Rush at Beaver Mountain (Garden City, UT)
July 18, 2026
Rage at Snowbird (Snowbird, UT)
August 8, 2026
The Leadville Race Series – USA
Race Type: Cross-Country
The Leadville 100 mountain bike race has been held in Colorado since 1983 and is considered one of the TOUGHEST mountain bike races in North America. It’s also considered one of the hardest to get into. Similar to the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom, there are now qualifying events that racers can enter all across the United States to gain entry to this hallowed race.
Lutsen 99er (Lutsen, MN)
June 26-27, 2026
Silver Rush 50 (Leadville, CO)
July 12, 2026
Tahoe Trail MTB (Northstar, CA)
July 18, 2026
Leadville Stage Race (Leadville, CO)
July 24-26, 2026
THE LEADVILLE TRAIL 100!!! (Leadville, CO)
August 15, 2026
The Lost Sierra Triple Crown – California
Race Type: Cross-Country, Downhill, Enduro
The Downieville Classic has been around for years and is considered one of the 10 best mountain biking races in the world. This classic as of 2017 has become part of the Lost Sierra Triple Crown brought to you by the Sierra Buttes Trail Foundation. A mixture of gravel and pavement, it’s a true test of every discipline in one race series. Back for 2026, the Grinduro is again part of the Mountains to Meadows Endurofest!
Lost & Found (Lake Davis, CA)
June 13, 2026
Downieville Classic (Downieville, CA)
August 6-9, 2026
Grinduro (Mt Shasta, CA)
September 12, 2026
