If Whistler Bike Park had a quieter, friendlier little sibling, it would be Grand Targhee. Stay slopeside, park your car for the weekend, and spend your days pedaling a 70 plus mile trail network or loading the lift for gravity fueled laps. The dirt is legendary. Think tacky, Velcro like clay that grips your tires even in the middle of summer. Add tiny crowds, laid back vibes, cool mountain temperatures, and front row views of the Grand Tetons, and it’s easy to see why Grand Targhee has become one of our favorite mountain biking destinations.
Why We Fell for Grand Targhee
When we first visited Grand Targhee back in 2013, the nearby town of Driggs felt sleepy. Today, it has a whole new energy. Sidewalk cafés spill onto Main Street, restored historic buildings house local shops and restaurants, and the legendary Teton Thai now has a second location right in the heart of town. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to grab a coffee before your ride and linger over dinner afterward. Before long, the winding road leaves town behind, climbing through the forest toward Grand Targhee Resort.
Part of what makes Whistler so special is its walkable village, and Grand Targhee captures that same feeling on a much smaller scale. Once you arrive, you can park your car and forget about it for the rest of your trip if you want. Everything is just a short walk away, from breakfast and après drinks to bike rentals, lodging, and the lift. Best of all, the trail network begins right outside your door. It’s everything we love about a mountain village, just without the crowds. Think of it like a private Cancun resort but better!
Local Legend: One-Eyed Willie
No guide to Grand Targhee feels complete without mentioning One-Eyed Willie. The resort’s beloved feline became a legend among employees and returning guests for his adventurous spirit.
During the 2017 total solar eclipse, Willie apparently decided he wanted the best seat in the house. He climbed all 2,200 vertical feet from the base area to the summit of Fred’s Mountain. Rather than walking back down, the clever cat simply waited for the lift maintenance crew and rode the chairlift back to the village.
Sadly, Willie has since crossed the rainbow bridge, but around Grand Targhee his stories still live on. Like the mountain itself, he embodied the laid back, adventurous spirit that makes this place so special.
What Makes Grand Targhee Different
Compared to the frenzy of winter, where everyone is chasing the next powder day, summer at Grand Targhee moves at its own pace. The lifts don’t start spinning until 10 a.m., giving you plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, squeeze in a morning trail ride, or simply sip a cup of coffee while taking in the mountain views. Staying slopeside only adds to the experience. Once you arrive, you can park your car and forget about it. Everything, from the lifts and trailheads to restaurants, bike rentals, and lodging, is just a short walk away.
Our favorite way to start the day is wandering over to Snorkel’s for breakfast. The El Jeffe breakfast burrito is loaded with eggs, potatoes, your choice of meat, and just enough spice to fuel a full day on the bike. If you’re ordering breakfast, don’t skip the thick-cut whole wheat toast. It may sound simple, but it’s ridiculously good.
That laid back feeling carries onto the trails. Grand Targhee has one of the friendliest mountain bike communities we’ve experienced anywhere. Riders are quick to offer trail recommendations, share a chairlift, or chat at the bottom of a run. Simply put, everyone rips, but nobody is trying to prove anything. It’s a refreshing change from destinations where the riding can sometimes feel more competitive than welcoming.
The Dirt: Hero Traction All Summer Long
But what really sets Grand Targhee apart is the dirt. Simply put, it’s some of the best we’ve ever ridden. The trails are covered in tacky, clay based soil that grips your tires like fresh pottery clay. As you rail through a berm, you can actually hear the rubber humming across the dirt. Calling it “grippy” doesn’t do it justice. It’s the kind of traction that gives you the confidence to brake later, lean harder into corners, and ride faster than you thought possible.
How Does It Stay So Good All Summer?
Unlike much of the Mountain West, where trails bake under months of relentless sunshine, the western slope of the Tetons regularly receives afternoon thunderstorms. Those periodic bursts of rain keep the soil remarkably moist long after other destinations have turned into loose dust. During our visit, an afternoon storm rolled through, refreshing the trails just in time for the next day’s riding. Around here, rain isn’t something to avoid. It’s nature’s trail maintenance crew.
Lift Access: Is It Worth It?
If you’ve never experienced lift served mountain biking before, the answer is a resounding yes. There’s something surreal about loading your bike onto the chair, dangling your legs as you glide uphill, and knowing the next several minutes will be spent earning nearly 2,000 feet of descent without pedaling a stroke. In other words, pure Type 1 fun. Let the chairlift do the suffering while you enjoy the reward. For a long weekend or weeklong trip, we recommend dedicating at least a day or two to riding the lifts. It’s worth every penny.
Before you head up, make sure you have the right equipment. Lift served riding puts far more stress on your bike than a typical cross-country ride. The descents are longer, rougher, and faster, with repeated impacts that can quickly overwhelm a lightweight trail bike. Jaime learned that lesson the hard way. After just one day, her trail bike burned through a set of brake pads, damaged the suspension, and needed the derailleur readjusted. By the time the repairs were finished, we had spent more than it would have cost to simply rent a downhill bike.
A modern enduro bike can absolutely handle Grand Targhee’s terrain, but if you’re planning to spend the day lapping the lifts, a downhill bike will leave you feeling fresher, riding with more confidence, and smiling a whole lot more by day’s end. If you’re unsure which option is right for you, check out our guide to the different types of mountain bikes before your trip.
Local Freshies® Tip: Rent the downhill bike and a full face helmet, even if you brought your own trail bike. Your hands, arms, your bike, and your wallet will thank you.
The Riding Experience
Miles of Trails: 70+ miles | Trails: 81 | Vertical Relief: 3,135 feet
Lift Access: Shoshone & Dreamcatcher | Bike Park: 2,200 vertical feet and 17 miles of lift served trails
Trail Forks – Grand Targhee
Grand Targhee has been building trails since 1997, and it shows. Every season the resort continues to expand and refine both its lift served bike park and cross country trail network, creating one of the most complete mountain biking destinations in the Mountain West.
The bike park is served by two lifts, each with its own personality. Shoshone is the perfect place to warm up, offering mellow terrain, progression features, and family friendly trails. Dreamcatcher unlocks the mountain’s signature descents, delivering more than 2,200 vertical feet and access to the resort’s longest run, the 6.7 mile Tall Cool One.
Flow First
Unlike many bike parks that revolve around steep rock gardens and massive features, Grand Targhee is all about flow. Thanks to its famous clay based soil, you’ll spend more time carving perfectly sculpted berms than picking your way through endless rock fields. That doesn’t mean advanced riders will be bored. Natural singletrack, jump lines, technical descents, and skills parks are scattered throughout the mountain, giving experienced riders plenty of opportunities to turn up the difficulty when they’re ready.
Perhaps the best part is how seamlessly everything connects. You can spend the morning lapping gravity trails, pedal across the mountain on scenic singletrack, then finish the afternoon with another lift served descent without ever feeling like you’re repeating the same ride. Throw in panoramic views of the Grand Tetons around nearly every corner, and it’s easy to see why so many riders return year after year.
Trails We Couldn’t Stop Riding
With more than 60 trails to choose from, Grand Targhee offers something for every style of rider. Rather than chasing the biggest jumps or steepest lines, these are the trails we kept coming back to. They’re fun, confidence inspiring, and showcase everything that makes riding at Targhee so memorable.
Bring It On Home: The Perfect Warm Up
If it’s your first lap of the day, head straight for Bring It On Home. Served by the Shoshone Lift, this flow trail is the perfect introduction to Grand Targhee’s legendary dirt. Nothing is overly steep, rocky, or intimidating. Instead, you’ll spend the entire descent linking together perfectly sculpted berm after perfectly sculpted berm. Looking for a little more speed? Continue onto Otter Slide, where the turns grow larger, faster, and even more playful.
Chutes n’ Ladders: Built for Progression
Don’t let the name fool you. While Chutes n’ Ladders has plenty of opportunities to leave the ground, it’s one of the most approachable jump trails on the mountain. The route begins with flowing berms before transitioning into a series of perfectly shaped tabletop jumps. Whether you’re practicing your first jumps or looking to dial in your style, every feature can be rolled or jumped, making it an ideal progression trail.
Sidewinder: Our Favorite Descent
If we could only ride one trail all day, it would be Sidewinder. Unlike the smoother flow trails, Sidewinder blends natural terrain with just enough rocks, granite slabs, and technical features to keep things interesting. It never feels overly intimidating, but it demands your attention from top to bottom. Fast, playful, and incredibly fun, this is the trail we found ourselves talking about long after the ride was over.
Tall Cool One: The Scenic Cruiser
At 6.7 miles long, Tall Cool One is one of the longest lift served descents on the mountain. It’s less about technical riding and more about soaking in the incredible scenery. The trail winds through forests, open meadows, and wildflower-covered slopes, with sweeping views of the Tetons appearing around nearly every corner. Don’t rush this one. Bring your camera and enjoy the ride.
Mill Creek Shuttle: Beyond the Bike Park
Want to experience Grand Targhee’s backcountry side? The Mill Creek Shuttle delivers a completely different flavor of riding. To do it as intended, you’ll need to shuttle a vehicle to the Mill Creek Trailhead. If that’s not an option, the route also makes an excellent out-and-back. Starting high on the mountain, the route follows Andy’s and Colter’s Escape before dropping into Mill Creek for nearly 2,000 vertical feet of descending over 11 miles. The perfectly manicured bike park gradually gives way to a wilder feeling trail with more roots, rocks, natural features, and flowing corners that feel as though they’ve been carved by the mountain itself. It’s the perfect ride if you’re looking to combine Grand Targhee’s famous dirt with a more backcountry experience.
Don’t Miss “The Grand”
Before dropping in from the top of Dreamcatcher, take five extra minutes and walk past the Summit Nature Center to the Grand Targhee Summit Observation Platform. Perched atop Fred’s Mountain at 9,862 feet, the overlook delivers unobstructed, 360 degree views of the Teton Range. It’s one of the best viewpoints in the entire region and the perfect reminder that Grand Targhee is about more than just incredible trails. It’s an experience that’s worth every step.
If We Only Had One Day
With over 60 trails to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed on your first visit. If we only had one day to experience Grand Targhee, this is exactly how we’d spend it.
Warm Up: Bring It On Home + Otter Slide
Start your morning on the Shoshone Lift and ease into Grand Targhee’s famous dirt with Bring It On Home. The perfectly sculpted berms are a great way to get comfortable with the terrain before rolling onto Otter Slide for faster, more playful turns.
Refuel at Snorkel’s
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, head back to the village for lunch at Snorkel’s. We highly recommend the El Jeffe breakfast burrito if you’re riding earlier in the day, or grab one of their hearty sandwiches before heading back out for the afternoon.
Step It Up: Sidewinder
After lunch, it’s time to ride our favorite trail on the mountain. Sidewinder adds just enough rocks, granite slabs, and natural features to keep things exciting without feeling intimidating. It’s the perfect next step once you’ve gotten comfortable with Targhee’s flow trails.
Finish with Tall Cool One
Wrap up the day with Tall Cool One. At 6.7 miles, it’s one of the longest lift served descents on the mountain and the perfect way to soak in everything Grand Targhee has to offer. Between the flowing trail, wildflowers, and endless views of the Tetons, you’ll want to stop more than once for photos.
Bonus Stop: The Grand
Before dropping into your first Dreamcatcher run or heading down Tall Cool One, leave your bike for a few minutes and walk past the Summit Nature Center to the Grand Targhee Summit Observation Platform. The panoramic views of the Grand Tetons are unforgettable and the perfect way to kick off your afternoon. It’s a short walk that’s absolutely worth it.
Beyond the Bike Park
As impressive as Grand Targhee’s bike park is, it’s only part of the story. The surrounding Wydaho region is home to hundreds of miles of world class cross country and backcountry singletrack. Just down the road, Driggs serves as the perfect basecamp, with easy access to trail systems like the Big Holes, Southern Valley, and our personal favorite, Horseshoe Canyon, where flowing singletrack winds through rolling foothills beneath the Tetons. If you’re looking to round out your trip with more trails, scenic drives, dining, and other adventures throughout the region, the Yellowstone Teton Territory website is an excellent resource for planning your visit. Looking for even more adventure? Teton Pass offers legendary backcountry rides just a short drive away, while Yellowstone National Park sits close enough to turn your mountain bike vacation into an unforgettable road trip. Few destinations combine lift served riding, epic cross country trails, and two of America’s most iconic landscapes quite like Grand Targhee.
Final Thoughts
Grand Targhee may remind you of Whistler in all the right ways, but it isn’t trying to be Whistler. That’s exactly why we fell in love with it. Here, the pace is slower, the lift lines are shorter, and the riding culture is refreshingly down to earth. Instead of chasing the biggest jumps or proving who’s the fastest, the focus is simply on having fun.
With more than 70 miles of trails, legendary tacky dirt, breathtaking views of the Grand Tetons, and a trail network that blends lift served flow with unforgettable cross country riding, Grand Targhee is one of North America’s most underrated mountain bike destinations. Add in the charm of nearby Driggs and easy access to places like Horseshoe Canyon, Teton Pass, and Yellowstone National Park, and it’s the kind of destination you’ll find yourself planning to return to before you’ve even packed up the car.
