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.
What’s Downhill Mountain Biking?
Before we jump into the racing series’, we want to first explain the differences between each mountain biking discipline.
- Cross-Country – The most popular of all the mountain biking events. It involves competitors racing point-to-point via a defined course where the person with the fastest time wins. The XC trails can range from fire roads to winding narrow singletrack.
- Downhill – This is THE event for adrenaline junkies. People who feel the need… the need for speed! It involves jumping off cliffs, rock gardens, and everything else a mountain trail can throw at them. Full-face helmets, body armor, and chest protectors are the normal uniform for these competitors.
- Enduro – A combination of downhill and cross-country into one event. This is the all-mountain event. Click here to read the full explanation of this awesome match-up.
If you want to learn more about mountain biking, get tips on gear, and find hidden vacation spots for two wheeled fun, check out our mountain biking guide:
Ultimate Guide To The Best Mountain Bike Racing Series in the US
Now that you’ve got a grasp on the different types of events, let’s talk about what are the best racing circuits in the US. This list does NOT contain any of the one-off races like Fears, Tears & Beers but rather the true regional race competitions out there.
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 18 – 20, 2025
GRT Dry Hill (Port Angeles, WA)
May 16 – 18, 2025
Tamarack Bike Park (Donnelly, ID)
June 20 – 22, 2025
Whitefish Mountain Bike Park (Whitefish, MT)
June 27 – 29, 2025
Silver Mountain Bike Park (Kellogg, ID)
July 25 – 27, 2025
Summit at Snoqualmie (Seattle, WA)
August 1 – 3, 2025
Championship (Stevens Pass)
September 5 – 7, 2025
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 2025, it brings back a MONSTER of races.
Dry Hill Enduro (Hood River, OR)
May 2 – 3, 2025
North Slope Enduro (Olympia, WA)
May 24 – 25, 2025
Yacolt Burn Enduro (Battleground, WA)
June 7 – 8, 2025
Gailbraith Enduro / NW Tune Up Festival (Bellingham, WA)
July 12 – 13, 2025
North Mountain Enduro (Darrington, WA)
July 26 – 27, 2025
Capitol Forest Summer Classic (Olympia, WA)
August 8 – 10, 2025
Tiger Mountain Enduro (Issaquah, WA)
September 13 – 14, 2025
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.
Powder Ridge, CT
May 18, 2025
Arrowhead Rec Area (Claremont, NH)
June 1, 2025
Jiminy Peak (MA)
June 22, 2025
Killington (VT)
July 20, 2025
Monteau, NH
July 27, 2025
Thunder Mountain, MA
August 10, 2025
Burke Mountain, VT
August 24, 2025
Powder Ridge, CT
September 21, 2025
Arrowhead, NH
Oct 12, 2025
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 17, 2025
Soldier Hollow (Heber, UT)
July 12, 2025
Rage at Snowbird (Snowbird, UT)
August 9, 2025
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 28, 2025
Silver Rush 50 (Leadville, CO)
July 13, 2025
Tahoe Trail MTB (Northstar, CA)
July 19, 2025
Leadville Stage Race (Leadville, CO)
July 25-27, 2025
THE LEADVILLE TRAIL 100!!! (Leadville, CO)
August 9, 2025
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. For 2025, the Grinduro back now part of the Mountain to Meadows Trailfest!
Lost & Found (Lake Davis, CA)
June 14, 2025
Downieville Classic (Downieville, CA)
August 7-10, 2025
Grinduro (Mt Shasta, CA)
September 13, 2025
As a rocky mnt race enthusiast (not a racer, just a finisher:), I’m pretty surprised that http://www.MidWeekMTB.com wasn’t mentioned, especially since they host mini-enduros and XC races. Regardless,
Frisbee,
We try our best to research but alas sometimes we miss some so a mega thanks for letting us know about this race. We’ll be sure to add them to our 2021 race schedule for the best mountain bike racing series in the US.