Don’t get us wrong. Mountain biking in Lake Tahoe is fun, but sometimes you have to go out and ride other people’s dirt. We needed a break from the monotony. And what better way to do this than by going on a road trip for a mountain biking adventure. But where? The answer was simple: Teton Valley’s Horsehoe Canyon and Grand Targhee’s Mountain Bike Park.
Why We Picked Teton Valley
For us, the list of places to go on a mountain biking adventure in the summer is short. We want cool weather, tacky dirt and plenty of trails to explore. Teton Valley offers that in spades. And the hub of Teton Valley’s mountain biking scene is Grand Targhee. You’ll find over 17+ miles of downhill lift accessed goodness and more than 70+ miles in total of singletrack to explore. Just outside of Driggs, you’ll find the Big Holes network with over 80 miles of singletrack. Head up to Teton Pass and you’ve got another 30 miles—home to the first mountain bike-specific trails ever built on U.S. Forest Service land. And yet another 13-miles in the Horseshoe Canyon system, offering even more terrain to explore.
With the bikes loaded and the truck gassed up, we pointed the rig east toward the Idaho-Wyoming border. And like any solid road trip, we couldn’t resist a few detours. On the way north, we stumbled across a hidden gem just outside of Idaho Falls—and it did not disappoint.
Horseshoe Canyon & The Big Hole Mountains
Like most great mountain biking destinations, there’s an alliance that keeps the local trails in awesome shape, and for Teton Valley, it’s the MBT or Mountain Bike The Tetons. Out of the three trail systems Horseshoe Canyon is a good first day option to get the legs working after a long drive. You’ll find a 13+ mile trail network that offers mellow flowy singletrack with incredible views of the Tetons. It’s what the local’s consider the “after-work special.” Another great resource to look at is the Teton Mountain Bike Alliance to see how the trails are running, what’s going on within the local scene, and just get a feel of what to expect.
Before You Arrive at the Trailhead
Heads up: while this trail system offers scenic flowy fun it’s in the middle of nowhere–like, no cell service at all. Anytime we venture into the backcountry, we make sure someone knows where we were and our plan for the day. And we highly recommend doing the same here. I would also double check your gear to ensure you had all our essentials just in case something bad happened, including bear spray. For a full run-down of what we were carrying, check out our in-depth guide:
Where to Start
From downtown Driggs, take Bates Road west for about 6 miles. You’ll be forced to turn right onto N 7000 W. At about ½ mile, you’ll make a left onto W 1000 N which will then veers onto Old Horseshoe Road. There’s a few spots to park but you literally can’t go too far since the asphalt ends at the final trailhead. Pulling up to the trailhead, I couldn’t believe how empty it was. There was one car and that person was only out there to take his dog for a walk. The only thing you could hear were the birds chirping and a few crickets. Regardless of what the trail had in store for us, the opportunity to not see another person all day was worth it.
Location of Horseshoe Canyon Trailhead on Google Map
What to Expect
The terrain itself will challenge a beginner but every experienced mountain biker will enjoy the flowy singletrack. Not a HUGE amount of climbing but with a base elevation of 6,300’, a decent fitness level is recommended. Here’s a run down of our experience mountain biking Horseshoe Canyon.
Gravel Grinder First
When it comes to getting into the Horseshoe Canyon trail system, you’ve got a couple of solid options. If you’re up for a full singletrack loop, climbing up Channel Lock is a great way to start. The other option? Take the Horseshoe-Packsaddle Road.
We went with the latter—it looked like the easier climb, and we were all about keeping things mellow that day. Under a bluebird summer sky, we settled into a steady rhythm and spun our way up the gravel road, slow and steady.
Bear. Bear. Cow.
As we zipped up the meandering route, we suddenly heard a rustle in the trees. Is it a bear?!? We knew this is grizz country. Our hairs stood up, and we shouted to each other to make sure our presence was known. Jaime grabbed the bear spray ready for anything. And out came a…. cow. Chewing some cud, the cow looked at us and bellowed a loud MOO! We shook our heads and continued on our way.
Time To Wade Through A Creek
Local Freshies® Tip: Be Sure You Have GPS on or you’ll miss the turn!
Not a soul in sight. The mellow climb gave us time to soak in the scenery—rolling mountains dotted with aspen groves and the occasional pine, all under a wide-open sky. It was one of those rides where you’re just in the zone, enjoying the serenity.
In what seemed like out of nowhere, a random road veered off to the right… and plunged straight into a river. It didn’t seem like the right move, so we kept pedaling.
Not a single person around, and the relaxing ascent let us just take in the rolling mountains and beautiful scenery filled with aspen groves and a few pines. As we kept pedaling a random road (or so we thought) pulled to the right and dove straight into a river. Not thinking that was the right trail, we just kept going.
About a mile later, we double-checked the GPS and map—and sure enough, THAT was in fact our trail. Looks like it was time to get our feet wet. The cold creek water actually felt amazing as we waded across. On the other side? The official trailhead into the Horseshoe Canyon system.
Three Forks In The Road, And We Chose The Toughest
From there, we had three choices. The main trail known as “Burgh”, “Probation” and then something that looked like a road. We took the road. Initially, the climbing was easy, but just a short jaunt up the road it became steeper and steeper. It wasn’t until we summited that we realized it was a four-wheel drive route and not the mountain biking network.
Views Of The Tetons Were Worth It
Chewing on a bar to refuel, we gazed across the Teton Valley and the majestic Grand Tetons themselves. With us being the only ones in the area, the feeling was amazing. We knew the bike trails were below us but had no idea where exactly. Following the road down, we finally got to the nexus of the entire system. A sign pointed to each of the singletrack trails. We realized that if we would’ve taken Burgh OR Probation, it would’ve cut off the exhausting trudge up to the summit… but we wouldn’t have seen the views of the Tetons.
Local Freshies® Tip: Follow the trail system not the roads.
Trails We Rode
Grand Tour
There are a handful of trails in Horseshoe Canyon Idaho, and while each one isn’t very long by itself, they can all be connected to make a grand tour through the network. If we did this again, we’d do the following tour:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: ~12 miles | Elevation Gain: 1,500 Feet
Start: Nickerson Grove Trailhead
Climb: Descend down Old Horseshoe Road -> Channel Lock -> LEFT onto Southbound Connector -> Sodbuster -> Bumper – Cody’s
Descend: Probation
Climb: Burgh
Descend: Shark’s Belly -> Bovine Bliss -> Training Wheels -> Old Horseshoe Road
Shark’s Belly – Fun Of The Rain Forest
Difficulty: Intermediate | Length: 1.5 miles | Climbing 264′ (442′ Descent)
Map & info about Shark’s Belly on Trailforks
Out of our options, we picked Shark’s Belly. The first thing we noticed was how green everything is. The section we had rode earlier featured above-treeline vegetation like granite and pine trees. Shark’s Belly, on the other hand, was bright neon green like a rainforest. The dirt was clay-like and pow-dirt. Tacky as can be. Smooth tight turns that flowed perfectly with only a few pedal strokes to keep you going. A massive grin began to form on my face. It was unbelievable! Like nothing I’d ever ridden before on a mountain biking adventure.
Bovine Bliss – Just Like It Sounds
Difficulty: Intermediate | Length: 1.5 miles | Climbing 58′ (538′ Descent)
Map & info about Bovine Bliss on Trailforks
Blasting out of the rainforest-like canopy, we come up to another road intersection. This time we keep going straight and get onto a trail called Bovine Bliss. Now this section was open and more high-desert like. The dirt is still tacky but the huge banked turns whip their way through the sagebrush region until we are dropped onto the main road we’d driven in on.
As we slowly pedal back to the car, we’re flabbergasted at our experience. I’d never ridden a bike through three such distinctly different climates. Sure, there’s alpine and high desert in places but a rain forest too?!? No matter how much people tell you it’s the same everywhere… it isn’t. The air smells different. The dirt composition is distinct. The environment is one-of-a kind. Absolutely enjoy your local trails, but don’t just ride there. Get out of your comfort zone and go for a REAL mountain biking adventure.
For more ideas on hidden destinations like this, how to get started on mountain biking, and tips on gear, check out our comprehensive guide:
