Mountain biking in Las Vegas

Mountain biking near Las Vegas splits into desert cross-country and high-country gravity. In the desert, the two big systems are Cottonwood Valley, off State Route 160 near Blue Diamond, and Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City. Cottonwood Valley is Bureau of Land Management land with 35 miles of designated trail according to the NPS, and about 60 miles of loops by the count of the Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association. SNMBA says it's free to ride and best from October through May. Bootleg Canyon is run by the City of Boulder City, which lists more than 36 miles of trail, requires helmets and allows only Class 1 e-bikes. Its shuttle service is closed for now, so plan to climb.

Up high, Lee Canyon on Mount Charleston runs a lift-served downhill bike park with five trails from green to double black. Its 2026 season is down to two bonus weekends, October 23–25 and October 30–November 1. Rentals are $69 for an adult bike, before the lift ticket.

The rest of Mount Charleston is trickier. Much of it is designated wilderness, where the Forest Service prohibits bicycles. The one trail it lists for bikes, the Bristlecone Trail, has its upper portion closed after Tropical Storm Hilary, and the Forest Service estimates it will reopen in 2029. Our Mount Charleston page has the details.

For a group ride, Giant Las Vegas runs a Tuesday night ride on the Cottonwood Valley trails with a fast group and a casual group. Lights are required, and the shop says it isn't for beginners. For rentals, All Mountain Cyclery in Boulder City offers bike rentals near Bootleg, and Trek has a rental center in Blue Diamond. Summer in the desert is dangerous on a bike; read the heat guide before you ride from May through September.