With spectacular Teton single track trails winding through wildflower meadows, and miles of technical lift-serviced downhill trails, Grand Targhee Resort established itself as the first downhill mountain bike destination in the Tetons. This is only part of the story, with incredible trails both on Teton Pass and at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort the region is slowly and quietly becoming a downhill mecca. When it's June, July & August and the West is sweltering, Targhee and the Tetons might be the most extraordinary, cool temperature riding in the lower 48!
Explore over 2,200 vertical feet of lift-serviced downhill and over 46 miles of cross country and downhill mountain bike trails. The Targhee Bike Park offers every style of riding for every level of mountain bike rider. Gentle, banked cruisers, tight and twisty single track cross country, gnarly, rock strewn downhill, drop offs and much more. Enjoy an incredible road ride up to the resort, take the lift up for a lift assisted ride down sidewinder to Lightning Ridge & Loop Trails and finish with a descent down Colter's Escape for the longest descent on the mountain.
Buffalo soldier, along with Andy's, Action Jackson, Colters Escape are all some of the best XC trails in the country, Yes... I said country.
The views of the Tetons from the top of these trail intersections are so f'ing gorgeous that nothing else compares. BUT, they do get even better if you decide to ride up 38 special.
I recommend taking Buffalo/Andy's or AJ up, then doing 38 special and coming down Peaked for a nice 12 mile loop.
| ThankChutes and Ladders is a short downhill trail less than a mile long near the bottom of the chair lift on Grand Targhee Mountain. You can get to it from Shoshone or Sidewinder. The dirt here is not so rocky and the trail is wide, fast and flowing. There are several jumps and other features - all at intermediate level and all avoidable. It is a fine example of this type of trail.
| ThankThe setting on this western side of the base of the chair lift at Grand Targhee is absolutely gorgeous. Perma Grin combines with More Cowbell which gains some altitude then links into Perma Grin which will keep you grinning as it sidles back and forth along the side of the hill.
| ThankThis is the kind of trail that has you smiling all the way. Combined with Colter's Escape, which links to it, you get about 5 miles of blissful down-slope riding in a beautiful setting. It's cross-country style riding - don't look for lots of MTB features but you will be able to catch some air from time to time.
| ThankBuffalo Drop is one of the lift-serviced downhill trails at Grand Targhee Bike Park. Like the other downhill trails on Grand Targhee it has little merit although it is not the worst of them. It is rocky, bumpy, juddery with limited technical interest except for that drop which is more of a whoosh than a drop.
| ThankThis is another of the fine collection of cross-country trails at the base of the Grand Targhee ski resort. I rode it to connect to the Mill Creek Trail.
| ThankAs mellow cross-country trails go, the loop through Rick's Basin is tops. It's a beautiful setting awash with wild flowers.
| ThankThis is one of the very pleasant cross-country trails the meander around the valleys and meadows at the base of the Grand Targhee ski resort. The setting is beautiful. You'll generally ride it as part of a loop.
| ThankPlenty of stones - not many sticks! They are gnarly rocks rather than interesting and intensely technical Moab-style rocks.
| ThankA horrid access trail from the top of the chairlift to most of the downhill trails at Grand Targhee. It has no no technical merit and will shake your bones - where the rocks stop the braking bumps start.
| ThankThis is the best of a bad bunch of downhill trails at Grand Targhee.
| ThankStarts off a little rocky but eventually becomes friendly dirt. Traverses some forest early on then beautiful, flower strewn meadow. It eventually becomes an outstanding piece of hand-made climbing singletrack that gently lifts you out of the valley and up onto the saddle where you have several options including going down off the mountain via Colters Escape and Mill Creek.
| ThankThere are two distinct parts to this bike park - the cross country trails in the meadows at the base of the resort and the lift-assisted downhill trails.
The cross-country trails are excellent no-nonsense, non-technical trails in beautiful upland valleys, resplendent with wildflowers.
The downhill trails are horrid, rocky, bumpy, juddery trails with limited technical interest unless you like pure gnar. There are a few down-swooping bermed corners but they are far below the standard expected in this kind of bike park. The sparce table tops are a rough and tired bunch with low take-off angles even on advanced trails. I can't remember any other technical features worth the brake pad.
| ThankGreat mix of trails. Spent the morning doing the Back Mill Creek/Colters Escape/38 Special and Peaked. Big Climb, mind blowing views, killer descents! After that took the chair up and checked out sidewinder, great fun!
| ThankKiller downhill runs with everything from jumps and flow to tech and gnar. They keep building new trails, too--they added a brand-new run just this year that runs top to bottom! Also, Targhee is home to some epic cross country riding, some of which ties into trails outside of the resort boundary, allowing for some epic rides.
Two thumbs up!
| ThankGreat technical DH descent.
| ThankEasy but fun! This is a great, mellow ride at Targhee.
| ThankEasy, but entertaining.
| ThankFantastic trail design, great jumps and berms down low, awesome rock gardens and drops up high--this trail has it all!
| ThankAwesome, flowy singletrack!
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