I spent an awesome month here in 2021, and another awesome month here in 2022. I will certainly be back in 2023.
Before we jump into it, this post will cover the trails NOT in the bike park. In other words, this post is NOT about the bike park, but rather the mountain biking trails around Ketchum Idaho.
The riding here is relatively smooth, non technical riding. If you're looking for technical or steep riding, Ketchum isn't the place for you. If some fun, smooth pedaling, or xc pushing is for you, Ketchum is awesome sauce.
There are several miles of trails accessible for most rider just rolling out from the town (to the Adams Gulch Trail Area).
[Trail] Imperial Gulch...
A classic smooth, fast paced decent. Trailforks.
This trail reminds me of the 401 trail in Crested Butte. I might even like this one better because the climb is single track. From the Top down, you get some fast whisking through trees, with a little bit of tree root chop, and then a long flow session through uncovered fields. Once that winds to an end there is a little bit of climbing and then a nice final descent back to the Greenhorn Trailhead. You can loop this trail up with only about 10.5 miles, so you really get a lot for your (minimal) effort).
How to hit it:
Riding the Imperial Gulch trail can be accomplished in a relatively short loop of 10 miles. But that is too short for my taste. This is a route I put together from the Greenhorn Trailhead. We tack on some distance, extra climbing, and mix in a few small descents by linking Mahoney, Lodgepole, Mahoney, and Imperial Gulch.
The climb on the upper part of Mahoney is probably the most strenuous I have found in the area.
While it may look like just taking Mahoney all the way up is the best route on trail maps, it is is very important to climb up Lodgepole, as the section of Mahoney avoided has a lot of loose rock and is a complete bitch to climb.
Longer option: 16.8 miles | 3,400' Trailforks - Sträva
[Trail] Alden Gulch...
The spicyness near Ketchum. Trailforks
I think of this as the 'Enduro' trail of the area. There's some jumps, a drop, some rocks. Up top it is fast and flowy, and ask you get down lower it becomes a little steeper and rocky. It's unique in that it is a purpose built trail, but feels like a back country ride. You get a lengthy decent of (about) 2,000' spread over 5 miles with a little a bit of everything.
Routes: you can follow the long link up with Osberg Ridge which is a big ride or you can can pedal up Baker Road about 10 miles and then about 2 more miles up Osberg ridge.
[Trail] Forbidden Fruit....
a jumpy flow trail. Trailforks.
is the flow trail in the area. It's hand carved and features some jumps and rollers which you can cary a good bit of speed on, along with the berms to help hold your speed. Heads up though, the trail has a very loose and slippery feel.
How to hit it? This trail is a part of the 'Tour De Adams Gulch' route below.
[Trail] Eve's Gulch....
Takes you all the way to the top of of the mountain ridge. From there you turn around and ride back down. It's a pretty fast, but not very steep trail. Although there are no berms you can carry a lot of of speed on it and not really have to worry about grabbing a shitload of brake for unexpected switchbacks.
How to hit it? This trail is a part of the 'Tour De Adams Gulch' route below.
[Trail] Pork Chop (and Griffin Butte)...
Pork Chop is a cool trail because you get the high alpine, uncovered feel, without really much climbing at all. You'll have some fast sections up top through fields of flowers (depending on time of year) and then some Aspen Trees down lower. Heads up though, you will have some unexpected switchbacks and hard brake grabs.
How to hit it? This trail is a part of the 'Tour De Adams Gulch' route below.
[Trail] Osberg Ridge...
ah Osberg how I love thee. This is the most physically demanding, and technical trail ride in the area. There is some steep edge exposure, not steep enough that it's deadly; it would just be a shitty fall. There is some tech both uphill and downhill. And you're out there. Getting there is a long ride any way you go!
The link: Baker - Osberg - Alden
Other Noteworthy trails...
Curly's and Oregon Gulch (also known as Over The Edge). Both are great trails -- possibly steeper and rowdier than anything on the list here, but they are kind of 'isolated' trails meaning there is no good way to link them up. For example, to loop up Oregon Gulch you get about 22 miles of riding, but only about 6 miles of that is single track.
Riding the Imperial Gulch trail can be accomplished in a relatively short loop of 10 miles. But that is too short for my taste. This is a route I put together from the Greenhorn Trailhead. We tack on some distance, extra climbing, and mix in a few small descents by linking Mahoney, Lodgepole, Mahoney, and Imperial Gulch.
The climb on the upper part of Mahoney is probably the most strenuous I have found in the area.
While it may look like just taking Mahoney all the way up is the best route on trail maps, it is is very important to climb up Lodgepole, as the section of Mahoney avoided has a lot of loose rock and is a complete bitch to climb.
Riding the Imperial Gulch trail can be accomplished in a relatively short loop of 10 miles. But that is too short for my taste. This is a route I put together from the Greenhorn Trailhead. We tack on some distance, extra climbing, and mix in a few small descents by linking Mahoney, Lodgepole, Mahoney, and Imperial Gulch.
The climb on the upper part of Mahoney is probably the most strenuous I have found in the area.
While it may look like just taking Mahoney all the way up is the best route on trail maps, it is is very important to climb up Lodgepole, as the section of Mahoney avoided has a lot of loose rock and is a complete bitch to climb.
[Route] Tour De Adams Gulch
21.02 miles | 3,707'
Key Trails You'll Hit: Eve's Gulch, Forbidden Fruit, Pork Chop
Do note: my Strava starts from town, not the Adam's Gulch trailhead. Subtract a little bit from the distance / elevation.
This route hits all the staples in Adam's Gulch, from the Adam's Gulch Trailhead. starting out you get a rolling warmup on the Shadyside trail, which is nothing technical, just some casual up and and down. Then it it's time for a nice climb up to the top of Eve's Gulch. At the top, you turn around and come back down. On the way down you jump into the flow trail… and hit some jumps. Then it is time for a punchy climb on the Griffin Butte trail before finally descending on Pork chop.
The ride is all tight knit near the trail head, so if you feel yourself bonking at any point, you can pretty much turn around and cost downhill (mostly) back to the trailhead.
[Route] Baker - Osberg - Alden
21.6 miles | 3,067 (according to Trailforks, seems way off)
Key Trails You'll Hit: Osberg Ridge, Alden Gulch
The stats that Trailforks shows, seem to be off. I'll say it feels longer a little bit longer and much more climby than the stats given by trail forks.
After leaving the dirt road and things get rugged pretty quick. You'll be working to get power to the ground and keep your rear wheel from spinning, but once up to the top of Osberg Ridge, you have a pretty clean pull down through Alden Gulch making this my favorite ride in the area.
Note: I park and start at the bottom of Alden Gulch trail -- not at the start point on Trailforks. By parking there, you won't have an uphill pedal at the end.
Trails/Rides Not Too Far Away
Not far from Ketchum at all.
Fisher Creek Loop....
this is a really popular loop. Over 18 miles you get a casual climb up and then a really fast, flowy descent. The descent doesn't have many switchbacks, so you can really carry some freaking speed down it. The ride is fun, and many people LOVE it, but personally it is not one of my favorites.
Big Casino Loop....
located in Stanley, this is a back country ride that gets you one hell of a climb and descent that will kick your ass. The descent is like 9 miles of rock garden. So after you drain yourself going up hill, you don't get a chill down hill. The downhill works you here and beats you up further when your ass is already kicked. I'm not one for stopping, especially on a descent, but this decent made me want to take a break lol.
Hailey Bike Park...
in the town just 10 miles south of Hailey is a really cool public bike park. There's a couple lines of dirt jumps, and then 3 flow trails from green to black with jumps down the mountain side. It's really cool and shocking few people know about and use the park.
I like coming here to work on my jumping skills after a longer XC ride. Must hit in the area.
Other Area Information
Best Time To Go. June - September is good. May is iffy. May of 2021 was awesome, sunny and warm. May of 2022 was a different story with lots of rain and a little bit of Snow.
Recommended Bike Shop. I did need some work done on my bike while I was in Ketchum and didn't have the right tools for the job. I needed the spokes tensioned (properly) on my rear wheel as it was making pinging noises when under pressure. That's not a job for the lowly skilled. I found my way to Idaho Cycles, located on Lewis St in the business section. The owner there, Mark, was a skilled bike pro. He did my wheel perfectly. As a someone that has been a long time rider and worked in the bike industry, I would trust his team with anything my bike needs (and I rarely trust people). Hence my positive review here.
Where To Eat. I'm all about nutrition, at a a good price. Wrapcity in town can make a variety of salads. My choice was a Cobb Salad with extra meat. This is basically all I eat for lunch when I am here.
For dinner The Pioneer Saloon has as a good steak and fish. Although it seemed a little over priced; but hey there were no other options.
The Cobb Salad that someone referred to as a barf bowl.