10 Best Mountain Bike Trails In Snowshoe Park West Virginia

10 Best Mountain Bike Trails In Snowshoe Park West Virginia

Snowshoe Bike Park is located on Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. While this mountain is primarily a ski resort, it does offer mountain bikers a place to have fun when there’s less now. 

 

The park itself is home to over 40 machine-groomed trails and over 1500 vertical feet of descent. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find a great trail or two no matter what your skill level. 

 

Sending It in Snowshoe Park, WV 

With choices come decisions and with so many options that Snowshoe offers, picking the right MTB trail can be a difficult decision. This article aims to narrow down your options to make deciding easier. Here you’ll find our top 10 picks for the best mountain bike trails on Snowshoe together with trail information and what you can expect when you get there.

 

1. Easy Street: Best Beginner Trail 

If you’re a beginner rider looking for the best Snowshoe trail for your skill level, this is it. Easy Street is 6.4 kilometers long from top to bottom. There’s a lift service that can take you to the top so you can pour all your energy into riding this well-built and fun beginner trail.

 

Don’t expect anything technical on Easy Street as it’s primarily built as a 4×4 trail. Restrooms are readily available should you need them. 

 

2. Shaver’s Lake: Family-friendly Shore Trail Beneath the Spruce Canopy 

Looking for a fun trail that you can ride with the kids? Check out this trail. Shaver’s Lake is 1.9 kilometers of easy singletrack trail. This trail has a max elevation of 1,250 meters with an average gradient of 1% but a max gradient of 12%.

 

Shaver’s Lake follows the east bank of the shoreline. Expect some small gradient changes and spruce roots throughout your ride. Some technical sections may require you to hike-a-bike over them. 

 

What makes this trail worthwhile for the kids are the attractions over at the Shaver’s Lake Adventure Park and beach. Dogs are welcome on this trail as long as they’re leashed.

 

3. Skyline: Fantastic Flow Trail  

Are you an intermediate rider looking for a fun flowy trail? You’ve found the right one. Skyline is one of the most fun trails in the Western Territories. This 4.7-kilometer singletrack trail is one of the best flow trails you’ll find in Snowshoe.

 

The trail itself has a max elevation of 1,375 meters, an average gradient of 8%, and a max gradient of 16%. Expect to find lots of big berms, tabletop jumps, and rollers. After careening through this fantastic trail, you’ll end up at the bottom of the Western Territories lift.

 

4. Raging Bull: Short and Sweet Downhill 

If you’re looking for a short and sweet trail to whet your palate, this trail may be what you’re looking for. Raging Bull is a short 284-meter downhill trail with a 33-meter descent. This machine-groomed intermediate-level trail is downhill only and should take you less than 5 minutes to complete.

 

Expect to find a wall ride at first then a rock drop. This trail’s main feature has to be the gap jump to wall ride. This leads to a berm and then a wooden bridge for you to ride or roll over the top.

 

5. Dirt Beaver: Bermy, Flowy, and Family-friendly

If you’re part of a mountain biking family and you’re looking for a bit of a challenge – while still being doable for the kids – then this trail is for you. Dirt Beaver is a 2.2-kilometer doubletrack trail that’s rated intermediate. The trail itself has a max elevation of 1,448 meters, an average gradient of 9%, and a max gradient of 24%.

 

Dirt Beaver starts at the top of the Ballhooter chairlift and ends at Shaver’s Lake Road. While on the trail, expect to find rollable step-down jumps, tabletops, wooden bridge features, and flowy berm turns. 

6. Upper Hareball: Advanced-level Mix Trail

If you’re an advanced rider looking for a steep technical trail to test your skills, check out this trail. Upper Hare Ball is a half a-kilometer-long singletrack trail rated for advanced riders. The trail itself has a max elevation of 1,347 meters, an average gradient of 20%, and a max gradient of 39%!

 

Expect a mix of technical downhill singletrack coupled with some tight berms. There are also some optional large rock drops you can ride if you feel so inclined. To get to the trailhead, go to the bottom of Judi Chop, left of Ninja Bob.

 

7. OG: Fun Alternative to Skyline 

If you’ve ridden Skyline several times and want to ride a different trail, you don’t need to look too far away. OG is a 527-meter downhill-only alternative trail with a 96-meter descent. The trail itself is mostly singletrack with some roots and rocky sections thrown in. 

 

You can get to OG by going down Skyline and taking a right instead of hitting the first jump. At first, you’ll go down a steep chute with some optional rock drops into some chunky rock sections. You end this trail by cutting off to 5 Year Back or Pro DH.

 

8. Trail J: Old School Technical Singletrack 

If you want to experience what the old-school mountain bike riders did back in the day, then this trail is what you’re looking for. Trail J is a short 400-meter singletrack trail rated for advanced riders. The trail itself has a max elevation of 1,320 meters, an average gradient of 15%, and a max gradient of 29%.

 

Start this trail by heading to the right of Lucid and passing the H Trail. Expect features such as a teeter-totter, elevated split skinny, a steep roll-off to the left, and a drop to flat to the right. 

 

9. Big Ash Jump Line: A Different Flavor 

Double black diamond trails are obviously hard but this trail is “hard” for a different reason. Big Ash Jump Line is just 300 meters of singletrack with a max elevation of 1,056 meters, an average gradient of 10%, and a max gradient of 21%.

 

This trail consists of large dirt gaps, flowing berm turns, a large transfer, and a large step-down. Additional protective gear is suggested as well as checking out the features before fully committing.

 

10. Lower Hareball: Hardest Downhill in the State 

By far the toughest downhill trail in the state, Lower Hare Ball combines natural features like greasy sharp rocks and off-camber roots with steep sections, drops (including Roberto’s Rock), and finishing with four linked double jumps at the end. 

 

The trail itself is just 1 kilometer long with a max elevation of 1,236, an average gradient of 20%, and a max gradient of 40%. You won’t be able to stop just anywhere on this trail and you’ll be at the edge of your seat constantly. 

 

As a testament to how tough this trail is, several World Cup Racers have claimed that Lower Hareball, when wet, is harder than many if not all of the internationally acclaimed courses on the circuit.