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Mountain bike trail terrain: a census of 312 networks

Half the networks in this 312-network sample had at least 80% tree cover. We compared their elevation, slope, and canopy using an August 17, 2026 catalog snapshot.

This report describes a dated study. For current trail conditions, open a network page.

The three numbers behind every verdict

Loam uses terrain data at each network's mapped location to help estimate conditions. Elevation, slope, and tree cover affect how the ground responds to weather.

This report uses the 312 networks published on August 17, 2026. The catalog has grown since then; the figures below describe that original sample.

63.7%average canopy cover
3.7°average grade
550maverage elevation
312sampled networks

Half the sample had at least 80% tree cover

Tree cover ranged from 0% to 100%. Half the sample had at least 80% canopy, while average cover was 63.7%.

Bar chart of canopy ranges across 312 networks. The five bins contain 54, 28, 18, 56, and 156 networks from least to most canopy.
Canopy distribution in the frozen August 17 publication. The chart and table use the same five bins. Download chart SVG.
Canopy coverNetworksShare
0 to 19%5417.3%
20 to 39%289.0%
40 to 59%185.8%
60 to 79%5617.9%
80 to 100%15650.0%

Download this study: Frozen 312-network CSV | Frozen rows JSON with field notes

Twenty-five networks had a 0% canopy reading and 19 had a 100% reading. These values describe the sampled terrain around each mapped location, not every section of trail.

Least canopy

Avimor (Idaho), Brown's Ranch (Arizona), Canatara Park (Ontario), Captain Ahab/Amasa Back (Utah), and Cave Creek Regional Park (Arizona) all measure 0% canopy.

Most canopy

Parc naturel du Lac-Jerome (Quebec), Partridge Hills (British Columbia), Short Hills Provincial Park (Ontario), The Hydrocut (Ontario), and Top Bridge (British Columbia) all measure 100% canopy.

Most sampled slopes were gentle

Slope is measured in degrees, not percent grade. The median was 2.3° and the average was 3.7°, with a smaller group of steep locations raising the average. These terrain readings are not trail difficulty ratings.

Flattest

Anderson Park (Michigan), Kiwanis Recreation Area (Minnesota), and Northwest Community Park (Texas) each measure a 0.1° grade, close to level ground.

Steepest

North Cheyenne Canon Park (Colorado) measures 17.5°, followed by Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area (Washington) at 17.1° and Mill Creek Pipeline (Utah) at 16.6°.

Elevation spans sea level to a Colorado ski town

The sample ranged from 3 meters at Marshview Park in Virginia to 3,024 meters at Evolution Bike Park in Colorado.

Lowest

Marshview Park (Virginia) at 3m, Grapefruit Trail (Florida) at 7m, and Pacifica (California) at 7m.

Highest

Evolution Bike Park (Colorado) at 3,024m, Brush Creek (Colorado) at 2,866m, and Golden Gate Canyon State Park (Colorado) at 2,761m. All five of the sample's highest networks are in Colorado.

What this does and does not show

These figures describe terrain, not current conditions or measured drying times. Check the latest network estimate and official access notices before riding.

The downloads contain the exact 312 rows used for the publication, recovered at source commit f49a523a06a881106bac3dae6206147c14a4cb23. The average, ranges, distribution counts, named extremes, and grade-and-shade groups all reproduce the published figures. The current, larger catalog is not mixed into this study.

About Loam estimates

Loam estimates conditions from weather, soil, and terrain. It does not measure the trail surface directly or override an official closure. Read how the estimate works and see the published checks and their limits.

See Loam's data providers and editorial process.

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