Resorts throughout Utah build more lift-served modern flow trails for mountain bikers each year, and it’s easy to see why. Flow trails are fast, fun and suitable for riders of all levels. With consistently smooth trail surfaces, steep berms, rollers for pumping or jumping and lofty tabletops, mere mortals get to approximate the feel of being a World Cup racer by experiencing those g-forces that suck your eyeballs into the back of your skull. No wonder they’re in high demand.
Here’s our roundup of lift-served flow trails for mountain bikers at Utah resorts. You won’t find any old-school jank here. No abrupt flat corners. Nary an off-camber section in sight. Maybe a little bit of kitty litter over hardpack if it hasn’t rained in a while, but you definitely won’t find yourself pinballing down a scree field of loose baby heads. Oh, the places you’ll flow.
Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley is Utah’s OG bike park with some seriously gnarly terrain that played host to epic NORBA races back in the day. In recent years they’ve invested heavily into the flow game, partnering with trail builders from Gravity Logic to sculpt some of the smoothest flow trails in Utah. Whether you’re looking for huge tables or mellow rollers and berms, Deer Valley has it all.
Holy Roller: Beginner – 1,668 feet of descent: This super long flow trail covers more vertical than any similar trail around. Holy Roller is great for progressing, learning how to brake early, get high on berms and pump through rollers. It’s perfect for those just getting their feet wet riding flow.
Undertow: Intermediate – 1,004 feet descent: Undertow’s incredible berms allow for flat-out, high speed cornering at preposterous lean angles. By design the trail has no mandatory jumps, but if you’re hauling and willing to boost there are a few sneaky doubles. It’s like a downhill pump track on steroids.
Tidal Wave: Intermediate – 1,066 feet of descent: An endless line of medium size tabletops through open meadows and aspen trees makes Tidal Wave the perfect place to get comfortable in the air. This trail was the first Gravity Logic collaboration at Deer Valley and is by far it’s most popular trail for riders wanting to get their wheels off the ground.
Tsunami: Advanced – 543 feet of descent: With the biggest, smoothest jumps at Deer Valley, Tsunami is perfect for riders taking their jump game up a level. There are floaty tabletops, hip transfers and some massive berms thrown in for good measure.
Park City Mountain
Park City Mountain doesn’t have a traditional bike park, but they do offer mountain bike lift haul with access to some cross-country oriented flow trails. Ride the Crescent chairlift from the Park City Mountain base area or pedal over on Mid Mountain Trail to access trails that were formerly part of Canyons Bike Park. Wherever you look, there’s mellow flow in the mountains of Park City.
Silver Queen: Intermediate – 470 feet of descent: Silver Queen’s sweeping berms dive into dark aspen forest right from the top of the Crescent lift at Park City. Intermediates will enjoy the challenge of finding speed and flow over a consistent grade while experts can sniff out sneaky transfers and gaps if they’re carrying enough speed.
Mojave: Intermediate – 390 feet of descent: Mojave starts with a winding descent through sun-speckled aspen trees before exiting the forest into a straightaway with high-speed, snaking banked turns. Stay off the brakes and go as fast as you dare.
Ricochet: Intermediate – 642 feet of descent: Ricochet was built as part of the former Canyons Bike Park, and it features spiraling berms that alternate dipping into dark forest and emerging back out across ski runs. Undulating grade reversals and some small wooden bridges spice things up a bit.
Brian Head
Just like Deer Valley, Brian Head has a history with rough and rocky gravity racing. They’ve also diversified their offerings for mountain bikers thanks to some help from the flow gurus at Momentum Trail Concepts. You won’t find flow like this anywhere else in Southern Utah.
Color Flow: Beginner – 1,246 feet of descent: At four miles long with nearly a quarter-mile of feet to descend, Color Flow is an amazing, meandering introduction to flow trail riding with some singletrack mixed in for good measure. It’s a great warmup trail to ride before tackling Brian Head’s more advanced trails and the perfect setting to practice getting off the brakes and letting it rip.
Little and Lower Glitter: Intermediate – 1,100 feet of descent: This Linkup of the Glitter trails transforms Brian Head’s trail network into a top-to-bottom all you can flow buffet. The final portions of Little Glitter were completed this year with huge sweeping berms and a variety of tabletop and double jumps.
Tank’s Track: Intermediate – 205 feet of descent: Tank’s Track is a classic jump trail that’s a solid step up from the Glitters in terms of difficulty. The tables are a bit longer and the doubles are a bit more committing, but it’s still a pump, berm and jump roller coaster down the mountainside.
Woodward Park City
Woodward may be the new kid on the block, but they’re already making their presence felt with a serious trio of flow trails. Woodward’s trails crisscross the property’s undulating terrain with an endless series of berms, tabletops and the biggest gap jumps in the state. If you’re ready to progress and step up your game, Woodward is the spot.
Easy Rider: Beginner: The easiest flow trail at Woodward, Easy Rider treats mountain bikers to a berm bounty with 25 well-built banked turns over the trail’s length. Easy Rider traverses the entirety of Woodward’s real estate, covering enough ground to make Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper envious.
Parley’s Way: Intermediate: Parley’s Way has a great mixture of flow features from sequenced berms and rollers to lofty tabletops and step up jumps. It’s about on par with Tidal Wave in size and it’s suitable for a variety of riders, whether they’re just learning to jump or dialing in their whips to take to something bigger.
Spiral Jetty: Advanced: Spiral Jetty is advertised as an advanced flow trail, but I’d say it edges into expert-only terrain with some big ol’ gap jumps at the bottom. The last set of booters on Spiral Jetty is bigger than anything else you’ll find in Utah outside of classic Rampage lines. If you have the nerve and the skills, Spiral Jetty delivers some divine airtime.
For more beta on lift-served mountain biking, check out Lexi's post here.
