We rode standard beach cruiser bikes for all of my top 5 national park bike rides. Cruiser bikes are not ideal on all trails, but they worked well enough for us to enjoy the rides listed below. Also, because we don’t have e-bikes, hills are not our friends. If this is you, no worries. These top 5 national park bike rides are easy on the elevation gain.
#5- Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)- Long House Loop Trail
Distance: 5.25 miles (8.4 km) round trip
The Long House Loop paved trail travels on top of Mesa Verde National Park’s Wetherhill Mesa with stops at multiple viewpoints. You will see several archaeological sites including a view of Long House cliff dwelling and ancient Puebloan pit houses. The backside of the loop has fewer archaeological sites but provides expansive views of the mesa and mountains. We rated this an easy/moderate ride. You can find a good map of Long House Loop Trail (and other Mesa Verde trails) on the Colorado Trails Explorer (COTREX) website.
We spent one full day at Mesa Verde National Park arriving when the visitor center opened and leaving at approximately 4:00 PM. We had enough time to explore the visitor center, take a ranger-guided tour of Long House cliff dwelling, have a picnic, bike the Long House Loop Trail, and take the scenic drive around the park. *Cliff Palace Loop was closed during our visit. Had it been open, we would have needed at least two days in Mesa Verde National Park.
#4- Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool Trail
Distance: 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip
Sure, you can easily walk Morning Glory Pool trail, but if you have a bike, ride it! You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more unique national park bike ride. The trail begins at the Old Faithful Lodge and takes you past the numerous fumaroles, geysers, mudpots, and hot springs of Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin. Incredible!
You can find more information about the Old Faithful to Morning Glory Pool Trail on the Yellowstone National Park website. Bike rentals are available at the Old Faithful Lodge.
We rode this trail early in the morning to avoid the heavy crowds you’re guaranteed to encounter later in the day. Of course, no Yellowstone National Park trip is complete without viewing an eruption of Old Faithful, so plan to see it before or after your ride. Check the park signage for the day’s estimated eruption times. We got there early in the morning and scored a front row seat!
*Yellowstone National Park sits in the caldera of the giant Yellowstone volcano. After our trip to Yellowstone, I became interested in volcanoes and hiking their lunar landscapes. You can find more about my favorite volcanic hikes in my article Fall in Love with Volcanoes-10 Kick-Ash Trails.
#3- White Sands National Park (New Mexico)- Scenic Road
Distance: 16 miles (26 km) round trip or make it an out-and-back for a shorter ride.
I can only describe my White Sands National Park bike ride as surreal. The white, undulating, ever-changing gypsum is white noise in its most physical form. Palpable peace.
The 16-mile (26 km) scenic drive through the park is open to cyclists. The ride is easy as long as your bike has tires that can handle bumps, potholes, and some loose sand. Bring a hat and sunglasses. The scenic road is completely exposed and the sun reflecting off the dunes can be blinding.
You can find out more about biking White Sands National Park on the park’s website.
We timed our ride late in the day to avoid the heaviest traffic on the scenic road. Stay for sunset if you can. The contrast of the deep blue darkening sky with the white dunes made for excellent photos.
#2- Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)- Grand Teton Pathway
Distance: 11 miles (17.7 km) out-and-back from Windy Point to Jenny Lake Visitor Center
I have yet to find an easier bike ride in the national parks with a more spectacular backdrop than the one we took on the Grand Teton Pathway in Grand Teton National Park. If you’ve never seen the Tetons up close, prepare to be blown away, especially by the famous Cathedral Group that includes the park’s namesake peak.
The main thoroughfare through the park, Teton Park Road, is open to cyclists, but there was too much traffic for our liking and too few shoulders. We chose to stick to the dedicated hike/bike path that runs alongside Teton Park Road to get to Jenny Lake.
Once we arrived at the Jenny Lake visitor center, we took the boat shuttle across the lake and spent some time hiking the Cascade Canyon Trail to Hidden Falls. The bike ride and Cascade Canyon hike were the highlights of our Grand Teton National Park trip.
You can find out more about biking in Grand Teton National Park by visiting the park’s website. Bike rentals are available in the gateway town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
We got a great tip from a park ranger at the visitor center. When we told him we weren’t comfortable with steep hills, he suggested starting our ride at the Windy Point turnout on Teton Park Road. This would allow us to avoid a very discouraging climb we’d otherwise have to make right off the bat. I was so glad we took his advice! The ride from Windy Point to Jenny Lake was totally flat and relaxed.
#1- Chaco Canyon Park Loop Road (New Mexico)
Distance: 9 miles (14 km)
Our bike ride in Chaco Canyon National Historical Park is hands down my favorite (so far). My rating is solely based upon my passion for Ancestral Puebloan ruins. Chaco Canyon is one of the most, if not the most, famous Ancestral Puebloan site in North America and biking the scenic loop is an ideal way to see it. You become part of the landscape and feel the history in a way not possible from the inside of a car. I did both, so trust me on this.
Of course, you can’t visit Chaco Canyon National Historical Park without walking through some of the ruins. Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl are two you don’t want to miss but I recommend exploring all you can.
Read all about my visit to Chaco including my bike ride in my article, Best Ruins in New Mexico- Chaco Canyon.
What do you think? I hope you have the chance to do at least one of my top 5 national park bike rides. I guarantee they are ones you won’t forget.
We are looking forward to becoming e-bike owners one day and expanding our bike ride horizons. If you have a recommendation for an affordable e-bike, please contact me with your suggestions. All advice is appreciated!
Other Recommended National Park Bike Rides
San Antonio Missions (TX)- Mission Reach Trail
Distance: 8 miles (13 km)
This paved, mostly flat trail begins in the city and travels along the San Antonio River to 4 historic Spanish missions. We took advantage of San Antonio’s bike share program for our ride. Find out more about San Antonio Missions National Historical Park on the National Park Service website.
Acadia National Park (ME)- Carriage Roads
Distance: 45 miles (72 km)
The crushed rock carriage roads wind through a section of the park that proves there’s more to Acadia than the coast. You can make this ride an out-and-back at any point to shorten your ride. Highlights on the carriage roads include quaint stone bridges, lakes, ponds, and expansive views of the forests. For more about the carriage roads, visit the Acadia National Park website.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (OH)- Towpath Trail
Distance: 20 miles (32 km)
The Towpath Trail follows the historic Ohio Erie Canal with many stops along the way to get off your bike and explore the area. You can make this trail an out-and-back at any point to shorten your ride. Be sure to stop at one of the Trail Mix stores for some Mitchell’s ice cream. The salted caramel was to die for! Additional information about the Towpath Trail and the history of the Ohio Erie Canal can be found on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park website.
An Epic Bike Trail Fail
Yellowstone National Park (WY)- Lone Star Geyser Trail
This bike ride might have made it to my top 5 if it hadn’t been an epic fail. Here’s what happened.
I never got to Lone Star Geyser. The trail began with a bridge crossing over a serene river leading to a quiet forest. All good so far. Then about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in, I saw fresh bear scat and tracks. A little farther and the forest suddenly got a little less quiet. I heard loud grunting in the trees just off trail. And whatever was making the noise sounded BIG. Maybe a grizzly. I freaked out. Really freaked out. I told my husband I was getting the hell out of there and began pedaling back to the trailhead as fast as I could, legs shaking so badly I could barely keep the bike upright.
On the way back, I passed a few hikers and did what I thought should be any responsible visitor’s duty and warned them about the possibly angry beast up ahead. Their reactions? Total nonchalance. One said, “Meh- might be a grizzly; might be an elk.” They all kept walking. Didn’t they hear what I said???? As they continued down the trail, I didn’t hear a single person calling, “Hey, bear!” Not one. I thought they were nuts. My husband thought I was nuts. I thought he was nuts. The whole thing was nuts!
This forced smile photo was made when I got back to the trailhead exhausted from panic. I was embarrassed, relieved, and disappointed all at the same time. I told my husband maybe we could try it again another day. He said no way. And not because of the potential for bears. Because of the potential for me.
We didn’t reattempt the Lone Star Geyser ride. I’ll always regret that. Maybe one day I’ll get a second chance. Until then, I can tell this humiliating yet humorous story.
From the Library
I’ve always enjoyed memoirs as they relate to travel odysseys. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck is of course, my all-time favorite. But Going Somewhere by Brian Benson was personally inspiring. I traveled along with Brian seeing his sights, empathizing with his emotions, and celebrating his accomplishments along the way. Mostly this book reignited my desire to see Glacier National Park. Glacier had moved to the outskirts of my national park travel goals due to my paralyzing fear of a grizzly encounter. Going Somewhere convinced me that I need to embrace fear and turn it into a catalyst. That’s exactly what I plan to do. Glacier sounds like a good 2027 plan to me.