Angel Fire, New Mexico: More Than Just a Rad Bike Park

Without a doubt, Angel Fire Bike Park is one of the best bike parks in not only the United States but all of North America. A seven-time winner of the MTBParks “Best in the Southwest Award” as well as boasting the largest bike park in the Rockies, Angel Fire Bike Park is a bucket list destination for mountain bikers all across the country. Before we go any further, let me address the elephant in the room and state that I do work in the marketing department for the resort/bike park, but I promise this is not a sell piece or anything that I am being asked to write. I moved here around Labor Day 2018 specifically for mountain biking and the reputation this bike park had within the outdoor industry. At the time, I had never visited the area and had no friends in the area, but decided to go for it anyways. The bike park is obviously what gave the region it claims to fame, but the riding outside of the bike park is definitely worth checking out and only adds to the area's allure as a must-ride Mountain Bike destination.

The Bike Park

In 2005, the UCI DH World Cup was hosted at Angel Fire Bike Park, and that is really what put the area on the map. From there, the Trail Crew spent years developing the 60 Mile network featuring over 39 trails that it is known for today. Although the bike park is known for it’s raw, technical riding, the trail crew has been working to add more flow to the mix, most recently with Turbo Diesel and a complete facelift of it’s sister trail Diesel. If you are looking for that steep, techy riding that made Angel Fire famous, hop on Upper Chillin to Fo Sho which will then dump you out on Middle Supreme which starts off with a nice little tech rock/root section before spitting you out on some of the nicest jumps the park has to offer. From there, I like to hop on Chutes & Ladders, a freeride trail that features wood bridges, drops, and a wallride all milled from the resort's own sawmill.

Clayton Shank getting high on the Chutes & Ladder wallride

If you’re looking for pure flow, and want a trail that you can absolutely rip down, do not sleep on Boulder Dash. This blue, intermediate trail features tabletop jumps, step-ups, step-downs, hips, and some of the tackiest berms in the Rockies. Over the course of almost 2 miles, you’ll drop about 1500ft in elevation through a steady grade as you drop down to the Chile Express base area.

Clayton Shank showing how to ride Boulder Dash with just a little bit of style

The Greenbelt XC Network

In addition to the world-class bike park, Angel Fire is also home to a network of Cross Country trails for riders of all abilities. The same trail crew that built the trails on the mountain also developed this network of trails. This spring, the new Cougar trail was officially unveiled. The best way I can describe this trail is Enduro. It can be ridden as an out & back starting at Monte Verde Lake, or you can work it into a loop via the Coyote trail, which is accessed by Deer, Elk, or Bear. Cougar features a little bit of everything, but my favorite section is in the switchback section that is near the bottom of the descent.

Angel Fire Bike Park Instructor Sebastian Cuadra after navigating an Elliot Barker Rock Garden

If you’re looking for something a little more “rugged” check out the Elliot Barker trail, which features 2 stages from the Scott Enduro. Personally, I like to shuttle this ride, leaving one vehicle at the bottom of the ride, and driving to the top near Brazos Drive. The Water Tower road to access the trail at the top is best suited for a 4WD, high clearance vehicle, it’s super rocky but not that bad of a climb if you don’t have a truck that you feel comfortable driving through there. Once you’re on the trail, there’s a decent little hike-a-bike section where you definitely won't forget you’re above 10,000 ft. Once you reach the top of the climb, the descent offers hands down the best bang for buck in the area. Super fast sections with huge views, and some rock gardens that’ll make you feel like you’re in the bike park.

South Boundary Trail

Angel Fire is also home to the South Boundary Trail, New Mexico’s only IMBA Epic Ride. There are a few different ways to ride this trail depending on how much work you want to put in. I’m a fan of shuttling this ride, and I recommend most people ride it this way too. Drop one car in the El Nogal trailhead, then head back to Angel Fire to the top of Forest Road 76/Osha Pass. You can ride it from Garcia Park without driving back to Angel Fire, but in my opinion, you miss the best section, Heaven on Earth. 

Angel Fire Bike Park Patroller, Alex LeBlanc riding the Heaven On Earth section of SBT

If you start in Angel Fire, you’ll get a 21-mile ride and lose almost 5000ft in elevation, it’s definitely not a mellow descent. The trail starts with an almost 1000ft elevation gain climb, and you’ll climb another 1000ft in punchy sections throughout the ride. Heaven on Earth, the segment before Garcia Park, features an absolute ripper of a descent through a massive Aspen Grove, I highly recommend riding in the fall while the leaves are changing. It’s absolutely gorgeous back in there in September & October.

The next best section is the last 5ish miles when you really start to lose elevation. This section features a lot of loose rock and techy sections. Although this ride is listed as a black on Trailforks, if you’re a solid intermediate rider looking for your first long backcountry experience, this is a great trail to start with. Bring lots of water and some snacks on this ride. 

Lost Lake Loop

Big views near the top of the Lost Lake Loop

Why this trail isn’t an IMBA Epic blows my mind. There are some incredibly big views on this ride which takes you above 11,500ft and flirts with the Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area Boundary lines. You will definitely need your climbing legs for this one. The highest point of the ride is basically right at the lake itself. There are two ways to ride it, I recommend riding it counterclockwise, opposite of the way it’s listed on Trailforks, so that you climb all the switchbacks, and descend the fast, straight valley on the way down. The first 6.5 miles are basically all climbing with little to no relief, if you feel no shame in some hike-a-bike, it’s wise to conserve your energy for the downhill. When I rode this trail last weekend it took me about 2.5 hours, with breaks to make the climb, then about an hour to descend. According to my Garmin, total moving time was 2 hours and 42 minutes, but overall time was around 3 hours and 50 minutes, so start early in the morning and you’ll set yourself up for a great lunch at Red River Brewing Company when you finish your ride.

The view of Lost Lake is pretty out of this galaxy

What I enjoy most about this loop is the variety of terrain you’ll encounter. From super exposed, rocky traverses, creek crossings, and fast, flowy single track during the last few miles. This trail definitely earns its black diamond, physically hard rating. You’re not going to find a more authentic backcountry experience than this trail.

Basically what I’m getting at here is that if you’re only coming to ride the bike park, you’re really missing out. If you like to pedal and are looking to enhance your visit to the area, Angel Fire offers variety to riders of all abilities, from light cross country rides to full-day backcountry experiences. 

About The Author

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stash member Collin Wheeler

I like to ski. I like to ride my bike. I like to eat tacos.