The best MTB trails in Carbon County

A famous stop along the Continental Divide for hikers and bikers, it still feels like surprising oasis when arriving at Brush Mountain Ranch. Affordable accommodations and camping options. But even worth a stop during the heat of the day just to charge electronics, use the Wi-Fi (as there is poor phone coverage all along the valley) and eating endless pizza and fresh cherries, while Kristin the owner offers cold beer. Meeting place for many cool Divide cyclists.

A narrow bridge crosses the scenic river with good views and excellent access to stock up on water (filter recommended)

Barber Lake's roadside access makes it a great place to start, stop, or turn around on a ride along the nearby Barber Lake Trail (sometimes also called the Libby Creek Trail, since it ties in to the trail of that same name). If you start your ride here you can power up the trail's consistent elevation gain, then pretty much coast on the way back. Or you can make a loop by riding one way on Barber Lake Road. Barber Lake Trail, itself, is fun single and double track. Believe it or not, this is a great place for spotting butterflies too. Keep an eye out for species like the hoary anglewing and the green comma if you pause in your ride.

Although this challenging singletrack doesn't get a lot of traffic (probably because you need a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with high ground clearance to reach the trailhead), it's a fun one. You'll grind out some elevation gain on the way up, then gain it all back on the way down again. If you want a longer ride, this trail also links in with the Gap Lakes Trail and beyond.

This is a very popular, but demanding singletrack trail that gets incredibly rocky in places. You'll need to keep your wits about you: Watch out for rock slides and steep drop-offs right beside the trail, and of course for fellow trail users (including hikers and runners) on the narrow trail. Travel is allowed in both directions, and if you don't want to ride all the way back, you could team up with friends to set up a car shuttle from the southern trailhead.

If you set out from the Dipper Lake Trailhead, you'll put in a moderate climb on doubletrack to reach Heart Lake, which sits off a spur of the main trail. This is a quiet section of this trail network, but if you want to keep riding you can merge back into other nearby trails that access other lakes and the area around Medicine Bow Peak.

Heart Lake sits on a spur off the Dipper Lake Trail, which in turn connects in to the Medicine Bow Peak Trail. As long as your vehicle can make the rough approach to the trailhead, this is a great way to enjoy a quieter corner of an otherwise very popular section of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. It's also a good workout, with a moderate amount of elevation gain compared to the distance.

Heart Lake sits on a spur off the Dipper Lake Trail, which in turn connects in to the Medicine Bow Peak Trail. As long as your vehicle can make the rough approach to the trailhead, this is a great way to enjoy a quieter corner of an otherwise very popular section of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.