Spring Bucket List of Where to Trail Run, Hike, and Bike!
Spring Bucket List of Where to Trail Run, Hike and Bike!
After such a harsh winter, most people are looking forward to springtime adventures and the freedom to run or bike outside unabated. When planning what to do, there’s an abundance of places to choose from to get your biking or running fix. Beautiful trails span from coast to coast and for miles and miles. Gather those around you who enjoy running, hiking, or biking and hop on a flight or road trip to some of the best towns with great trails. Below are some notable trail destinations. No matter your preferred setting, there’s a trail for you!
Photo courtesy of SPIbelt ambassador, Brandon.
Moab, Utah is a top high-profile mountain biking location because of its beautiful scenery. It’s known to have some of the most scenic bike trails in the country. However, its trails can be utilized for more than mountain biking and the Slickrock trails made from Navajo Sandstone in Moab are also a runner’s heaven. A notable trail for runners is the Poison Spider Mesa trail. It has beautiful vistas and technical features and the La Sal Mountains in the background. However, a disadvantage of Moab is that its desert environment makes it extremely hot especially during the summer, so a running belt with a hydration pack such as the Distance Pro SPIbelt is a must.
Other locations that rank consistently high for mountain biking and running trails are:
- Bend, Oregon
- Boulder, Colorado
- Asheville, North Carolina
Bend, Oregon regularly shows on lists as a top mountain bike as well as a running destination. Bend has scenic single track trails within ten miles of town and some even closer. A popular trail in Bend is the Deschutes River Trail that runs right through town. (Bend was founded on this river and named because of the bend in the river.)
Photo courtesy of SPIbelt ambassador, Brittany.
Boulder, Colorado is well-known as one of the country’s top trail towns. Boulder has over two hundred miles of trail routes close to the city with its landmark running trail being the Mesa Trail which boasts a mildly technical singletrack route of about 7 miles. Those who prefer epic runs like marathon runners and triathletes frequent the Mesa Trail as a place to train. Furthermore, its network of trails around the facades of the Flatirons mountain and runs to the top of Bear Peak or Green Mountain make the Mesa Trail visually appealing.
Asheville, North Carolina is another outdoor town great for both mountain bike and running trails. George Vanderbilt built Asheville’s historic Shut-In Trail to link his estate and hunting lodge. Now avid off-road runners enjoy the Shut-In Trail and its eighteen miles of technical singletrack at the base of Mt. Pisgah.
As the frigid air disappears, plans to travel to beautiful locations across the U.S. will fill imaginations and calendars. Start planning your spring bucket list now, and you could be hitting these trails before you can say ‘SPIbelt.’ Happy Trails!
Photo courtesy of SPIbelt ambassador, Jennie.
