Best states for mountain biking 

New research reveals that Vermont is the best state for mountain biking. The research by bike experts icebike.org analyzed the 50 states based on a review of multiple factors related to mountain biking to establish the best state. The study looked at the number of trails, the percentage of hilly terrain, the number of national parks, the state’s bikeability score and the number of top destinations per state.

The study revealed that Vermont ranks number one as the best state for mountain biking. Aptly named the ‘Green Mountain’ state, Vermont has a total of 2,520 bike trails which equates to 402 trails per 100,000 people, the highest of any state, and 80% of the state has hilly terrain, second to West Virginia with 88%.

Utah is the second-best state for mountain biking with a total of 6,036 trails which equates to 199 trails per 100,000 people. The five national parks, a bikeability score of 66, and 65% hilly terrain put Utah firmly in second place.

Colorado ranks as the third-best state for mountain biking, with 6,980 trails. There are 123 trails per 100,000 people, plenty of hilly terrain (66 %) and four national parks. With a score of 70, Colorado has one of the highest scores for bikeability, a rating from the League of American Bicyclists which includes factors such as safety, infrastructure and policies relating to cycling. Massachusetts and Montana also make it into the top five states for mountain biking, taking fourth and fifth, respectively.

At the other end of the scale is Nebraska, which ranks as the worst state for mountain biking, as it has only 12 trails per 100,000 of the population. Even though it has 64 % hilly terrain, it has the lowest bikeability score of all the states at 27 and has no national parks.