The Grand Canyon offers both Road Biking and Mountain biking within Grand Canyon National Park, and in the Kaibab National Forest. Biking below the Rim of the Canyon is not permitted, but there are many routes you can take on dirt roads through the National Forest, as well as the paved highways that run to and through the Park.
The many Forest Service roads around the Canyon can be great fun, but the sandy soil can also make for a hard day. The paved roads along the South Rim of the Canyon are a great way to experience it, but there's not much extra pavement for bikers, so be careful of drivers paying attention to the views instead of the road. There are two actual single-track trails for folks who want to take their mountain bike fro a spin at the canyon. One is the Kaibab loop about a mile outside of Grand Canyons south entrance. This is a fun, but short trail and is usually only used by locals. The North Rim however offers the Rainbow Rim trail, which can be done as a 30-mile loop. Much of this trail goes along the Rim of the Grand Canyon in Kaibab National Forest. You don't need a permit and there are some great campsites to spend the night. The roads to get to this area usually don't open until mid-may and are closed after the first big snow storm, which typically occurs after November.
South Rim
Grand Canyon Village
Bikes are allowed throughout Grand Canyon village, and make for a good mode of transportation. They are also allowed on the Grand Canyon Shuttle so you can get to other areas of the park.
Hermits Rest
The hermit rest road is closed to all traffic except for park buses during the busy season. It also follows the Canyon Rim for most of its length and makes for a great ride for road bikes.
Desert View Drive
Desertview drive is another road along the canyons South Rim that can be a beautiful bike ride, but there is a ton of traffic and not a lot of room on this road, so make sure youre up for sharing the road with gawking tourists.
Tusayan Bike Trail
Located in between Tusayan and the South entrance to Grand Canyon National Park The Tusayan Bike Trail follows linked loop trails along old logging roads and single track through Kaibab National Forest. You can ride anywhere for 3 miles to 32 miles following this trail system. Youll see the trailhead on the right after the Imax theatre en route to the South Entrance.
Forest & Park Roads
There are endless dirt roads in the South Kaibab National Forest outside of Grand Canyon National Park to go for a ride on. Just grab a South Kaibab Map and head out, but remember many of the roads around here are soft and sandy and can make for a long day.
North Rim
Highway 67
From Jacob Lake to the North Rim is about 30 scenic miles. This is a great road bike trip since the traffic is very light compared to the South Rim area.
Rainbow Rim Trail
This is a great single track trail in the North Kaibab National Forest right along the rim of the Grand Canyon. This 18 mile trail is the only single track along the Grand Canyon, and take a little bit of off-pavement travel to reach.
Forest & Park Roads
The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, and the North Kaibab Ranger District have an endless array of dirt roads to ride. As with any dirt roads in this area loose sandy soil can make for a long day.
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