The Best Mountain Biking Trails in Haute-Savoie

The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as the TMB, is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in the world. The route circles the entire Mont Blanc Massif, which rises to a height of 4,808 meters above sea level—the highest point in Western Europe and the European Union....

Lying at the quieter end of Chamonix valley and accessed by cable car, this is a stress-free little trip which offers wonderful views in return for minimal effort. Ride the Bellevue cable car up from Les Houches village and then follow the large track west as it first climbs to the (now abandoned) Hotel Bellevue and then descends to the Col de Voza, where there is a huge hotel complex....

While Chamonix is renowned as a radically-challenging mountain destination, the valley still offers a small trail system that's perfect for the absolute newbie mountain biker: the Les Bois trails. This network of trails and dirt paths inhabits a stand of tall trees along the banks of the river....

If you’re looking for a mellow pedal in the Chamonix Valley that avoids as much road traffic as possible, you’ve come to the right place! The route mapped here runs up and down the Chamonix Valley and follows smooth gravel roads as much as possible....

Up and down the flanks of le Prarion run some of the sweetest gravel roads in the Chamonix area. Unlike other ridges where you’re lucky if there’s just one path up the mountain, le Prarion offers multiple ascent options on different aspects....

The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as the TMB, is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in the world. The route circles the entire Mont Blanc Massif, which rises to a height of 4,808 meters above sea level—the highest point in Western Europe and the European Union....

Before the Grands Montets cable car was destroyed by fire, this was an easy and easily accessible route but now involves a long, tough climb to access it. The obvious advantage of this is that the route is now an awful lot quieter than it used to be! Start from the foot of the Grands Montets cable car and ride/push up the gruelling ascent to the Lognan lift station....

There’s no two ways about it: Chamonix’s singletrack trails are, on the whole, _gnarly_. Generally, you can expect an endless sea of rocks, roots, and chunder. But what if you don’t mind a steep climb up but would prefer some smooth, flowy singletrack instead of the stereotypical gnar? Well, check out this loop incorporating trails in the La Flatiere and Christ-Roi area! The grind from the valley floor to the top of this route is plenty demanding....

The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as the TMB, is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in the world. The route circles the entire Mont Blanc Massif, which rises to a height of 4,808 meters above sea level—the highest point in Western Europe and the European Union....

Starting in the Plaine Joux car park, this mountain bike trail takes you down to the quiet little village of Servoz. You can choose to cycle or drive up to Plaine Joux on the road....

The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as the TMB, is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in the world. The route circles the entire Mont Blanc Massif, which rises to a height of 4,808 meters above sea level—the highest point in Western Europe and the European Union....

A real Chamonix classic, link this route into the Posettes for an action-packed day out. This is a ride that guarantees a good workout on the way up and will be sure to get your adrenaline pumping on the way down....

Fast and flowy single track merges into a brief section of 4x4 road before going into some tight switchbacks. This branch of the Posettes avoids the gnar lowdown on the classic Posettes trail and offers more fast and flowy riding rather then technical obstacles....

The Petit Balcon trails provide the Chamonix Valley with classic pedal-driven trail riding. These two trails—the Petit Balcon Nord on the south side of the valley and the Petit Balcon Sud on the north side of the valley—run for miles in both directions....

Beneath the lifts of Le Tour you’ll find a couple of purpose-built downhill mountain bike tracks of varying difficulties. Les Marmottes is an easy flow line, and Les Cerfs is a more difficult flow/jump line with the occasional wooden feature thrown into the mix....

Alpage Respect is the primary downhill trail in what’s referred to by some as the “Les Houches Bike Park.” Calling Les Houches a “bike park” is a disservice to bike parks everywhere, but there is at least one bike-optimized trail that you can ride from the top of the Prarion lift....

Alpage Respect is the primary downhill trail in what’s referred to by some as the “Les Houches Bike Park.” Calling Les Houches a “bike park” is a disservice to bike parks everywhere, but there is at least one bike-optimized trail that you can ride from the top of the Prarion lift....

Le Petit Balcon Nord connects to Le Tour, and this section of singletrack descending from Le Tour toward Argentiere is arguably one of the smoothest, fastest, most rewarding stretches of singletrack in the entire Chamonix Valley....

Start by descending the fast 4x4 track, taking care with some loose rocks. After a brief climb, look out for the trail sign on the right. Prepare for 900 meters of challenging Chamonix-style descending....

If you’re looking for a quick hit of singletrack gnar accessible directly from downtown Chamonix, Buvette des Mottets will satisfy! Unlike some of the nearby classics such as Charlanon, this ride is 100% pedal-driven....