Ellicottville has quietly become one of the best places to ride a mountain bike in the Northeast. Between the two resorts and the surrounding state forests, the Ellicottville trail system holds more than 50 miles of trail, and all of it sits within a short drive of Washington Street. If you have never clipped in here, this is where to begin.
The lift-served riding
The fastest way to rack up descents is to let a chairlift do the climbing, and in Ellicottville that means starting at the bike park.
HoliMont
HoliMont is the bike park in town. It has grown into a real destination: 25 trails and more than 14 miles of purpose-built track off the Sunset Chair, with beginner to expert lines and a direct link into 35 plus miles of the WNYMBA Epic system. It is also the best place in town to try lift-served riding for the first time. Ride the lift to the top, warm up exploring Sasquatch and Boundary Line, then take Vagabond or Sundown, both green trails, back down. For trails, lift hours, 2026 ticket prices, and rentals, read our complete HoliMont Bike Park guide.
Holiday Valley
Just across town, Holiday Valley loads bikes onto the Spruce Lake chairlift on summer weekends, roughly from mid June into October. The trail count is smaller and the lines lean blue and black, so it suits riders with a few days under their belt more than true first-timers. Where the Holiday Valley trails really shine is as a link into the rest of the Ellicottville network.
New to lift-served riding? Rent a full-suspension bike and a full-face helmet at the resort, take one green lap to feel the brakes, then step up. Pads are cheap insurance on your first day.
The WNYMBA Epic: Rock City and McCarty Hill
When you want to earn your descents, the state forests deliver. Locals call the whole system simply "Ellicottville," and it spreads across the Rock City, McCarty Hill, and Little Rock City state forests just outside town. The WNYMBA Epic Trail System holds more than 35 miles of singletrack, built and maintained by the Western New York Mountain Bike Association, and both resorts' trail networks tie directly into it.
This is classic Northeast singletrack: rooty, rocky in spots, and rewarding. The trails climb through hardwood forest and open to ridge lines that are pure magic in October when the leaves turn.
Where a beginner should actually start
- Day one: The HoliMont Bike Park. Take the lift to the top, explore Sasquatch and Boundary Line to get your legs, then descend Vagabond or Sundown, both greens. Low consequence, no climbing, easy to lap.
- Day two: An easier marked loop in the state forest to get a feel for natural terrain and climbing.
- Stepping up: Blue lines at HoliMont, a weekend lift day at Holiday Valley, then link into the Epic system once your fitness and skills catch up.
Season and conditions
Riding runs roughly May through October, with peak trail conditions in summer and early fall. After heavy rain, give the natural trails a day to drain so you are not carving ruts into someone's volunteer work. Check the resort bike park calendars and local trail updates before you load the car.
Ride respectfully. The Epic system exists because volunteers build and maintain it. Stay off closed and wet trails, yield to uphill riders, and pack out what you bring in.