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 region holds well over 140 miles of trail, and most of it sits within a short drive of Washington Street. If you have never clipped in here, this is where to begin.
The two lift-served bike parks
The fastest way to rack up descents is to let a chairlift do the climbing. Both of Ellicottville's anchor resorts run bike parks in the warmer months.
HoliMont
HoliMont is the resort most committed to riding. The HoliMont Bike Park has grown into a real destination: close to 19 trails and more than 12 miles of purpose-built track, connecting into a wider network of over 35 miles including the marked Epic loop. The park keeps expanding season over season, so it is worth checking their trail map before each visit.
Holiday Valley
Just across town, Holiday Valley loads bikes onto the Spruce Lake chairlift on summer weekends, roughly from mid June into October. You get flow trails, berms, and a mix of blue and black lines without pedaling a single climb. It is the friendliest place in town to try lift-served riding for the first time.
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. There are roughly 25 trails and more than 14 miles of core riding, with direct access to 35 plus miles of the WNYMBA Epic Trail System maintained by the Western New York Mountain Bike Association.
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: A green flow lap at the Holiday Valley bike park. Low consequence, all downhill, 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, 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.