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Trail Conditions
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Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
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Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type
Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.
SaveAmes trails and routes are listed on Trailforks with interactive trail maps, difficulty ratings, photos, and user-reported trail conditions. Supported activity types include Hiking, Trail Running and Mountain Biking. Popular destinations include McFarland Park and Skunk River Greenbelt.
This is an auto-generated description of Ames.
Login or register to submit a custom description.
Trail info last updated
Activities Click to view
- Mountain Bike
8 trails
- Hike
11 trails
- Trail Running
11 trails
Region Details
- 1
- 7
Region Status
Open as of Apr 27, 2026Stats
- Avg Trail Rating
- Trails (view details)
- 11
- Trails Mountain Bike
- 8
- Trails Gravel Bike
- 1
- Trails Horse
- 3
- Trails Hike
- 11
- Trails Trail Running
- 11
- Total Distance
- 8 miles
- Total Descent Distance
- 3 miles
- Total Descent
- 606 ft
- Total Vertical
- 139 ft
- Highest Trailhead
- 1,067 ft
- Reports
- 5
- Photos
- 2
- Completed Counter
- 142
Sub Regions
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McFarland Park
- 4
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Skunk River Greenbelt
- 1
- 3
Popular Ames Mountain Biking Trails
• 85 ★ 3.0 • 3,553 ft • 37 ft • 15 •
Popular green difficulty singletrack. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 37 ft green climb. On average it takes 3 minutes to complete this trail.
• 75 ★ 3.0 • 1 mile • 134 ft • 11 •
Popular green difficulty singletrack. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 134 ft green climb. On average it takes 14 minutes to complete this trail.
• 40 ★ 0.0 • 564 ft • 7 ft • 10 •
Moderately popular green difficulty singletrack. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 7 ft green climb. On average it takes minutes to complete this trail.
• 65 ★ 4.0 • 4,984 ft • 70 ft • 9 • • hike
Moderately popular green difficulty singletrack. This hike primary trail can be used both directions. On average it takes 10 minutes to complete this trail.
• 55 ★ 4.0 • 3 miles • 147 ft • 7 • • hike
Moderately popular green difficulty singletrack. This hike primary trail can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating with a 147 ft green climb. On average it takes 46 minutes to complete this trail.
• 45 ★ 0.0 • 3,986 ft • 60 ft • 5 • • hike
Hard-surfaced trail through various plant communities including prairie, woodlands, and ponds; handicapped access to fishing dock, deck overlooking the lake, and handicapped accessible picnic sites. Picnic areas with grills: Some sites...
• 5 ★ 0.0 • 1,319 ft • 18 ft • 4 •
Less popular green difficulty singletrack. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 18 ft green climb. On average it takes 1 minutes to complete this trail.
• 30 ★ 0.0 • 3,038 ft • 67 ft • 3 • • hike
Less popular green difficulty singletrack. This hike primary trail can be used both directions and has a moderate overall physical rating with a 67 ft green climb. On average it takes 13 minutes to complete this trail.
Photos of Ames Mountain Bike
Videos of Ames Mountain Bike
mtb
8:45 |
344 |
Nov 3, 2020
Recent Trail Reports
| status | trail | date | condition | info | user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland River Loop | Apr 27, 2026 @ 8:46pm (America/Chicago) Apr 27, 2026 | Unknown | TomukzIAT | ||
| Skunk River Water Trail (Bear Creek) | Jun 25, 2025 @ 6:35pm Jun 25, 2025 | Wet | brownnathanial | ||
| Bear Creek Loop | May 23, 2021 @ 1:46pm May 23, 2021 | Ideal | Codwhy |
Activity Feed
| username | action | type | title | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wishlist | trail | activity #98715872 | Jul 8, 2026 @ 8:24am Jul 8, 2026 | |
| TomukzIAT | add | report | activity #93555595 | Apr 27, 2026 @ 6:46pm Apr 27, 2026 |
| MasonrDBQpH | wishlist | trail | activity #92599883 | Apr 14, 2026 @ 8:45am Apr 14, 2026 |
| brownnathanial | add | photo | activity #74626376 | Jun 26, 2025 @ 3:40pm Jun 26, 2025 |
| brownnathanial | add | report | activity #74572737 | Jun 25, 2025 @ 6:35pm Jun 25, 2025 |
Local Badges
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Epic Ride Descent 2k0 awarded -
Descent 10k Badge0 awarded -
Descent 100k Badge0 awarded
Local Mountain Biking Directory
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Bike World - AmesBike Shop
-
Skunk River CyclesBike Shop
Activity Type Stats
| activitytype | trails | distance | descent | descent distance | total vertical | rating | global rank | state rank | photos | reports | routes | activity logs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Bike | 8 | 7 miles | 561 ft | 3 miles | 138 ft | #10,344 | #3,217 | 2 | 5 | 500 | ||
| Gravel Bike | 1 | 3,986 ft | 39 ft | 1,329 ft | 26 ft | 3 | ||||||
| Horse | 3 | 4 miles | 318 ft | 2 miles | 105 ft | 4 | ||||||
| Hike | 11 | 8 miles | 607 ft | 3 miles | 138 ft | #10,772 | #3,809 | 5 | 43 | |||
| Trail Running | 11 | 8 miles | 607 ft | 3 miles | 138 ft | #12,115 | #4,200 | 5 | 13 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the best places to ride in Ames?
Ames has 2 areas to explore for mountain biking. The top rated areas are:
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What are the highest rated mountain biking trails in Ames?
The highest rated mountain biking trails in Ames are:
- Skunk River Water Trail (Bear Creek) (4/5)
- Skunk River Water Trail (4/5)
- McFarland Multi-use (3.8/5)
- Skunk River Water Trail (McFarland) (3.8/5)
- McFarland Multi-use Cutoff (0/5)
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Where can I park to ride in Ames?
There are 1 parking locations listed in Ames. The most popular parking spots are:
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What is the longest trail in Ames?
The longest trail in Ames is Skunk River Water Trail at 2.6 miles. View all trails sorted by distance.
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What are the best & highest rated hiking trails in Ames?
The best hiking trails in Ames are:
- Skunk River Water Trail
- Skunk River Water Trail (Bear Creek)
- Bear Creek Loop
- Turnpike Connect
- McFarland Multi-use
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What are the best & highest rated trail running trails in Ames?
The best trail running trails in Ames are:
- McFarland Multi-use
- Skunk River Water Trail (McFarland)
- McFarland River Loop
- McFarland Multi-use Cutoff
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How many trails are in Ames?
Ames has a total of 11 trails. Of those, 8 are designated for mountain biking. Browse top mountain biking trails in Ames to find detailed information including difficulty ratings, distances, and trail conditions.
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Which trail has the most elevation gain in Ames?
The trail with the most elevation gain in Ames is Skunk River Water Trail with 147 ft of elevation gain. View all trails sorted by elevation gain.
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Which trail has the most elevation descent in Ames?
The trail with the most elevation descent in Ames is Skunk River Water Trail with 211 ft of elevation descent. View all trails sorted by elevation descent.
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What activities are most popular in Ames?
Ames supports the following activities: Mountain Biking, Hiking, Trail Running.
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What bike services are there in Ames?
The following bike services are available in Ames:
- Bike Shop (2)
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What are the steepest mountain biking trails in Ames?
The steepest mountain biking trail in Ames is McFarland Multi-use Cutoff with an average grade of 1.2%. View all trails sorted by grade.
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Are the trails open in Ames?
Out of 3 trails:
- Clear / Green: 1
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 2
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What are the most popular Strava Segments in Ames?
The most popular Strava segments in Ames are:
- Soper's b4 loop (200 athletes)
- “New” trail (167 athletes)
- North 150th to 130th (153 athletes)
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What are the most popular mountain biking trails in Ames?
The most popular mountain biking trails in Ames are:
- McFarland Multi-use
- Skunk River Water Trail (McFarland)
- McFarland Multi-use Cutoff
- McFarland River Loop
- Skunk River Water Trail (Bear Creek)
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What are the best beginner ride trails in Ames?
The best beginner mountain biking trails in Ames are: View all beginner mountain biking trails in Ames.
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - Admins: apply
- #36099 - 4,118 views
- ames activity log | embed map of Ames mountain bike trails | ames mountain biking points of interest
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