It was no surprise when asking for the best places to ride in the southwest that a lot of responses veered towards trail riding rather than actual motocross tracks.
The American Southwest which for our purposes includes the states Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado offers some of the best topography in the world. Unlike the concrete jungle of California, trails abound everywhere and the scenery is second to none. Rainy days are a rarity too. The Southwest consist primarily of high and low desert climates so great riding weather occurs year-round.
This is Part 3 of a seven part series ask you the rider for the best places to ride in the United States. We offer no opinion or automatically pick the obvious. The Motocross tracks and areas to trail ride featured all come from those who've been there and want to share their experience. Here's the list of regions we're covering:
- Pacific Northwest - Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
- California - California
- Southwest - Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado
- Midwest - North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin
- Texas - Texas
- Southeast - Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee
- Northeast - Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
The list below is in no particular order but those that get multiple nominations usually get first billing. If your favorite MX park or trailhead isn't listed then give us a shout below otherwise we'll never know!
For those of you not acquainted with Arizona Cycle Park in Buckeye, AZ one look at the website explains why this got multiple nods. ACP offers Motocross, Supercross, Arenacross, Endurocross among other fun in the dirt. The track holds multiple events year-round including an upcoming Loretta Lynn's area qualifier.
Top photo and above: Arizona Cycle Park
2. IMI Motorsports Complex, Dacono, CO
IMI Motorsports in Dacano, CO is another one of those multi-functional spots of fun that provides tracks for karts, SuperMoto and of course Motocross. The dirt track is is considered a professional Motocross track which is redesigned every year.
3. Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale is east of Phoenix and while it's still desert Scottsdale is far from the confines of the big city and the dirty air. Great scenic desert landscape with a variety of challenging trails.
4. Utah
Just pick a spot.
5. Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico seems to be a hidden gem that always falls under the radar. Several spots for New Mexico were mentioned but Santa Fe stood out as the place to go though the state could certainly be another Utah (see above). New Mexico doesn't have the population congestion like other states and if you've ever watched a certain television show about a chemistry teacher you can tell right away that trails are endless in this state.
6. Reno, NV
Reno is further north than Las Vegas and much smaller. It's a bustling little city at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains surrounded by your choice of riding - open desert trail riding, redwoods, and single track in the mountains.
So far every best places to ride region has included the site of an Outdoor National. Thunder Valley in Lakewood, CO is a classic and it's open year-round for all riders. It's easy to get to, just 15 minutes west of Denver, and spring looks like a great time to go.
8. Tulie MX
New Mexico might be home to endless trail riding but Tulie MX track is one of the best in the state. In fact, Jason Anderson rode here. Tulie hosts courses for riders as young as four through the over 50 crowd as well as the Tulie MX race series featuring a number of riding classes.
Other mentions include Canton MX Park in Arizona and we grouped a lot of the trail suggestions into individual sections like the state of Utah.
