Downhill Added to Lake Placid Mountain Bike World Series
Lake Placid Rides the World Stage: UCI Mountain Bike World Series 2025
Life’s too short not to go big. That’s exactly why this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lake Placid is going bigger, higher, and faster than ever.
With the addition of downhill World Cup racing at Whiteface Mountain, the best riders on Earth will be ascending to new heights and getting everyone’s heart pumping as they put their skills to the test in a high-octane blur of mud, muscle and adrenaline. And that’s on top of the mind-bending action on the trails at Mt Van Hoevenberg, where steep climbs, tough obstacles, and lightning-fast descents with jumps and other features will test riders’ power and precision in World Cup Cross-Country races.
For three full days, these two Olympic venues, set against a gorgeous October backdrop, will deliver a festival atmosphere, complete with live music and great food, amplifying the epic thrills of elite mountain bike racing. Together, these competitions make Lake Placid the only place in the country one can see Cross-Country and Downhill racing in a single weekend.
Epic New Mountain Biking Destination
Lake Placid’s fame is built on winter sports. Today, however, the excitement of international mountain biking competition set in a spectacularly beautiful area where extensive and well-maintained recreational mountain biking trail systems are becoming more well-known is adding something new and exciting to that long-standing reputation.
This is a truly unique mountain bike destination: one that combines downhill thrills, technical trails, challenging climbs, and flowy singletrack as well as the scenic and enjoyable Adirondack Rail Trail. The region itself is a paradise—nestled in pristine forests, dotted with lakes and ponds, surrounded by the Adirondack High Peaks, and steeped in inspiring Olympic history.
Together, it all blends to create an epic mountain biking destination for adventure seeking travelers of every skill level. And for those of us lucky enough to live here, it’s pure paradise with wide choices in trail systems and riding experiences to be enjoyed across the area whenever we get the chance.
Olympic Region Trails
Since the early 1990s, the trails at Mt Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid have been a favorite of mountain bike riders. Today, this historic venue offers easily accessible trails for all levels, with plenty of single and multi-track riding as well as a bike rental center inside the Mountain Pass Lodge. There, first-time and beginning riders can find experienced instructors available to help them discover the sport safely and comfortably.
Over the past 20 years, other trail networks in the region have grown and expanded, too. The Lussi, Craigwood, and Loggers trails offer extensive singletrack right on the outskirts of Lake Placid. In nearby Saranac Lake, the Mt. Pisgah and Dewey Mountain trails provide additional variety for different skill levels. Beyond that are Blueberry Hill, Hardy Road, and the East Branch trail networks near Elizabethtown, Wilmington, and Keene respectively. And to top it all off, the Adirondack Rail Trail stretches 34 miles from Lake Placid through Saranac Lake and Lake Clear. When completed later this summer, it will extend all the way to Tupper Lake.
Riders can find detailed information on the all these trails and much more about mountain biking in the Olympic Region at LakePlacidMTB.com or the BikeADK.com site.
Pathway to Riding the World Stage
For more than 100 years, the Olympic Region has been fortunate to have leaders who saw the potential in and around our communities and did the hard work of planning, organizing, and building. Their dedication brought us two Winter Olympic Games, and it lifted our communities onto the world stage.
Today, both residents and visitors benefit from that same spirit of vision and commitment—carried on by local organizations and countless volunteers. The Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) and the Adirondack Rail Trail Association, in particular, are responsible stewards of our trails, providing leadership, advocacy, and diligent maintenance that serve us all. Now, in both summer and winter, we are once again back on that world stage. From the incredible WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series broadcast around the globe to the thoughtful stewardship of our region’s trail systems, the hard work of many groups and individuals across our communities lifts us up once again. The result is an abundance of available activities and meaningful experiences for athletes, visitors, and residents alike. What we’ve created are ready pathways to outdoor adventures others can only dream of, including true excellence in mountain biking.
Join the action at the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, October 3–5 and be part of the next chapter in showcasing everything the Olympic Region has to offer. Get your tickets and all the event details online today. Get your tickets and find event details here online.
