Ely, Nevada, sits 250 miles north of Las Vegas in the state’s remote eastern mountains. What once was thought of as a “drive through town” on the way to places like St. George is really coming into its own, thanks to trail systems like Ward Mountain.
Ward Mountain, located just south of town, already boasts over 20 miles of singletrack. Now, a partnership between the Ely Ranger District, IMBA Trail Solutions, White Pine County, and the Great Basin Trail Stewardship is bringing nearly 18 more miles to Ward Mountain.
The project is backed by a $2 million grant secured by the US Forest Service through the Southern Nevada Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), and construction is already underway.
Ely, NV… Mountain bike destination?
“I would say we’re definitely getting out there more and known for what we have,” Erin Rajala told us. “I don’t know if I would call it [a mountain bike destination] yet, but I would say because of the hidden treasure we have out here in Ward, […] it’s put us a little more on the map.”
Rajala is the Recreation and Wilderness Program Manager for the Ely Ranger District. For the Ward Mountain Project, which the Forest Service has taken the lead on, she is the Project Manager.
Maybe a destination, maybe not, but make no mistake: Ely is undoubtedly on the map for mountain biking. The city stakes a claim of founding and hosting the longest-running enduro race in the country — Fears, Tears, and Beers — dating back to 1995.
The long-standing Fears, Tears, and Beers enduro race is responsible for building much of Ward’s existing trail network. The race has also drawn riders to Ely who discovered that this town offers much more than a quick pit stop.
“Essentially, that’s how folks from out of the area have gotten a sense of what we have to offer here in Ely,” Rajala told us. “We now find folks with bikes in our campgrounds. It’s great to see.”
Rajala was quick to give credit to the community partners and IMBA for much of the success at Ward. Organizations like IMBA and the Great Basin Trail Stewardship are willing to get their hands dirty, literally, and White Pine County continues to promote mountain biking in Ely.
With mountain biking continuing to grow on Ward Mountain, Ely was ready to add significant mileage to the system. After roughly a decade of discussions and planning, IMBA Trail Solutions has finally broken ground.
New trails on Ward Mountain
Knowing that more trails were needed at Ward, Rajala began working with IMBA to create initial concept ideas and plans.
“She had a rough idea of what they were hoping to achieve through the project scope of work. And at that point, we were able to partner with them and get into an agreement where we took those concept plans, and Ama and her team went out and did a full planning and design assessment of the landscape,” Josh Olson, Trail Solutions Construction Director, told us.
“Ama” is Ama Koenigshof, Director of Planning and Design for Trail Solutions. Both Olson and Koenigshof have played a significant role in the new trails at Ward Mountain.
This phase of trail construction at Ward Mountain is expected to add or address over 18 miles of trail. As Olson and Koenigshof put it, IMBA will “touch” a little over 18 miles of trails. While Rajala explained that maintenance of current trails is a part of the 18+ miles proposed, the lion’s share of the 18 miles will consist of building new singletrack.
One of the first additions IMBA made to Ward Mountain is a climbing trail, offering a new route that gains over 1,000 feet in four miles. Rajala told us IMBA just completed the new climb, which provides access to the top of a popular descending trail.
As they zoom out and look at the entire trail system of Ward Mountain, the new climb trail will help alleviate some trail congestion now and act as a primary connector.
“A little more user-friendly, loopability, and connectivity,” Koenigshof told us. “There were some specific spots that the community [wanted addressed], and figuring out other connectivity so they can go ride their favorite stuff.”
The addition of the new climbing trail also allows Ice Plant, an existing nearly four-mile and 1,400-foot descent, to operate primarily as a downhill trail. IMBA is currently doing some touch-ups on Ice Plant, adding some features such as tabletops to the trail.
Quite a bit of the additional mileage will also come in the form of intermediate trails. Currently, Ward has 21 green trails and nine blues. Rajala shared that local mountain bikers want more intermediate terrain, as well as some advanced options.
The majority of this intermediate expansion will be around the existing trails. However, one trail, the more advanced experience, will go a touch higher.
“Starting next year, we’re working on the high alpine side of things,” Rajala explained, speaking of a new alpine trail heading toward Ward’s summit. “I’d have to look at a map, but I want to say it’s something like 8,200 feet.”
This new alpine trail will be Ward’s first high-elevation mountain biking experience. Rajala told us that it is an untouched mountain at this point, with no trails currently in the area. While the terrain will be rough and rugged, the experience and views should be spectacular.
IMBA’s contract goes to June of 2027, when they expect to have the 18 miles they are working on complete. With Ely sitting above 6,000 feet, and Ward Mountain climbing above 10,000 feet, the area gets quite a bit of snow. This makes for a relatively short building season.
But Olson seemed optimistic about reaching the goal by the end of their contract, perhaps helping Ely to become a true mountain bike destination.
“I think it is a mountain bike destination for sure in the sense that there’s a lot to offer in Ely,” he said. “It’s a great network as it stands now.”
And it’s only getting better.
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