Yesterday the group organizing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games, LA28, announced the location for the mountain bike competition. “The home of the Mountain Bike competition at the 2028 Games will be the Industry Hills MTB Course in the City of Industry Zone,” they wrote on Instagram. “This state-of-the-art course will be within a hilltop in the San Gabriel Valley, bringing rugged terrain and non-stop action for the thrilling competition.”
Though the group did not reveal the exact location of the cross-country MTB venue in their annoucement, the UCI says “the mountain bike course will be situated adjacent to the Pacific Palms resort.” The photo above, shared by LA28, appears to be taken from the Pacific Palms golf course.
Based on our analysis, it’s likely the mountain bike course will be constructed in an area to the northwest of the golf course where the Industry Hills Recreation and Expo Center and CRIA Equestrian Center are located. According to information posted by LA28, the course will be 4-6km long and will be a “twisting and turning course” with “sections of drops, jumps, varied terrain and exciting areas for fans to be part of the action.”
The Industry Hills Recreation Center is located about 35 miles northeast of the Los Angeles International Airport.
Looking at a satellite view of the area, the venue appears to have ample parking and existing dirt roads and/or trails. Elevations in the immediate vicinity range from about 550 feet above sea level to 750 feet. The rolling terrain suggests that the course will feature multiple climbs and descents, although none will be sustained.
Initially, it looked like the Olympic mountain bike course would be located at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, which hosted pro-level USA Cycling and US Cup cross-country mountain bike races as recently as 2019. In fact, some media outlets reported in April that it would be the location for the MTB race, though this announcement confirms the race will not be held there. Frank G. Bonelli Park is in San Dimas, California, about 15 miles northeast of the Industry Hills Recreation Center.
Mountain biking was added to the Olympics in 1996, with the first race taking place at the Georgia International Horse Park east of Atlanta, Georgia. Portions of the Olympic course are still rideable today. It’s unknown if the mountain bike course created for the Los Angeles Games will become permanent, though substantial work will surely go into building trails for the event. California is generally considered to be the birthplace of mountain biking, which should make for a momentous race.
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