Description
La Clusaz is a lower-altitude, forest-lined bike park in the French Alps, with lift-served downhill and enduro riding plus a wider cross-country network. The lift-served Bike Park has 12 trails across green to black grades, and the whole area totals 125km of marked riding once the XC and all-mountain circuits are added in. La Clusaz is one of the closest lift-served bike resorts to Geneva, so it suits riders wanting a short transfer from the airport, and the village stays quiet but has all you need for a trip.
The Trails
- La Clusaz Bike Park sits at a lower altitude than many of its sister French Alps resorts, with a forest feel and an easier gradient than the higher Alpine bike parks further south.
- The lift-served Bike Park has 12 trails: 6 downhill (2 green, 2 blue, 1 red, 1 black) and 6 enduro (1 blue, 4 red, 1 black), served by three lifts, Beauregard, Cret du Merle and Cret du Loup.
- La Grenêche, the resort's original trail, is a 2.5km blue run with 19 built turns through forest and alpine meadow, and links into the blue Descente du Loup for the longest run in the park. The black variant of the Loup adds 365m of vertical drop for experienced riders.
- La Ferriaz, a 4.3km red downhill run reached from the Beauregard plateau, sits apart from the rest of the domain and is its longest and most demanding red, running through a beech forest with a North Shore zone of raised boardwalk, moguls and tables.
- Family Run, a green downhill trail added in 2025, and Bois de la Motte give newer riders an easy, wide route back down from the lifts.
- Beyond the Bike Park, 11 cross-country and all-mountain circuits, including 4 e-bike-friendly panoramic routes, bring the wider La Clusaz area to 125km of marked trails and 23 routes in total.
Admission and Prices
The XC, all-mountain and e-bike circuits are free to ride, on foot or by bike, with no pass needed. Riding the lift-served Bike Park needs a bike pass: a day pass costs EUR 23.50 for adults and EUR 19 for children aged 5 to 14, with half-day, multi-day and season options also available, and single lift tickets sold separately if you only want one run.
Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates on the venue's website before you visit.
Guides, Shuttles and Hire
The three Bike Park lifts are the uplift here, covered by the bike pass, so no van shuttle is needed for the downhill and enduro trails. Bike hire, servicing and mountain bike lessons are based in the village, within walking distance of the lift stations.
- Alpes Aventures: mountain bike, e-bike and downhill bike hire with a workshop, plus guided outings, based in the village centre.
- Bossonnet Pro Shop: electric and downhill mountain bike hire and a repair workshop, based at the foot of the Bossonnet sector.
- Evolution 2: mountain bike lessons and guided rides for children and adults, from beginner workshops to downhill coaching, based in the village centre.
- Intersport Crêt du Merle: adult and children's electric mountain bike hire, opposite the Crêt du Merle chairlift.
Getting There from the UK
Geneva is the closest airport, around 65km and about an hour's drive from La Clusaz, and has the widest choice of flights from the UK. Lyon Saint-Exupéry is a similar distance further south and also well served. Annecy has a small regional airport closer still, but with a limited scheduled network, so it is worth checking whether it suits your dates. Shared and private transfers run from all three.
By rail, take the Eurostar to Paris and change onto a TGV towards the Alps, most journeys running via Lyon or Aix-les-Bains to Annecy, the nearest mainline station. From Annecy, regional buses run up the valley to La Clusaz in around an hour. Bikes need planning on the high-speed legs: Eurostar and TGV each have limited bike spaces or require the bike to be bagged, so reserve a space or pack your bike before you travel.
Driving from Calais or the Channel Tunnel is a long day, around 850km and roughly nine hours on toll motorways via Reims, Dijon and Bourg-en-Bresse towards Annecy, then east into the Aravis valley to La Clusaz. Having a car makes it easy to bring your own bikes and kit, and to explore the wider Aravis and Mont Blanc valleys.
Once in the village, the Beauregard, Crêt du Merle and Crêt du Loup lift bases are all a short walk from the centre, where you will also find the pass office and bike hire, and the Tourist Office at 161 Place de l'Eglise for maps and trail information.
When to Go
The lift-served Bike Park runs from mid-June to mid-September, continuously through July and August with extra weekends either side, while the wider e-bike and cross-country network is rideable for longer whenever the high routes are clear of snow, roughly May to October. Outside the lift season, the trails above the village are still open on foot or by unassisted bike, but there is no uplift.
July and August are the busiest weeks, coinciding with the French school summer holidays, so June and September offer quieter lifts and trails if your dates are flexible. Le Bélier VTT, a mountain bike weekend of cross-country races, randonnée and e-bike rides, an enduro-style randuro and kids' races, runs at La Clusaz each June and draws over a thousand riders, so expect a busier village that particular weekend.
The village sits at a lower altitude than many Alpine bike parks, which gives it a milder, more forest-sheltered feel, but the Beauregard plateau still gets afternoon cloud and can turn cool and breezy even on a warm day lower down. Summer storms build through the afternoon in the mountains, so ride the higher trails earlier in the day and carry a layer.
Where to Stay
La Clusaz village is the natural base for the Bike Park: all three lifts, the pass office, bike hire and the mountain bike school are within walking distance of the centre, and the Tourist Office on Place de l'Eglise is the first stop for maps and trail information.
Accommodation runs from chalets and apartments to hotels and campsites. The Pass Experience, a multi-day activity card, bundles Bike Park lift access with the aquatic centre, summer luge, mini golf and other village activities, and is worth considering for a family or group with mixed interests.
Beyond the Trails
- La Clusaz is a full Alpine village, not just a bike park, with an aquatic centre and wellness area, via ferrata, canyoning and paragliding, plus Lake Annecy around 30 minutes away for a swim.
- The village has been a farming community for far longer than it has been a resort, and is one of the few places that still makes Reblochon cheese, so it is worth a stop for food as well as riding.
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