Les Arcs Mountain Biking

Les Arcs Mountain Biking

Les Arcs is one of the biggest lift-served bike parks in the French Alps, spread across the villages of Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950, Arc 2000 and Peisey-Vallandry above Bourg-Saint-Maurice, all part of the Paradiski ski area. The shared Les Arcs / Peisey-Vallandry Bike Park runs to around 150km of marked trails: 7 downhill runs graded green to black, 8 enduro routes including the legendary La 8 descent to the valley, and 6 cross country, e-MTB and gravel routes, plus a pump track and a beginners' loop. It's quieter than resorts like Morzine and Les Gets, with a strong following among enduro and all-mountain riders as well as downhill racers.

The Trails

• Downhill (7 trails, green to black): La Trank's (green, around 5km) and Kids Rock give beginners a way in, with Woodstock (5.7km, 515m descent), Legend (4.6km, 380m), Marsupilami (2.2km, 230m), Yellow Stone (3.1km, 360m) and Rock N'Arolles (4.3km, 550m) covering blue and red grades. The black-graded La Cachette (3km, 550m descent), served by the Cachette chairlift above Arc 1600, is the park's signature downhill run.
• Enduro (8 routes): Easy Rider, Golf, Village Express, Déval'Landry (Peisey-Vallandry) and Elle Chablatte range from family-friendly to full-on. The standout is La 8, a black-graded 6.7km forest descent losing around 820m continuously down to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, widely regarded as the park's defining trail.
• Cross country, e-MTB and gravel (6 routes): includes Route 66 (22.2km), Hot Wheels (12.5km) and the 31.5km Tour de l'Aiguille Grive, mixing singletrack, forest road and gravel-friendly family riding across the Paradiski villages.
• There's also a pump track at the Marais entrance to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and a dedicated beginners' loop.

Gravel Riding

The bike park's cross country and e-MTB routes double up as gravel riding: the official trail network lists six e-MTB, cross country and gravel routes on forest road and hardpack, from the easier Route 66 loop out of Arc 1950 up to the 31.5km Tour de l'Aiguille Grive linking the upper villages. These sit apart from the graded downhill and enduro trails and make a good lower-intensity option for linking the Paradiski villages by bike.

Getting Here

The bike park is shared across five villages, so where you base yourself depends on which lifts you want to ride. Arc 1800 is the resort's main hub and has the largest concentration of downhill trails. Arc 1600, reached by funicular from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, is home to the Cachette chairlift and La Cachette downhill run. Peisey-Vallandry has its own lift network and the Déval'Landry enduro route.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice train station sits at the foot of the funicular up to Arc 1600, and there's parking at the Tourist Office near the station if you're starting from the valley. Check the current lift opening timetable before you travel, since the bike park typically runs from mid-June to mid-September with reduced lift access either side of the main summer season.

Beyond the Trails

Les Arcs is a full Alpine resort beyond the bike park: outdoor swimming pools at Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, via ferrata and rock climbing, paragliding over the Tarentaise valley, an adventure and tree-top park, mini golf and a cinema, plus shops, restaurants and accommodation spread across the five villages from Arc 1600 up to Arc 2000. It makes an easy base for a multi-day riding trip with plenty to do on a rest day. See the full Les Arcs website for the wider programme.

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