Eilat, Israel

Mountain biker Ray Kleiner calls Eilat, Israel, an "out of season gem" on the balmy shores of the Red Sea. "The off-road trails are amazing," he says. "Try the Timna Park region or the hill above Eilat to Ovda airport. You climb forever." Not to worry, though—the ride back down takes you right to water's edge.

Elsewhere in the Holy Land, Ray also recommends Galilee. "Ride from Haifa via Zafed down, down to Lake Kinneret," he says. "1= to 2 hours of sheer speed as you drop from 1800 meters above sea level to 300 meters below!"

Sea of Galilee

Teton Valley—Driggs, Idaho

Near Idaho's border with Wyoming, the Teton Valley is another Potato State mountain biking hot spot."Our mountain biking scene is different," Wendell says. "Something like 200 miles of legal trails, and maybe forty core local riders. I have never seen a situation where riders are actually needed to keep the trails buff. In addition, almost all of the trails are multi-use, with no user conflicts at all. In fact, some of the rides get so far out there, any user is welcome to see just for safety's sake." A typical ride? "Pole Canyon/Black Canyon: 4000 feet of climbing, 25 miles, three hours. Absurd views. Embraceable pain." Just don't scare the bears.

• More on the Sawtooth National Forest.

	On the Road Tired of the trail? Find your way down the road with Pedaling Ways to the Way. Also check out the Road Picks That Rule forum for GORP readers' own best road rides.

Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania

"The Allegheny National Forest in northwest Pennsylvania has over 600 miles of trails open to mountain bikers!" Bryan happily reports."These trails boast everything from old logging roads to extremely technical single-track. Most trails are a cardio workout." Buzzard Swamp Wildlife Management Area has 9.6 miles of interconnecting trails around well preserved wetlands and a protected wildlife breeding habitat. The Allegheny also has a large network of ATV trails that are especially good for bikers in the off-season (mainly spring and fall), when the trails are closed to motorized traffic.

• More on the Allegheny National Forest.

Oakridge, Oregon

"Bend, Oregon, gets all the press, and the trails there are pretty cool," Albee says. "But Oakridge, about an hour and a half west of Bend, has about 300 miles of killer single-track in a classic old-growth Northwest setting. Unlike Bend, you'll find some vertical stuff, with tough climbing and excellent rewards for your efforts. It's about 45 minutes away from Eugene, a very hip college town with everything you need."

• More on mountain biking central Oregon.

San Juan Trail—Los Angeles, California

"The San Juan Trail just south of LA off Ortega Highway is probably the best single-track out there," according to Chris. The 2.1-mile loop he's referring to is a rolling ride through chaparral and oak woodlands down to the San Juan Creek. In the spring, multitudes of wildflowers burst into bloom, and it's easy to forget, for a moment at least, that you're just minutes from the Orange County sprawl. The best seasons for the San Juan are all of them but summer.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

With almost 50 miles of trails winding through the red hills of the Texas panhandle, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is "canyon riding at its best" in Patrick's eyes. One of the highlights is Capitol Peak trail, a technically challenging four-mile loop that makes for some of the state's best single track. The canyon itself is an 800-foot-deep, 110-mile-long trench carved over millions of years, bringing you face to face with eons of geological history. And with the dry north Texas climate, "you can ride all year long."

The Ouachitas, Arkansas

"I just recently returned from the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas," Alan says, "and, man, what a ride." Probably the single best thoroughfare for a meditative motor through the Ouachita's hilly forests and along its high bluffs is the Womble Trail, a 37-mile single-track ramble skirting the Ouachita River in the Ouachita National Forest. Don't stop there, though; there are hundreds of miles of trails within forest boundaries. Along with the Womble, Alan recommends Little Blakely, Charlton, and Earthquake Ridge as top trails for laying down rubber. "I did not get to finish my trip because of rain (tornadoes, lightning, etc.)," Alan says, "but the trails I did get to ride were some of the best I have ridden anywhere. They range from easy to very difficult, and all are extremely scenic."

• More on the Ouachita National Forest.

	Oversley Wood Though all our reader submissions were great, we thought this fat-tire enthusiast deserved a special mention for his perseverance in the face of adversity. Keep the faith, mate! "We (me and my brother) live in central England where the riding is so rubbish you wouldn't believe it. Our mecca consists of about 2 square miles of wood on a hill. The longest downhill there is under a minute long. Have pity on us poor souls who are less fortunate than you who think nothing of riding all day without having to lift your bike over a fence."

La Paz, Bolivia

Moving south, GORP reader Alistair praises La Paz, Bolivia, as a mountain biking mecca on a grand scale."Sitting on the edge of the Andes before they plunge into the steaming Amazon jungle, La Paz offers INCREDIBLE and mostly undiscovered mountain biking," he says. There are "tons of trails of up to 40 miles of continuous descent on either gravel roads or single-track trails." Not to mention that a "total vertical descent achievable in one ride is as much as 14,000 feet!!" The landscape along these routes ranges from craggy peaks covered in snow to tropical rainforests at the bottom. The high altitudes—La Paz itself sits at almost 12,000 feet, and the surrounding mountains climb much higher—make uphill riding a serious challenge for non-acclimated riders. But when it comes time to go downhill, those same heights make for an exhilarating ride.

Fairmount Park—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Matt Grebnesor is excited about Philadelphia mountain biking. He knows there will be skeptics, but many forget that the city of brotherly love is home to the largest landscaped park in the United States. "Fairmount Park in Philadelphia—that's right, Philly—boasts some GREAT riding. All within the city limits you'll find almost 30 miles of classic East Coast terrain. All the trails ride along the beautiful and scenic Wissahickon River. 'The Park,' as us locals call it, offers a little bit of everything, from tight single-track to rolling hills through meadows."

Altogether, this historic park covers 4,180 acres. The Wissahickon Creek cuts a ravine through the park deep enough that, as you cycle along it, the surrounding urban landscape drops out of view. "There are no 2-hour climbs here," Matt says, "but the 5 to 10 minute lung blowers will give you just as much of a workout. Most climbs are very steep and somewhat technical—probably taking you to an elevation of 200/300 feet. This park is great for going out and pounding. Once you get to know this place, you can really fly."