Top Shelf
The big one: Panorama Gondola to the 11,053 ft summit, Off the Top across the pumice fields of the back side, then Beach Cruiser past Reds Lake back to Main Lodge.
Your timesno timed runs yet
Ride mode times every run on its own: the clock starts when you roll out of the start and stops at the finish, with splits at each marked spot. Leave Ride mode on between laps and it re-arms when you're back at the start. Times stay on this phone.
Right now at the trailhead
Get the GPS file
Scan with a friend's phone, or tap below. Then open it in your ride app.
- iPhone: tap Download, open it from the Downloads bar, then Share → Trailforks, Strava or Garmin.
- Android: tap Download, then open the file and pick your app.
- Garmin: or drag it into Garmin Connect → Courses → Import on a computer.
https://bsqrd-designs.com/dirt/top-shelf/
Getting there
Park at Main Lodge lot
10001 Minaret Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
- Main Lodge base area of Mammoth Mountain. Tickets and rentals at Main Lodge. Check the resort site for summer parking rules before you go.
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Singletrack connectorsingletrack via The Summit | 0.2 mi |
| 0.2 | Off the Topsingletrack via Beach Cruiser junction | 4.9 mi |
| 5.1 | Beach Cruisersingletrack via Main Lodge | 3.1 mi |
| 8.3 | Back at Main Lodge lot |
Know before you go
- Lift-served: ride the Panorama Gondola through McCoy Station to the summit. A bike park ticket is required. The upper gondola closes earlier than the lower one (4:30 p.m. on the 2026 resort map).
- Off the Top is the resort's intermediate summit trail, ridden from the top of the mountain back toward the base. The resort's intermediate rating means steep slopes, rocks, loose soil and narrower trail. About 2,100 ft of drop overall.
- Beach Cruiser rolls past Reds Lake on the way back, with roughly 350 ft of pedaling in short climbs by our elevation data, so this lap is not all downhill.
- Upper Skid Marks and The Eliminator also start at the summit and are much harder. Follow the Off the Top signs, then Beach Cruiser.
- The summit is over 11,000 ft: cold and windy even in August. Bring a jacket, and head down early if storms build.
Ride smart
- Water: plan on about 1.5 L for this ride. There's none on the trail.
- Signal is spotty. Tell someone your route and your time back.
- Emergency: call 911 and say "Top Shelf ride, parked at Main Lodge lot, Mammoth Bike Park", plus the coordinates from Locate me.
- Wildlife: give horses, burros and anything with horns room, and never feed them.
- Stay on trail. Desert crust and mountain soil take decades to heal.
Report a problem or share a photo
Washout, closure, new fence or a missing sign? Got a great shot of a junction? Send it. It goes straight to Ryan; photos he approves show up on this page with your credit.
Trail photos
End ride?
Turn calls, the timer and your recording stop when the ride ends.