Mountain Bike Trails in Meribel — 5 of Our Favourites

Bellevue

Trail no.18 is 6.2km long and starts from the mid station of the Pas du Lac gondola in Mottaret and continues down past the Altiport into Méribel centre. There's a total descent of 790m and spectacular views over the valley.

Blue Line

Trail no.20 takes you from the top of the Tougnete 2 lift at 2,434m down the ridge line and back to the mid station of the Tougnete lifts. It's 2.3km long with a 30m climb and 570m descent. To find the trail you'll need to stay right of the small chalet once you've come off the lift and then fork left at the first intersection above Les Cretes mountain restaurant.

Les Cotilles

XC trail no.16 is accessed from the bus stop or car park at Méribel Altiport just above Méribel Village. It's 7.2km long with a 154m climb and 427 vertical descent. The trail takes you down through the trees and back into the centre of Méribel and the handy bike wash near La Chaudanne.

Lac du Tueda

XC trail no.12 starts at Mottaret tourist office and covers a 4.5km loop around the lake and back. It's pretty flat with just a 30m increase in height, so ideal for those who don't want to ride anything too strenuous.

The only green DH (Downhill trail no.10) is Bike Slope, which starts from the top of the Tougnete 1 gondola. It's 5.9km long and descends 500m. Along the trail you'll find a few small features such as whoops, berms and a few small wooden obstacles and north shore sections. 

There's a 'fun zone' in Mottaret where you can practise skills and on the Chaudanne in Méribel centre is a closed and fun pump track circuit.

Downhill trails in Meribel

Tougnete Rocket

Trail no.14 starts from the top of the Tougnete chair lift at 2,434m and is 4.7km long with a descent of 520m. The trail is above the tree-line where you'll get some great views of the valley below.

Forest Jump

Trail no.19 starts from the mid-station of the Tougnete lifts, rejoining a green trail right at the bottom which brings you back to the bottom of the lift. It's 2.3km long and descends 380m through through the trees.

Les Combes

Trail no.8 also starts from the top of the Tougnete lift and is 8km long and descends 700m.

Les Granges

Trail no.9 starts from mid way up the Tougnete lift and follows the same route as red no.11 and black no.6 at the beginning. Head right and right again, and the trail snakes down through the trees for 4.6km, descending 500m, and rejoins the bottom of the Tougnete lift.

Les Allues

Trail no.11 follows red trail no.9 and black trail no.6 at the beginning and then forks off to the right from the black trail and then shortly after, left from red trail no.9. This trail ends in Les Allues so you'll need to pick up the bus to get back up into Méribel centre. 

Enduro trails

Les Cretes

Trail no.21 is the longest red trail in the Méribel valley at 13km. You start off on blue trail no.20 (Blue Line) at the top of the Tougnete lift and fork left towards the top of Le Verdet at 2,294m. From here you follow the Roc de Fer ridge line up and over and then down through the trees into Les Allues. From here you can get the bus connection back up into Méribel. Please note this trail is shared with walkers.

Route de l'Eau

Trail no.2 starts from part way along the blue downhill trail (Bellevue no.18) which you can access from mid way up the Pas du Lac lift, and then forks left back towards the bottom of the lift. It's 9.5km long and descends 540m.

Les Grands Numéros

Trail no.15 starts from the top of the Pas du Lac lift at 2,739m. It's only 3.7km long with 44m of climbing and 583m of descent and the trail is also shared with walkers. At the end of this trail you can either join the blue Bellevue trail or black trail Cote 2000.

See the MTB trail map for more trails and details.

Méribel Bike Park offers something for riders of all abilities, from families and beginners to seasoned professionals, including World Cup competitors. The park features dedicated downhill tracks, enduro and cross-country trails, as well as 4x4 (fire road) tracks that are ideal for novices and are shared with hikers. All trails are marked according to the standards of the French Cycling Federation (FFC), ensuring you always know the difficulty level, ranging from easy green and blue trails to the more challenging red and black routes.

For those looking to extend their ride, Méribel links to even more trails in the neighbouring Belleville Valley (Val Thorens and Les Menuires) and Courchevel Valley, increasing the total network to around 250km. To access Val Thorens, Les Menuires, and St Martin de Belleville, take the Tougnette lift to the top and cross into the valley. You can return to Méribel the same way via the St Martin lift or, for a longer descent, continue up the valley to the top of the Bruyères gondola and ride back into Méribel above Mottaret.

If you wish to explore the Courchevel Valley, take the Pas du Lac lift to the top and cross over from the summit of the Saulire. To return to Méribel, you will need to ascend back up the Saulire before heading down.

Please be aware that certain routes finishing in Les Allues and Brides-les-Bains may require a bus uplift to return. It’s also essential to check lift schedules in advance to avoid getting stranded in one of the neighbouring valleys.

Take a look at the MTB map for Meribel and the Three Valleys.

Downhill trails

Brides Les Bains

Trail no. 5 takes you all the way down to the valley floor in Brides Les Bains. It's 10.5km long and descends 1,000m, taking you from just below the Altiport, past Méribel Village and down through the forest to the bottom of the trail. From here you can pick up a bus back into Méribel.

4x de la Chaudanne

This is a sector at the bottom of the Tougnete lift that's specifically for four cross. It was built for the French Championships in 2011 and is reserved only for the most experienced riders. Helmets and knee protection are essential.

La Saulire

Trail no. 3 is 3.8km long and descends 490m from the top of the Saulire and Pas du Lac gondola above Mottaret. It's a shared trail so watch out for 4x4's, and it finishes at the mid-station of the Pas du Lac lift.

Cote 2000

Trail no. 4 picks up where La Saulire trail leaves off pretty much, after you've ridden a small part of blue trail Bellevue. It's also where red trail 15 (les Grands Numeros) finishes, so you can ride top to bottom from the red into the black. The trail is 4.7km long and descends 1,000m.

Bois de Corbey

Trail no. 7 is an off-shoot of red DH trail no.19 Forest Jump. It's only 1km long, descending 176m and joins up with the 4x area at the Chaudanne at the bottom of the Tougnete lift.

Enduro Trails

Col de la Chambre

Trail no. 13 links up with Val Thorens trails crossing over the Mont de la Chambre at 2,850m. It's a 9.8km long rocky enduro trail with some fantastic views and if you're coming over from VT you'll descend 1,100m back into Méribel-Mottaret. There's no lift access for this trail in the Méribel Valley, so you can only really join the trail from the top of the Bruyeres lift in Val Thorens or pedal up and over from the top of the Belleville Valley.

Mergollaz

Trail no. 6 traverses the valley side from the mid station of the Tougnete lift, dropping through the trees and ending up in Les Allues. It's a 6.9km trail and has 220m of climbing and 900m descent. You can pick up a bus from Les Allues to take you back up the centre of Méribel from here.

Creux Loop

Trail no. 17 starts from near Le Blanchot restaurant at the Altiport taking you through the forest on 6km of trail. There's only a 30m climb and the trail descends 280m. 

See the MTB trail map for more trails and details.