Queenstown. The land of lakes, ludicrous scenery, and more MTB trails than you can shake a snapped derailleur at. Whether you’re into flow, tech, jumps, jank, or just getting wildly lost before dinner, there’s a little bit of everything here and that’s exactly why we froth over riding in this place.

And while the Bikeaholic staff may be deeply questionable individuals in their life choices, sock colours, helmet hair, and nutritional habits, there is one thing you can rely on them for: they ride their bikes. A lot. Like... 99.99% of their spare time kind of a lot. If they’re not wrenching on bikes, they’re out riding them. 

So when we wanted to crown the Top 3 MTB Trails in Queenstown, we knew exactly who to ask:
YOUR BIKEAHOLIC MTB EXPERTS.

After an extremely sophisticated polling process conducted on some very high-tech paper (trust us, we spent minutes designing this masterpiece) we tallied up the votes for the staff’s favourite trail from our hand-picked list of Queenstown classics.

THE OFFICIAL HIGH-TECH TRAIL VOTES

THE TOP 3 TRAILS, According to Your Friendly Local Bikeaholics

After intense debate, minimal bribery, and one near spanner throwing incident we landed on the top three.

Tied for third: Gin Trap, Carry On, and Squid Run.

Second place: Huck Yeah!

But there was one clear winner...

THE WINNER: SALMON RUN 

Ah yes, Salmon Run.
If you know it, you respect it. If you don’t, get ready for a trail that’ll test your skills, your line choice, and your commitment.

This is classic Double Black terrain: raw, rocky, exposed, and unapologetically technical. It’s the kind of track that demands precision and rewards riders who stay sharp from top to bottom.

Here’s what the crew had to say:

Why Mat Loves Salmon Run

Mat could’ve written an essay, but here’s the condensed version of his Scottish ramblings delivered with the enthusiasm of a man who thinks rocks are a personality trait:

Why Sacha Loves Salmon Run

Now imagine the following in your best French accent:

Why Nehuen Loves Salmon Run

And from our favourite Argentinian speed demon

In short: the crew rates Salmon Run for all the reasons that make most riders stop at the top, swear a bit, and question their tyre pressure. It’s perched up the steep Fernhill hillside and drops you straight into proper chaos - rocks, roots, off-camber nonsense, and not a single berm to hold your hand.

It’s raw, fast, unforgiving, and demands full focus the whole way down. The kind of trail that rewards commitment, punishes hesitation, and makes trail nerds grin through the fear. If you’re into tracks with attitude, Salmon Run will absolutely sort you out.

Mat froths on it because it’s basically one long argument with a rock, which is very on brand for a Scottish bloke who genuinely loves terrain that hurts back.
Sacha and Nehuen are on the same page: it’s tech, it’s fast, and somehow still manages to flow if you commit - and honestly, that sums it up perfectly.

Final Thoughts

Queenstown’s MTB scene is stacked, and while no list could capture every bit of gold, this one’s a bloody good start - built from the trails our crew actually ride, love, and argue about daily. Salmon Run might’ve claimed the top spot, but it’s definitely not for everyone, and that’s the magic of this place: there’s something here for every kind of rider. Whether you’ve just rolled into town or you’re chasing your next two-wheeled fix, hit a few of these and you’ll get exactly why Bikeaholic exists. And don’t be shy - ask the team what suits your skills, your style, or your preferred flavour of chaos. These bike nerds will dish out genuinely good advice… or at least a very passionate rant about their favourite trail.