Chiang Mai Dirt Bike Trails Update - October 2026
What's new on the trails — routes, reports and reviews.
Hi Dirt Bikers,
It's been a bit of a strange month, weather-wise; less rain, higher temps, but that hasn't been bad for the trails. Rather than trying to out-plan or out-run the typical monsoon downpours that are typical of October, we've had some pretty sunny days and dry trails.
This month we've explored some border trails up North in neighboring Mae Hong Son and added some great new trails to our map. Check out the Tail of the Elephant as an alternative ending to the classic Elephant Trail which, for the past few years, has become paved.
We hope you enjoy the trails we've added and that they can serve as inspiration for your future adventures.
New routes
GPX tracks added to the site since the last issue.
Mae Sa to Mae Chaem - The Long Way
A winding 4x4 route through the hills of Mae Sa, Mae Nachon and Khun Yuam before finally reaching Mae Chaem. Easy dirt, farm roads, ridgeline views and hundreds of kilometers of dirt and backroads. This is a great route in the dry season, when the mud allows you to easily move quickly. If it has rained and the mud is deep, progress will be slow and you may not have enough time in one day to complete this route.
Download the GPX
The Doi Luang Loop
A great beginner friendly loop through Doi Luang in Chiang Rai. Featuring farm roads exclusively, this route is, with few exceptions, 4x4 dirt roads connecting farming communities. Accessible, maintained and with stunning scenery, this is a great route just 2 hours North of Chiang Mai.
Download the GPX
The Tail of the Elephant
An excellent alternative to the Elephant Trail (which has become paved), this route leads from the Bua Tong Field road East to Ban Wat Chan. Retaining the same feel as the old Elephant Trail, the scenery, trail condition and villages along the route are top-notch.
Download the GPX
The Mae Hong Son River Run
A brilliant farm roads trail leading from Mae Hong Son South to the 108. Featuring small villages, rice fields, corn fields, stunning mountain views and river crossings, this route is an essential one when heading South out of Mae Hong Son town (or heading North to it). Can be combined with an equally fun river run trail just to the South of this one by a short linkage on the 108.
Download the GPX
The Ban So Bae Loop Near Phang Ma Pha
A fun loop, mostly concrete roads by now, but with a great section of dirt trail in the middle. The scenery on this loop is top notch and a must do if you are in the area. Starting in the area of Lahu villages, it curls around through farming communities before leading up hill through a well maintained 4x4 road leading close to the border.
Download the GPXRide reports
Write-ups from recent rides, with the track we took.
Mae Sa to Mae Chaem, The Long Way — in a Day
The Mae Sa to Mae Chaem route is 119 km of dirt. Its start is 109 km from my house, so riding it in a day came to 336 km and just under ten hours. A CRF250L, no rain, a 22-minute coffee in Mae Chaem, and the last 108 km home in the dark over Doi Inthanon.
Read the report
A Doi Luang, Chiang Rai, Loop
A 129 km solo loop through Doi Luang in Chiang Rai on a CRF250L — farm roads and forest track out of Pa Ngio, wet clay left over from overnight rain, a tree down across the singletrack, and the sky finally opening up over the rice paddies. Pizza at the end of it.
Read the report
Three Days to Mae Hong Son: Border Trails, River Crossings and the Tail of the Elephant
Three days from Chiang Mai to Pai to Mae Hong Son and home, on a CRF250L and a CRF300L. Four trails that were new to us, one friendly checkpoint 20 km from Myanmar, and a night ride we would not repeat.
Read the report
Blocked by Deadfall, Then Over Doi Mon Angket: A Samoeng to Mae Rim Day Ride
A 54 km Sunday out of Samoeng in the middle of the rains. Part one was a disused village link trail that we turned around on — two big trunks down across a steep, wet descent, and no sane way to get four bikes over them. Part two went over the shoulder of Doi Mon Angket instead, down to noodles in Ban Kung, and then into the red clay that put most of us on the floor and sheared a set of handlebar risers 20 km from tarmac.
Read the report
A Chiang Dao Weekend on Two Bikes: Tea Estate Trails Out, the Phrao Loop Home
Two days, two CRF250s and one complete beginner. Up through the Ramming tea estate and the pine forest to Chiang Dao on Saturday, then back the long way through Phrao, coffee country and Pha Ngom on Sunday.
Read the report
Looking for people to ride with?
We meet every Wednesday at 7pm at Rider's Corner — turn up, no sign-up, any bike. Some weeks it is two people and a coffee, some weeks it is a dozen and a plan for Saturday.
Get directionsRide footage from these routes goes up on YouTube, usually a week or two behind the write-ups.
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Past issues
- Chiang Mai Dirt Bike Trails Update - September 2026Red clay, green rice fields, great trails and wet weither!