Family mountain bike trails in Samoëns: easy routes and lifts

The easy family mountain bike trails in Samoëns are on the valley floor beside the Giffre, not up the mountain. The tourist office lists five easy routes that start in the village, from a 2.3 km greenway loop to a 9 km ride along the river to Morillon. All five climb 50 m at most. The lift-served trails above are enduro routes for experienced riders, and the council says as much.

Family mountain bike trails in Samoëns

The tourist office rates all of them easy except the greenway, which it calls easy to reach and recommends for families. Its page for La Plaine et le village des Vallons describes a "very easy" circuit through the plain.

The greenway is the one for a first outing. It has a hard surface, a large free car park and a stop at the leisure area, where the tourist office mentions swimming and picnic areas. Le Tour des Vallons follows the Giffre's banks past the hamlet of Les Vallons and the Chapelle des Vallons, and the tourist office tags it as suitable for electric bikes.

Easy mountain bike routes to Morillon

Two routes run down the valley towards Morillon. The 6 km ride from the Lacs aux Dames to the Lac Bleu is waymarked and described as a family stroll along the Giffre. The 9 km Giffre loop passes the Lacs aux Dames leisure area and the Lac Bleu, and it is not waymarked, so download the GPX track from the tourist office page. Both are listed as out and back, although the tourist office's title for the Giffre route says loop.

Mountain biking with kids and the lifts

In summer 2026 the Grand Massif Express gondola and the Chariande Express chairlift took mountain bikers up from Samoëns. Children under eight rode the lifts free, with proof of age at a ticket office. The lift company's pages do not say how bikes are carried on the Samoëns lifts, so ask at the ticket office before you buy a pass.

What the lifts serve is not beginner terrain. The council describes the downhill trails as enduro routes for experienced riders, with difficulty set by roots, rocks, camber and steep slopes. Its page says the two black trails, Le Châble and the Abbadée Noire, stay closed "this season", and on 20 October the tourist office's route list marked two downhill routes, La char and Dian Dian, closed. The lift company says Samoëns is known for demanding trails. A 4 km route from Samoëns 1600 to the Lac des Gouilles Rouges has 260 m of climbing and no level on the tourist office page, so treat it as unrated, not easy.

For green runs on lifts, the Grand Massif points to the bike park at Les Carroz, which has green, blue, red and black trails, a pumptrack and a kids' area. A Les Carroz day pass cost €20 in summer 2026.

Helmets, child seats and trailers

French law requires a helmet for any child under 12 riding a bike, as rider or passenger, and the adult responsible must make sure of it. Fines can reach €750, though the usual fixed fine is €135.

Hire shops in Samoëns list helmets with their bikes. Xtreme Glisses includes a baby seat free with its electric bike hire and rents trailers, and Jaime Sport lists trailers that attach to an adult bike to carry a child. The bike hire guide has sizes and shops.

When the routes are open

The tourist office's listings for the greenway and Le Tour des Vallons give 1 May to 1 October, subject to snow and weather. Its pages for the two Morillon routes list spring, summer and autumn, with the Lacs aux Dames route also listing winter. The lifts ran from 27 June to 30 August in 2026. Dates move every year, so check them before you travel.

Whichever route you pick, the council's rules for riders apply: stay on marked trails, give way to walkers, and take your rubbish home. For the lifts and lessons, read the beginner mountain biking guide, and for walks and everything else the summer guide.