Things to do / Travel Guide
When the snow melts and the swanky ski resorts store their red carpets for the summer, don't think the slopes stop seeing action. The very same inclines and tough terrain that challenge even the country's best, most expert skiers challenge the mountain biking buffs that the summer brings to the region. And when the sun chases the ice off of the mountain back roads, miles of winding concrete are unfurled, revealing a world of road biking. The Colorado Rockies region is a bastion of the country's best biking. With rentals and top-notch trails available in Crested Butte, Durango, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Grand Junction, Gunnison, and Telluride, among other towns, the list of outstanding mountain and road biking destinations is almost as long as the Fourteener mountains are high. With routes for riders of every persuasion, your only challenge (besides the technical terrains and steep climbs) will be narrowing down your list of favorites. Here are some of ours:
Mountain Biking the Colorado Trail
While the Colorado Trail stretches a whopping 500-or-so miles between Denver and Durango, just over 340 miles of this mountain biking route are actually located within the Colorado Rockies region. Almost 20 of Colorado Trail's 28 segments will take you on a terrific back roads tour of the Colorado Rockies region's most mountainous, lush, and wooded areas. Lakes and mountain brooks are common amidst the trail's breathtaking scenery. Be prepared for some serious uphill climbs, as on some rides you will gain a total elevation of anywhere from 1,200-4,500 feet. Segment lengths vary from around 10 miles to over 20 miles, and can be taken as isolated rides or strung together for a longer, cross-country expeditions. Begin just near the South-Central Colorado town of Leadville, at Tennessee Pass (segment 9), and then snake a southbound path for as far as your legs will carry you. The path winds its way just west of the South-Central Colorado town of Buena Vista, enters the dense foliage of the Gunnison National Forest, passes between the Southwest Colorado towns of Gunnison and Salida, and then continues its southern trajectory past Silverton into the San Juan National Forest. The final section of the Colorado Trail (segment 28) ends just north of the Southwest Colorado community of Durango.
Mountain Biking Trails in Vail
Don't miss the chance to traverse the Grand Traverse and Cougar Ridge Trails in the Northwestern Colorado ski resort town of Vail. Together, the trails provide a moderate but engaging 21-mile ride, beginning at the base of Vista Bahn Express Lift on top of Eagle's Nest. You will enjoy mostly smooth terrain with a couple of manageable obstacles and exhilarating descents.
Mountain Biking Trails in Aspen
Located in Northwest Colorado, Government Trail East is one of Aspen's best, most famous rides. The 19-mile loop of double-track, single-track, water crossings, and rock gardens takes you through the tree-lined slopes of Buttermilk and Snowmass Ski Areas, surrounded by White River National Forest. Start the trail at the intersection of Brush Creek Road and Wood Road in Snowmass Village.
Road Biking in Leadville
One of Colorado's highest and newest paved trails, the nearly 12-mile-long Mineral Belt Trail out of Leadville offers everything you could ever want in a bike ride: spectacular views of the Sawatch and Mosquito ranges, Leadville Mining District historic landmarks, aspen groves, and lush wildflower meadows. The Mineral Belt Trail is located in South-Central Colorado.
Mountain Biking Trails near Poncha Springs
Considered among the supreme biking trails, Bicycle Magazine listed the Monarch Crest Trail as one of the top five rides in the U.S., not to mention one of the best rides in the Colorado Rockies region. Beginning at Monarch Pass and ending in the South-Central Colorado community of Poncha Springs, this 35-mile trail is a challenging combination of single-track, four-wheel-drive roads, dark old-growth forests, steep grades, and rocky terrain through San Isabel National Forest and Gunnison National Forest. To get to the trailhead, take a shuttle from the High Valley Center off of U.S. Highway 285. The shuttle leaves three times daily, at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and at noon; be sure to take some money along with you to pay for the ride.
Mountain Biking Trails in Crested Butte
Though its name sounds ominous, we promise you'll emerge alive from a ride on the 20-mile Deadman's Gulch Trail, hands down one of Crested Butte's top trails. Calve-killing climbs, deadly descents, and a wide range of terrain, you will earn yourself outstanding views of Elk Mountains while riding through thickly-wooded forests, over exposed roots and rocks, sand, ruts, and challenging switchbacks. The Deadman's Gulch Trail is situated in Southwest Colorado.
Mountain Biking Trails in Gunnison
If you find yourself in the Southwest Colorado town of Gunnison, head on over to Hartman Rocks, which offers 18 miles of excellent high desert-riding through some of the region's most fascinating rock formations, granite and sagebrush adding intrigue to the terrain. As trails are often difficult to follow, stick to single-track and small, subtle signs (painted arrows, hand-piled rock towers) to help guide you on your way.
Mountain Biking Trails in Telluride
If you're in good shape you won't be up a creek on 15-mile Deep Creek Trail, one of the region's top rides beginning from the clock tower near Oak Street Park in downtown Telluride, in Southwest Colorado. You'll tear down Last Dollar Road and this hair-raising route also takes you across two avalanche paths, beneath Campbell Peak and below Iron Mountain. The route is comprised of mountainous single-track, steep climbs, dense forests, and several creek crossings with spectacular views of Wilson Peaks.
Mountain Biking Trails north of Durango
Hermosa means “pretty” in Spanish, but the word does the Hermosa Creek Trail a slight injustice: the 20-mile route is absolutely gorgeous! Beginning on the backside of Purgatory Ski Area, you will persevere through several steep and two challenging river crossings (be prepared for high waters in spring), ending nine miles north of Durango in the town of Hermosa. The Hermosa Creek Trail is located in Southwest Colorado.
Road Biking near Grand Junction
A monumental ride when it comes to cliffy overlooks and sandstone spires, the paved, 23-mile Rim Rock Drive through Colorado National Monument, in Northwest Colorado, offers the best tour of the park's colorful stone-scape, dramatic red rock bluffs, and endearing desert bighorn sheep.
Road Biking in Telluride
The San Juan Skyway, also a scenic drive, offers some of the Colorado Rockies' best road biking, where you can capture breathtaking vistas of the San Juan Mountains and the San Juan National Forest. Follow Highway 145 out of Telluride for as long as your legs will carry you. Telluride and the San Juan Skyway are located in Southwest Colorado.
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