Mountain Biking Colorado's Front Range: A Guide to the Area's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides

323 Pages·2014·19.33 MB·English

by  Stephen Hlawaty

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A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Off -Road Bicycle Rides
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Here are sixty of the greatest off -road Look inside to fi nd: t
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e Front Range, with local history, geol-
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i • An overview of each ride i
a enhance your rides. Covering the major k
l g Front Range communities of Fort • Detailed maps and directions in
e Collins, Boulder, Denver, and Colorado for riding on the trail
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r Springs, this guide features highly • Ride distance, elevation gain,
f detailed and accurate route maps, and level of diffi culty C
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r directions, vivid descriptions, and pho- • Riding times for both
ev tos as well as twenty-eight Honorable advanced riders and lo
e Mention trails to keep you riding for intermediate riders ra
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y years. Enjoy some of the best rides in • Local events, attractions, d

a the country! restaurants, and bike shops o
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Stephen Hlawaty writes for a variety of local and national outdoor and
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u technical publications, yet still fi nds time to refuel his soul by mountain biking, n
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e backcountry skiing, and backpacking with his wife, Amanda, and their dog in t
O: the surrounding mountains near their Livermore, Colorado, cabin. He is also R
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u the author of Mountain Biking Colorado (FalconGuides).
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t Front cover photo by Stephen Hlawaty; back cover licensed by Shutterstock.com FALCON e
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60 of the Area's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides
Second edition
Stephen Hlawaty
Introduction i
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FALCONGGUUIIDDEESS®
Copyright © 2014 Morris Book Publishing, LLC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher.
Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, PO Box 480, Guilford, Connecticut
06437.
FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.
Maps by Trailhead Graphics Inc.
All photos by Stephen Hlawaty unless otherwise noted.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hlawaty, Stephen.
Mountain biking Colorado’s Front Range: from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs/by Stephen Hlawaty.—
2nd ed.
p. cm.—(A Falcon guide)
1. All terrain cycling—Front Range (Colo. and Wyo.)—Guidebooks. 2. Front Range (Colo. and Wyo.)—
Guidebooks. I. Title. II. Series.
ISBN 978-0-7627-8672-5
Printed in the United States of America
The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or
injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.
MB_CO_FrontRange_Final.indd 2 6/19/14 11:36 AM
Contents
Preface ...........................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgments .........................................................................................viii
International Mountain Bicycling Association ...................................................x
Introduction ...................................................................................................xii
The Four Regions ..................................................................................xii
Mountain Biking Guidelines ..................................................................xiv
The Rides
Fort Collins Region ........................................................................1
1. Killpecker Trail ..........................................................................................3
2. North Lone Pine Trail ...............................................................................8
3. Elkhorn Creek Trail System ....................................................................12
4. Mount Margaret Trail ..............................................................................18
5. Lower Dadd Gulch Trail ..........................................................................23
6. Young Gulch ..........................................................................................27
7. Hewlett Gulch ........................................................................................31
8. Mill Creek Trail ......................................................................................36
9. Bobcat Ridge Trail ..................................................................................41
10. Blue Sky Trail .........................................................................................46
11. Devil’s Backbone ....................................................................................50
12. Crosier Mountain Trail ............................................................................55
Honorable Mentions
A. Beaver Meadows .................................................................................60
B. Lone Pine Trail ...................................................................................60
C. Kelly Flats Trail ...................................................................................61
D. Foothills Trail ......................................................................................61
E. Old Flowers Road ..............................................................................62
F. Soapstone Prairie Natural Area .............................................................62
G. Red Mountain Open Space ................................................................63
Boulder Region ............................................................................64
13. Coulson Gulch Trail ...............................................................................66
14. Rabbit Mountain ....................................................................................70
15. Hall Ranch .............................................................................................74
16. Picture Rock ..........................................................................................79
17. Heil Valley Ranch ...................................................................................84
18. Ceran Saint Vrain Trail ............................................................................88
19. Boulder Valley Ranch ..............................................................................93
20. East Boulder Trail/White Rocks .............................................................97
21. Sourdough Trail ....................................................................................101
22. Switzerland Trail ...................................................................................105
23. Betasso Preserve ....................................................................................110
Introduction iii
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0 Kilometers 40
Overview
0 Miles 40
287
F
1-2 A 4 B G 85
Walden C 3
25
5-7
14
D
14 E 88--1100 Fort Collins
12
ROCKY 11 Loveland Greeley
MOUNTAIN 34
125 NATIONAL Estes Park
PARK
36 34
Grand Lake 13 Lyons 287
7 15 14
Longmont
H
34 16 17 85
18 19 20 25 76
21 22
40 23-25 I-K
72
40 L Boulder 470 Brighton
30 29 119 26 27
M-O 31 28 36 Denver
9
32
36 33 34 35 P 70
40
70 39 37 38 Q Aurora
42 41 R
43-45 470
Breckenridge 285
47 48 49 46 Castle Rock
S
50 T 86
51
67 25
83
52
24 285 24 54 24
53
AA
55 56 U
AB W V 94
Colorado Springs
Buena Vista
9
X-Z 57
58
Salida 59
50 Cañon City
Pueblo
50
67
69
60 25
iv Introduction
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24. Meyers Homestead Trail ....................................................................... 115
25. Walker Ranch Loop ..............................................................................119
26. Marshall Mesa/Community Ditch Trail .................................................124
27. Doudy Draw Area .................................................................................128
28. Eldorado Canyon State Park ..................................................................133
29. Fourth of July Road ..............................................................................137
30. Rollins Pass ...........................................................................................141
Honorable Mentions
H. Buchanan Pass Trail ..........................................................................147
I. Bald Mountain Trail ...........................................................................147
J. Valmont Bike Park ..............................................................................148
K. Boulder Creek Path ..........................................................................149
L. Winiger Ridge Dot Trail System ........................................................149
M. West Magnolia Recreation Area .......................................................149
N. Mud Lake Trail System .....................................................................150
Denver Region ............................................................................151
31. Mountain Lion Trail ..............................................................................153
32. White Ranch ........................................................................................158
33. Centennial Cone Park...........................................................................162
34. Chimney Gulch Trail ............................................................................167
35. Apex Park .............................................................................................172
36. Barbour Fork ........................................................................................176
37. Hayden/Green Mountain Park..............................................................180
38. Dakota Ridge and Red Rocks Trail.......................................................184
39. Argentine Pass .......................................................................................190
40. Elk Meadow and Bergen Peak ..............................................................196
41. Mount Falcon Park ...............................................................................200
42. Alderfer/Three Sisters Park ...................................................................205
43. Meyer Ranch Park ................................................................................209
44. Coyote Song Trail .................................................................................213
45. Deer Creek Canyon Park ......................................................................218
46. Waterton Canyon..................................................................................222
47. Kenosha to Georgia Pass .......................................................................226
48. Kenosha Pass to Lost Creek Wilderness .................................................230
49. Pine Valley Ranch to Buffalo Creek ......................................................233
50. Baldy Trail to Gashouse Gulch Trail .......................................................238
51. Jackson Creek Trail ...............................................................................242
Honorable Mentions
O. Kingston Peak Loop .........................................................................246
P. South Platte River Greenway .............................................................246
Q. Cherry Creek Singletrack .................................................................247
R. Chatfield Reservoir State Park..........................................................247
S. Castlewood Canyon State Park ..........................................................247
T. Ridgeline Open Space ......................................................................248
Introduction v
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Colorado Springs Region .............................................................249
52. Raspberry Chautauqua Mountain Trail .................................................251
53. Falcon Trail ..........................................................................................256
54. Lovell Gulch Trail .................................................................................261
55. Rampart Reservoir Shoreline Loop ......................................................265
56. Waldo Canyon Trail ..............................................................................269
57. Captain Jack’s Trail ................................................................................273
58. Cheyenne Mountain State Park .............................................................277
59. Shelf Road ............................................................................................282
60. Lake Pueblo State Park ..........................................................................286
Honorable Mentions
U. Ute Valley Park .................................................................................291
V. Palmer Park .......................................................................................291
W. Garden of the Gods ..........................................................................292
X. Barr Trail ..........................................................................................292
Y. Section 16 .........................................................................................293
Z. The Chutes .......................................................................................293
AA. Elk Park Trail 652 ...........................................................................294
AB. Red Rock Canyon Open Space .....................................................294
Appendix A: Bicycle Organizations ...............................................................295
Appendix B: Bicycle Camps and Clinics ........................................................297
Appendix C: Ride Finder .............................................................................298
Appendix D: Rides at a Glance .....................................................................300
Ride Index ...................................................................................................302
About the Author .........................................................................................304
vi Contents
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PREFACE
I do not despair for the future of the human race
when I see an adult on a bicycle.
—H.G. Wells
I first laid tracks in Colorado in 1991. Armed with a packed duffel bag, a pair of skis,
and Muddy Fox’s steel-framed “Seeker Mega” mountain bike, I staked my claim in
Colorado’s Front Range. While Muddy Fox may have been the company to first
bring mountain biking to Britain in 1981, it held little presence in Colorado’s market
share. It seems fitting then that I, fresh from the paved streets of New York City, as
much a newbie to Colorado as one to mountain biking, should start my mountain
biking career as a foreigner both in bike and body.
My introduction into mountain biking was most certainly a baptism by fire. On
an early spring day in 1993, after portaging our bikes over some boulders in Walker
Ranch, my friends and I decided to sit along the banks of the Boulder Creek and
enjoy the fierce moving water of the spring runoff. When it came time to continue
our ride, I reached for a nearby rock for leverage but pulled it directly onto my leg.
The weight of the rock forced me to fall into the creek. Had it not been for the
speedy reactions of my friends, I could have taken quite a tumble in that turbulent
water. What I remember most of that day isn’t the icy cold water of the creek nor
the pain in my leg, but rather the passing of the trees’ canopy overhead while being
carried out on my back on a stretcher by Rocky Mountain Rescue. This perspective
offered me insight into riding the hills surrounding the Front Range. To mountain
bike safely requires more than just being safe while on your bike. It demands being
safe all the time, always being aware and mindful of your surroundings.
While not attempting to cover all of the rides within the Front Range, I tried
to gather a sampling of the variety of rides and terrain in the region, rediscovering
old favorites and exploring new possibilities. And so, I present Mountain Biking Colo-
rado’s Front Range as a kind of trailhead from which to explore new heights, with the
understanding that reaching the summit is one thing, but sharing the view—sublime.
vii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Grand Master Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, once wrote that “the form
and beauty that is the world of heaven and earth has become one family.” One mean-
ing that we might glean from O Sensei’s words is that we all share a kinship with
our natural surroundings and each other. And with that, I gratefully acknowledge the
participants in the first and future editions of this work.
To my parents Hans and Maria Hlawaty, Papa and Mama, thank you for all the
love and encouragement that you provide. Your selflessness knows no boundaries and
has no equal. Papa, thanks for joining the boys and me at Betasso Preserve. I hope you
enjoyed seeing your son and grandsons do their thing on two wheels instead of two
planks. Thanks also for assisting with some of the logistics of this work.
Many thanks go to my younger sister Ingrid and older brother Roland for their
continued support. You two have always set the standard by which I judge the quality
of my work.
I’ve had the pleasure to meet a variety of new and interesting people who have all
graciously given of their time and talent in preparation for this book. Ever mindful
that a good time shared makes friends of us all, thanks to all those I met along the trail.
It was great to meet with the entrepreneurial geniuses of Don and Vi O’Connor,
Randy Wittmer, and Dan French of Any & All Bikes, Denver’s only one-stop mobile
bike shop. Thanks again for the Singletrack Club. And thank you, Demetrius, for the
photos of the big bike and the new fleet.
The mountain biking community at large owes much to the diligent efforts of the
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Thank you, Tim Blumenthal,
former executive director of IMBA, for sharing your thoughts on mountain biking,
IMBA, and the environment. It was as much a privilege as it was an education spend-
ing time with you. Much appreciation also goes to Judd De Vall, then international
coordinator for IMBA, for drawing my attention to the “bicycle challenge area” of
Eaton Park.
Thank you, Dirk Vinlove, executive director of the Boulder Off-road Alliance
(BOA), which has evolved to become the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance, for clue-
ing me into some of the prospective trail systems for Boulder County. The efforts of
you and your staff are greatly appreciated. Likewise, a nod goes to Michael Barrow,
Boulder Mountainbike Alliance’s advocacy director, for suggesting where I can go for
rides in Boulder.
Thank you, Pascal Reid of Boulder County Parks and Open Space, for providing
me with the helpful Heil Valley Ranch information.
Much appreciation goes to Austin Clark, president of Southern Colorado Cycling
Club, formerly the Southern Colorado Trail Builders, for your information on the
12-foot wall of water that destroyed the 1-year-in-the-making and 1-month-old
bridge that crossed Rock Creek in Lake Pueblo State Park. “Pretty amazing” is one
viii
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way to describe it. Good luck on the floatable and retractable bridge project, plans for
future trails, and the restructuring of your organization.
And now, the Come-Back-Kid Award goes to Jeff Williams. We all winced when
you put down your mountain bike for your golf clubs. It’s good to see you back on
the bike again and better than ever. Thanks more recently for joining me on Coulson
Gulch, Picture Rock, Centennial Cone Park, Falcon Trail, and Lake Pueblo State
Park, where our 21.7-mile ride was complemented by pig rolling, hurricane slinging,
flash-flooded Rock Creek rerouting, trailside rattlesnake charming, and impromptu
bridge building.
And to Joanna Williams, the strongest mountain biking novitiate I’ve seen in a
long time, thanks for playing along.
Thanks also goes to Creighton Grof-Tisza, backcountry buddy and colleague,
for the miles of smiles on all things vertical . . . whataya gonna do—you’re %^#&@!
Speaking of which, a respectful bow goes to my old Stumpjumper and Enduro
Pro for keeping me rolling. Steel and aluminum unite.
To my long-standing friend, spiritual copilot, and soul avenger John Gray, thanks
for the music, ’gammon, and good times. July 2013 brought a scare to our hearts with
your trifecta flatlining. Bobcat Ridge has nothing on your bionic self. Railroad.
A huge beaming smile and pats on the back go to my two boys, Ethan and Ben-
jamin. Ethan, you crushed the climb at Doudy Draw. And Benjamin, you owned
Betasso Preserve’s Benjamin Loop.
Naturally, nothing I do would be complete without the presence of my astonish-
ing wife, Amanda. From the pucker-pinching, back-to-back rides of the Switzerland
Trail and Apex Park to dodging lightning bolts atop Rollins Pass to keeping one eye
on the trail and another on the kids at Doudy Draw—sorry I didn’t do the same at
Betasso Preserve—you’ve shone your smile every step of the way. Were it not for your
strength, confidence, and good humor over the years of feast, famine, fire, and flood,
this project may have become tired and worn. Thank you for sharing with me that
smooth singletrack trail to happiness.
And finally, thank you, fellow riders, for allowing Mountain Biking Colorado’s Front
Range to be your guide. I hope you enjoy what you see.
Acknowledgments ix
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