• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Towns
  • Lodging
  • Dining
  • Transport
  • Shop
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Towns
  • Lodging
  • Dining
  • Transport
  • Shop
  • Search
Monarch Crest Bike Trail Salida Colorado

Colorado’s 9 Best Mountain Biking Trails

August 2, 2019 By //  by Shawn Reeser

7
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

Colorado has so many places that mountain bikers enjoy riding and absolutely love. From the western slope to the front range, you’ll find mountain bike trails that’ll stun you with their expansive views and intoxicating nature. Here are just a sliver of the magnificent mountain biking around Colorado’s Rockies.

There are so many interesting trails to choose from that you might be confused on where to begin. While you can’t really go wrong, there are some worth exploring each season, and some best left for another day. From single-track to fire road, Colorado’s got all the top mountain biking to choose from.

Best Mountain Biking in Colorado

Mountain Biking Buffalo Creek Pine Colorado
Mountain biking in Pine. Photo: bundokbiker

Spring through fall Colorado is one of the most popular travel destinations for mountain bikers. Make sure you tune up your bike before you head out on an unforgettable road trip. Or if you’re without your own set of wheels, consider renting one in town, or buying an affordable mountain bike. Many models from well known manufacturers are priced less than $500. Now let’s look at some places that are a-must-visit this season for mountain biking.

Here are among the top mountain biking trails in Colorado, in no particular order:

1. The Colorado Trail, Waterton Canyon or Silverton to Durango

Biking Colorado Trail Waterton Canyon
Colorado Trail biking in Waterton Canyon. Photo: reid.neureiter

This multi-use trail is very famous with hikers and use by bikers too. Its total length is nearly 500 miles of challenging alpine terrain from start to finish. For you to do the whole Colorado Trail you need to be physically fit to be able to endure the length. Commitment is also paramount for such fêtes to be accomplished, if you decide to do it, push through and make it to the end.

For those looking for just a slice of Colorado’s most iconic trail, the Silverton to Durango track has a stunning single track with epic mountain views and no wilderness bypasses. It carries some serious vertical climbs though, as it summits more than one mountain pass. A more accessible area is located in Littleton’s Waterton Canyon.

2. Doctor Park, Crested Butte

Biking Doctor Park Crested Bute Colorado
Biking in Doctor Park. Photo: TRAILSOURCE.COM

This is another top trail in Colorado that has an amazing view on lock down. Doctor Park is 14.2 miles long with light traffic along the trails. It offers some long distance scenery and begins with a 2,500 vertical-foot fire road ascend and turns to a middle ring double track to the trails high point of 10,877 feet.

From the start outside Crested Butte, this trail will have knar, roots and a lot of corners in store for you, so be alert and ready for anything that might come your way. At the end, the trail suddenly tips upwards and you have to go down the hill. This is the most technical part of the ride but once you have successfully navigated to the bottom, you can enjoy a swim in Taylor River to cool off.

3. Monarch Crest, Salida

Monarch Crest Trail Mountain Biking Salida
Monarch Crest Trail. Photo: Danny Laroche

This is a single track bike trail with splendid scenery of valleys and mountains. Riding it can be quite extreme and take a toll on the body so you need to be well prepared with water and snacks.

Situated outside Salida to the west of town, the beginning of the trail is quite flat when you start your ride in Monarch Crest. The way is quite smooth with no big rocks to maneuver. After a quick ascend on a double track, you should remain in the single track. Here you find some rocks and roots that you have to ride through.

4. Buffalo Creek, Pine

Mountain Biking Buffalo Creek Pine Colorado
Buffalo Creek mountain biking. Photo: bundokbiker

Buffalo Creek has both the single and double track trails. You can bike all day long on the Buffalo Creek. It’s huge! And Pine is a sweet little town tucked away south of Highway 285, not far from Denver.

Better still, why don’t you turn it into a weekend adventure because of the speculator camping that you find along the way? When you are there you get to see the majestic rock formations, bare landscapes and beautiful mountain tops.

5. Lunch Loop, Grand Junction

Lunch Loop Mountain Biking Trail Grand Junction
Biking on the Lunch Loop. Photo: Tim McGrath

This is also a single track that descends and has a playground for dirt bikers. Services offered while on the trail include restrooms, a place where you can drink water and stock up. It gets hot here in the summer with little shade available. There are a plethora of technical trails easily accessed right from the town of Grand Junction.

Lunch Loop is an awesome network and is typically rated as challenging, though you’ll find something for everyone from greens to blacks. Keep an eye out for tight corners, some of them are blind. Trail runners also make sure of the Lunch Loop, appropriately named due to its convenient nature. Restrooms are on site and dogs are permitted.

6. Horse Gulch, Durango

Horse Gulch Trail Mountain Biking Durango
Horse Gulch Trail mountain biking. Photo: TRAILSOURCE.COM

Horse Gulch has stunning single track in Durango, which is normally arid and hot in the summer. So, having enough water with you is recommended. Both beginners and pros can use this trail depending on which route you take.

Some of the featured trails in Horse Gulch include Sugar, Telegraph, Snake Charmer, Raider Ridge, and Power Line, among others.

7. Government Trail, Aspen

Government Trail Mountain Biking Aspen
Mountain biking on Government Trail. Photo: TRAILSOURCE.COM

This trail is near Aspen and is the most famous track there. It’s a single track made of dirt and gravel with a trail head elevation of 8,400 feet, so temperatures are cooler.

You will enjoy the 19.7 mile long trail even better during summer and fall season. It can take you roughly 2 to 4 hours to finish the trail. Being a moderate track, you can even take your dog here. Hiking and running is common too on the Government Trail.

8. Divide Trail, Steamboat Springs

Mountain Biking Trail Steamboat Springs
Steamboat mountain bike trail. Photo: Mad.is.on

Steamboat Springs offers beautiful single track biking trails with everything from ranch land views to alpine forests to feast your eyes, ears and sense on. Some of the trails the Yampa Valley offers include:

  • Divide Trail: Difficult to navigate, but incredible mountain biking trail.
  • Morning Gloria trail: This easy-to-ride trail offers a meandering but gentle rise to the top of Emerald mountain.
  • Diamond trail: It’s between 8 to 10 miles long depending on the route you use and is rated as both easy and difficult trail depending on the rider.

9. Phil’s World, Cortez

Phil's World Trail System Mountain Biking Cortez CO
Mountain biking the Phil’s World Trail System by Cotez, CO. Photo: BLM

Year round you can take on the exciting network of flow trails at Phil’s World in Cortez. There’s no fee to access the 27 miles of trails located on BLM land in Southwest Colorado. You’ll be able to ride 2,000 feet of vertical on these single track trails, though the terrain is relatively flat riding on the mesa tops and through cool canyons.

All levels will find suitable mountain biking here, from beginners to advanced riders. Biking is popular here and to help with that, it’s limited to clockwise travel only. To access the trailhead, head 3 miles east on Highway 160 from downtown Cortez. It’s located on the north side of the highway via Road 30.1. Look for the Montezuma County Fairgrounds on the opposite side of the highway from the trailhead.

Whichever trail you decide to explore, have fun! Always make sure that your mountain bike is in proper condition, to avoid mishaps midway. Wear a good helmet to protect your head and come with enough water to keep hydrating your system and nutritious food to keep your energy levels up the whole time.

Related Posts

Winter Ice Fishing by Steamboat Springs
Camping near Crested Butte and Kebler Pass
25 Highest Roads in Colorado
Things to do in Silverton, Colorado
Shawn Reeser

About Shawn Reeser

Shawn is a front range local who loves to share about Colorado. He's usually off on an adventure somewhere mysterious.

7
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Previous Post: «Clear Creek Whitewater Park Tubing the Mighty Clear Creek in Golden
Next Post: Spend a Day or Night at these 15 Hot Springs Waunita Hot Springs Ranch»

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • 5 Reasons to Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in the Winter
  • Outdoor Adventures on The Great High Prairie
  • Things to do in Paonia, Colorado
  • Things to do in Central City, Colorado
  • Things to do in Crested Butte, Colorado
  • 13 Fantastic Hiking Trails around Fairplay

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Resources
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Visit Mile High Happy Hour for Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Winter Activities

  • Camping
  • Cross Country Skiing
  • Federal Lands
  • Hot Springs
  • Ice Skating
  • Skiing and Snowboarding
  • Snow Tubing
  • State Parks

Vacation like a VIP! Leisurely Lifestyle shares life and travel hacks, as well as cheap luxury travel.

Copyright © 2021 · Uncover Colorado - Vacations, Travel & Tourism | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer