This new trail, open to the public August 31, 2018, is referred to as the “missing link.” It connects Mountain View Trail near Barr Camp and Captain Jacks Trail, Forest Service trail 667, in North Cheyenne Canyon. Getting to the Lake Moraine Trail requires quite a bit of work due to its remote location. It’s […]

Near Cañon City | Hiking: Easy | Biking: Moderate | System The 5,000-acre Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, managed by Cañon City, is home to one of the most beautiful and iconic natural wonders in the state. And now, it’s easier than ever to get an up-close view thanks to the Royal Gorge Park Trails […]

Kineo Mountain via Seven Bridges Trail is a 5.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Colorado Springs, Colorado that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Stove Mountain, also know as Cookstove Mountain, is a prominent peak in El Paso County, Colorado. It looks down upon the likes of Muscoco Mountain, Mount Kineo and Mt. Cutler, but is easy to miss because it lies in the shadow of the taller and very beautiful Mt. Rosa. It is a difficult peak to reach, but is very much worth the effort, as it’s summit packs some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and Colorado Springs.

The ride up High Drive is about a mile and completely uphill. At the top of the hill, take the trail to the right (labeled Penrose Multi-use trail 665). The other users of this trail include motorcycles so be careful! The trail is very well maintained and hard to lose. A lot of loose gravel, banked turns, and crazy mogul like jumps make this trail awesome. The trail goes down about 3 miles before ending at a parking lot. Go out the parking lot and turn right onto the gravel road. This road leads back to your car and goes through two tunnels and some high rock canyons. Very scenic, very fast, and very fun. Do the loop a couple times for a good workout.

Mt.Rosa (11499 ft / 3505 m) is a cone-shaped mountain easily seen from around the city. It is among the tallest mountains in the Colorado Springs area and offers great 360 degree views.

Near Royal Gorge   |     6 Miles    |     Moderate     |     Loop Trail    Section 13 offers unmatched views of Cañon City and the surrounding area. Hikers and bikers can enjoy a full 6-mile loop that connects LAMBA Chops and Hotshots trails. Follow Hotshots to the upper meadow to reach the highest […]

Near Royal Gorge     |     1.5 Miles    |     Easy     |     Loop Trail    Head to the Royal Gorge Park for some of the most gorgeous views in Colorado. Over 100 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed this area, eventually giving way to Ute Native Americans, and eventually, pioneers headed west. You […]

Near Royal Gorge     |     7.5 Miles    |     Easy     |     Loop Trail    The Riverwalk Trail, a mild 7.5-mile pathway, follows the river through the historic and most scenic parts of Cañon City. The trail is mostly flat, and if you’re out with your family for a casual jog, bike […]

Near Colorado Springs     |     6.9 Miles     |     Easy     |     Out & back Midland Trail is a 6.9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Colorado Springs, Colorado that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until […]

Near Colorado Springs     |     9.7 Miles     |     Easy     |     Loop If you’re looking for a nice long run, or a good way to get to know Colorado Springs on foot, the Pikes Peak Road Runners suggest the ten mile “Legacy Loop” around the city. The loop utilizes some of Colorado Springs’ most popular trails, including […]

Near Manitou Springs     |     8 Miles     |     Moderate     |     1,203 Ft. Gain Trail 638 is one of several trails surrounding the Barr Trail and connects Barr Trail to the Heizer Trail. It is a great connector trail to create an alternative approach to Barr Trail and Pikes Peak summit. For more detailed information, go to […]

Near Colorado Springs     |     6 Miles     |     Moderate     |     1,177 Ft. Gain St.Mary’s Falls is an intermediate hike in the Cheyenne Canyon Area. The trailhead is located just above Helen Hunt Falls at the intersection of High Drive and Gold Camp Road. For the first mile the trail follows Gold Camp Road making a 180 […]

Near Cascade     |     10 Miles     |     Challenging     |     2,029 Ft. Gain General Description Heizer trail is an old but not very well known trail. It climbs relentlessly from the town of Cascade up to the Cascade Mountain. After passing the trailhead sign start your ascent through first series of wide switchbacks. As you gain elevation […]

Near Green Mountain Falls     |     5 Miles     |     1,506 Ft. Gain     |     Moderate General Description Catamount Trail is a moderate trail that climbs from the town of Green Mountain Falls up to the South Catamount Reservoir. Trailhead is located by the Catamount Falls at the west end of town. You can take either the steep […]

Near Colorado Springs     |     10 Miles     |     Moderate     |     Austin Bluffs Open Space This 500-acre parcel includes land from the University Park Open Space, Pulpit Rock Park and Austin Bluffs Park. The Open Space includes paved and gravel trails with great views of the mountains and the city. This was one of the earliest open […]

This is a unique trail. You will begin by heading up what used to be the exit road from the Cave of the Winds at the top of the canyon. You will see No Trespassing signs, but if you’ve turned in your waiver at the Cave, you’re good to go. The road has long been shut down and can now be hiked or biked free of automobiles. The canyon is so narrow in places, you won’t believe it was once an auto route! Keep following the road. When it switchbacks left, go straight on to the singletrack. It’s about 3 miles until the trail exits up on Rampart Range Road. The grade is tough in places and much of the trail is jagged, jumbled rocks that will cause numerous dismounts. As a climb, it’s positively brutal. Even downhill, this will cause a number of hike-a-bikes. If you don’t want to do the out-and-back climb, you can access the trail from above two ways. One way is to ride up the Rampart Range Road and look for the singletrack on the left near the old shooting range. Get the Pikes Peak Atlas map by Robert Ormes and Robert Houdek for the approximate location of the trail. This map also shows where you can drop into Williams about halfway in from the Waldo Canyon loop. The canyon is spectacular and the adventurous will find this an attractive outing despite the difficulties involved. It’s a real backcountry adventure starting right on the edge of the city.

This trail is CLOSED.

The Waldo Canyon Trail was severely damaged by the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire and has since remained closed to the public due to safety concerns. In June 2018, the Rocky Mountain Field Institute began a planning process with the U.S. Forest Service and the Trails and Open Space Coalition to determine the future of the Waldo Canyon Trail and surrounding corridor. Tapis Associates was hired to help facilitate the 18-month public planning process, which will ultimately help determine future trail layout and design options, future trailhead locations and public access points, as well as dispersed camping opportunities. For more information, please visit www.rmfi.org or contact the Rocky Mountain Field Institute at rmfi@rmfi.org.

This place has a great combination of fast trails and technical sections. At times the trail is a bit wide but this allows for more speed and greater air on the jumps. Some of the hills offer great technical practice. This place is great

This trail is short, less than 2.5 miles each way. It is popular with hikers and is mostly about 4′ wide and smooth with a couple technical spots along the way. The middile portion is an easy ride, but the first and last half miles are steep and strenuous. You will alternate between open meadows and nicely forested singletrack with huge rock formations along the way.

The Spruce Meadow loop is 8.21 miles long. All but a short distance is on singe track. About .75 miles is on a old jeep road. The trail has a very small amount of sand. The trail is fairly flat except for a short distance at the base of Spruce Mountain. The base elevation is at 6845 feet and the max elevation is 7190 feet. GPS identifies that there is a total of 518 feet of climbing. The maximum incline is 16 percent, which is at the base of Spruce Mountain. The average grade .4 percent. This trail connects with Spruce Mountain. The Spruce mountain trail is a lollipop.

This trail is better walked & ridden in sections… The walking generally being on the uphill portion. The trail crisscrosses the creek in several spots, most of them having small footbridges in various states of disrepair. However, coming back down is the treat at the end of the trek. The trail is populated by masses of roots, rocks, stream crossings, small drops, and foot-dabs aplenty. It is not a trail for the faint-hearted, or cheapo bikes…. but the challenge you get is worth the effort.

This is an out and back trail. Trail is fire roads, the last part allows no motorized vehicles. Mostly rolling hills; no serious long climbs. Steep going down to Stanley Reservoir. There are other roads and options.

Near Colorado Springs     |     6 Miles     |     Easy     |     6,327 Feet     |     Austin Bluffs Open Space    

The Jones Park Trail, while mostly downhill, still has a good amount of climbing–not what you want to see after slogging up 16 miles of Gold Camp Road. Also probably not what you want to see if you’re shuttling. What the Pipeline trail gives you is a much straighter, and almost all downhill path to the same outlet. Remember to veer left on trail 622 A rather than right down 622 (aka Seven Bridges Trail). Then hook right on 667 (this is where you meet back up with the Jones Park downhill route. About a mile later, trail 667 bears right. For the longest downhill, bear left onto trail 666 aka Bear Creek Trail. This is a very fun downhill extension with some technical spots, some spooky exposure, and fantastic views of a very rugged canyon. You will merge onto High Drive, where you could leave a shuttle vehicle (beware, however, High Drive is one way and only open in the summer months). Between the Falcon Guide “Mountain Biking Colorado Springs” and Trails Illustrated 137 “Pikes Peak, Canon City,” this one’s pretty easy to piece together.

This trail is sweet. Start out by going up the steps on the section 16 trail. Go almost a mile to the start of the Intemann Nature Trail (on the right). No long climbs here but a good technical test broken up with gradually sloping singletrack. Kinda reminds me of Palmer Park but all spread out and with more scenery. Lots of other trails in the area to explore.

This trail has a couple forks that offer multiple route options–up to three separate out-and-back’s are possible on one ride. The trail climbs sharply on gravelly singletrack. At 0.8 miles, a fork left goes through Horsethief Park, a pleasant subalpine meadow flanked by pines on one side and aspens on the other. For Pancake Rocks, continue straight. At one mile, take the right turn for Pancake Rocks. Straight is a nice side trip, especially on the return, a mere half mile to the lovely Horsethief Falls. Once you make the right turn, get ready to push–the trail climbs 600′ in under a half mile up an eroded washout before relenting only slightly up some still brutal switchbacks. As the trail tops out after about two miles, look for a small opening on the right–this is the path to the Pancake Rocks, a cool rock formation with a fantastic million-mile view beyond. You can continue on straight on the main trail for another half mile or so for some great forest cruising after which the trail will plummet downhill, ultimately ending at private property.

This route follows High Drive up about a mile to the Palmer Trail singletrack on the right side of the road. The Palmer Trail climbs about 2 miles from here through the woods on some of the smoothest singletrack in town. At the top there’s a 3-way intersection; take the right fork if you want to make this a loop w/ section 16 (and you’re in the mood for some washed out, technical as gank singletrack). Otherwise take the left fork up a little farther for awesome views of Garden of the Gods. Turn around once the trail starts getting steep and gravel strewn. From here it’s a 3+ mile descent back down the trail you climbed. Awesome.

Near Colorado Springs     |     5 Miles     |     Moderate     |     803 Ft. Gain     |     North Cheyenne Canyon Mt. Buckhorn Trail is one of the more popular trails near the North Cheyenne Canon Park. The trail forms a portion of Captain Jack’s Trail, a popular mountain biking trail. Off road users and mountain bikes love this trail, especially […]

This is a pretty mellow trail that winds its way from McReynolds Reservoir around the west side of Mason Reservoir and then up to Boehmer Reservoir. Nothing technical, other than a couple steps and short (like under 50′) steep sections. A nice pedal thru a sub-alpine forest just below tree line with great views of Pikes Peak and the lakes on the south slope of Pikes Peak. Note that this is a seasonal area and is closed in the winter. It is managed by the City of Colorado Springs. To find out the latest status go to www.springsgov.com

Loop is relatively short, but you will spend the majority of your time climbing steadily from 8500 ft to just over 9200 ft. The trail is very well marked, when you get to the sign where the loop starts (< 1 mile in), keep right to avoid some super steep uphill. The trail is mostly singletrack (not too technical with the exception of some rooty parts) until you get to the top. Here, take a left at the gate where the trail changes to doubletrack. Be prepared for some screaming downhill that can be rocky or have loose gravel in sections. Before you know it, you'll be crossing the creek and back where the loop started. Be sure to stop and smell the wildflowers along the way! You can also go camping nearby at Meadow Ridge.

This is an old rough 4×4 road that no longer allows for motor vehicle use (except the forest service) and is a blast to come down. There’s lots of room for other trail users, but we saw none. It’s very simple to follow, and if your looking for Ute Pass (which we missed) it’s at the first sign of a major road intersection – there’s about 3-4 roads that converge here. As of today (Sept. 13, 2014) the trails was very rough because of all the rain and some forest service traffic – on my Am Bike, I had no issues, but others with me on a hardtail did crash twice. A must have for this ride are GOOD BRAKES! This is a fairly steep and fast trail going down, if your a little timid on DH runs, you’ll likely cooked your rotors by the time you get to the bottom.

This is typical Douglas County Open Space, with wide singletrack, most of which is technically easy. After a short hop out from the parking area, there are two lollipops. To the south a trail which will take you to the top of Lincoln Mountain, make a quick loop up top, and return. To the north is the Palmer Divide Loop, which is a little longer, but without as much climbing. Most of the singletrack is wide and free of obstacles, but there are a few rock gardens and techy bits along the way to spice things up. The Lincoln Mountain loop rides equally good in either direction. The Palmer Divide Loop is best done counterclockwise.

This is a pretty easy ride and a great one for a leisurely ride in Colorado. Little elevation change, a great ride to get acclimated to the elevation in the Springs. Hard pack with some tight, twisty sections. Great for beginners.

There are actually three loops you can ride here. The North loop, South loop and riding the trail along the perimeter of the park you can do the outer loop which is a combination of the previous loops. The main trails are wide and have no technical merit to them at all. There are some unmarked singletrack trails off to the side, but they don’t appear to be “official” trails so I’m not sure if its legal to ride them. Some small hills on the Southern loop with a couple very nice views of Pike’s Peak still make this a fun ride. Nice place for a family ride. Do watch out for horses and hikers. Great place in the Winter for cross country skiing.

The first few miles of this trail is exceptional singletrack. It gets very narrow and after some smooth flowy stuff, there are some challenging rock moves. The woods are beautiful and there are occasional views of notches in the mountains and the prairie beyond as well as fantastic rock formations. There are ponderosas, firs, and great aspen stands. After a few miles, the trail turns to doubletrack. If you’re a singletrack purist, turn around and enjoy the ride back to the car. If you don’t mind riding some gravel-laden doubletrack, continue on. The scenenry gets even better and there are wildflowers everywhere. After about 3.5 miles, the “trail” heads straight up the side of a very steep mountain following the pipeline. It is possible to do a loop here, but be warned, it gets dicey. First, you will hit a good mile of the most brutally steep, bottomless gravel hike-a-bike you can imagine. Your reward for the slog up the hill will be trying to find your way back to Gold Camp Road on trails that are not marked and seem to peter out in the most inconvenient places. Bring a map and/or GPS, know how to use them, and be prepared for a longer-than-expected outing with some difficult route finding and most likely some bushwacking. Once you find Gold Camp Road Follow it downhill to Old Stage to 371 and back to the start. If you do decide to try the loop, you may want to consider doing it in reverse–there will still be a lot of route finding, but there will be less hike-a-bike.

Cathedral Pines is the most interesting and challenging of the trails in Black Forest. It’s a series of rectangular trails that also connects to the Black Forest Regional Park on the south boundary. The parking area is near the NE corner and is near the high point for the trails, so it’s mostly downhill at first with going uphill to get back. The outer “square” loop, Pikes Peak Trail, runs along the perimeter and is a 4.6 mile loop. There are also east-west trails that split the Pike “square” in half, and others that connect this to the northernmost leg of Pikes Peak trail.

Excellent views of Pikes Peak. 90% is in trees. Some meadows and next to ponds. Some trails also come within about 20 yards or so of the homes. Elk and mule deer can be seen on occasion. Western bluebirds, magpie, nuthatches, and flickers are common.

Lots of rollercoaster hills, with the northernmost leg of Pike heading east being the hardest. IMO CCW is easier (steeper descent; more gradual incline) and more fun, than CW. Sandy and loose in many sections. The trails are rarely less than about 3′ wide, and many times are wider. Most sections are off limits to horses. All are off limits to motorized vehicles. I can ride for an hour and not come across another biker or a hiker.
Intersections are usually marked with the trail names, but there’s no map for reference and some portions seem to dead end at road intersections. But these trails actually pick up tens of yards across and down the road with no signs to point you in the right direction.

The connection on the southernmost leg of Pike Peak trail connects with the Black Forest Regional Park trails, but the intersections aren’t marked.

This place has some good hills and wide trails. Alot of hikers and joggers use these trails, not to mention the people with the dogs. There is some singletrack here that is closed to bikes but is well worth the ride if you are feeling gnarley. Use these trails to connect with Gold Camp Rd. and Captain Jack’s for a nice long ride.

Ride up High Drive to the top (you’ll know when you get there). Take the trail up to the right and continue to climb. You’ll end up climbing about 2200 feet in about the first 4.5 miles. Take the right fork each time you have a choice and eventually you’ll end up back on High Drive for the fast ride back to your car. This trail is similar to Captain Jack’s but not quite as eroded or deep with gravel. There are some awesome stream crossings on the descent and some fairly technical sections (though nothing too difficult). A grueling climb but an awesome singletrack descent through the forest.