16 Miles     |     6,300-6,800 Ft     This high desert area has about 16 miles of ATV trails that wind through mixed juniper and pinion pine trees. The trails start out mostly smooth but get rockier and narrow as you climb in elevation. Camping is permitted but is primitive. The area is open year-round […]

Located in the Pike National Forest about 35 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado are more than 150 miles of trails for off-road motorcycles and ATVs. There are also 27 miles of dirt roads open to these vehicles. This area is known as the Rampart Range Motorized Recreation Area. New premier single-track dirt bikes trails!

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 […]

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.

Almagre Mountain, also known as Mt. Baldy, is located west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and south of Pikes Peak. Almagre Mountain is the 2nd highest peak on the Colorado Springs skyline, and the only one other than Pikes that rises above treeline. Only the highest part of the mountain is visible.

Raspberry Mountain (10605 ft / 3232 m) rises south of the town of Divide facing the northwest slope of Pikes Peak. It’s an easy to moderate hike that offers outstanding views in all directions.

Schubarth 4×4 Road is a 19.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Colorado Springs, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail.

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 Canyon City     |     45 Miles     |     Moderate     |     6,200-9,000 Ft     |     Trail System This remote area has around 45 miles of marked trails that range from easy 4×4 roads to narrow and rocky ATV trails with sharp switchbacks. At lower elevations the trails wind through a mix of various scrub brush, juniper and […]

Near Penrose     |     .28 Miles     |     Very Hard     |     5,861 Feet Part of one of the toughest rock crawling trail systems in the state. It’s short, but breaking and body damage is likely. The trail runs through a skinny canyon filled with lots of rocks and boulders. The obstacle this trail is known for is […]

Near Woodland Park     |     20 Miles     |     Easy     |     7,600- 9,000 Feet This part of the Pike National Forest offers about 20 miles of smooth and fast motorized trails. Most of the trail system consists of hardpacked terrain but there are some challenging sections with rugged climbs. Most of the trails can be explored in […]

Near Cripple Creek     |     10 Miles     |     Easy     |     9,333 Feet Shelf Road dates back to 1892, a time when a route was needed from the Arkansas Valley to the Cripple Creek Mining District. It was cut into the side of a sheer canyon wall on the Southern end, which is the reason for its […]

Near Canyon City     |     25 Miles     |     Easy     |     9,743 Feet Phantom Canyon Road is an old railroad grade dating back to 1894. It once connected the gold-mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor (Teller County) to Florence (Fremont County). It is arguably the most scenic part of the Gold Belt Scenic Byway. Ghosts from […]

Near Woodland Park     |     4.5 Miles     |     Easy     |     9,242 Feet FS Road 346, Hotel Gulch, is located within the Pike National Forest approximately 25 miles northwest of Colorado Springs and nine miles north of Woodland Park. The Pike National Forest contains hundreds of trails which provide a broad spectrum of outdoor recreational opportunities. This […]

Woodland Park     |     60 Miles     |     Easy     |     9,436 Feet     |     Rampart Range     Built in the 1930’s, this well known and fairly well-maintained trail runs through Pike National Forest. Rampart Range isn’t just a road name, it’s actually the name of the Front Range south of US 85 and this […]

Ride up the single track trail to the intersection with the dirt road which takes you up a moderate grade past the lower reservoir (about .6 mile) and then the upper reservoir (an additional .5 mile). From the weather station above the dam at the upper reservoir ride down the hill alongside the reservoir to where the road goes around a small finger of water. At the tip of the finger is a side trail to the right. Take this side trail to a fork near an old beaver pond and go left at the fork. This takes you through an old aspen forest. The trail will very soon turn sharply to the right. At the turn look to the left toward the base of the hill in front of you, this is the start of the Winding Stairs Trail; — the first hundred feet or so is overgrown with vegetation and the trail is not very obvious, but it will soon turn into an old rutted jeep trail. This goes up a number of fairly steep, washed out switchbacks with deep ruts and erosion and you’ll probably do much of this on foot; luckily this won’t last too long (about .3 mile). Once your at the top of this it gets much better with rolling hills and nice views of interesting rock formations. This trail will eventually intersect with and end at Rampart Range Road.

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

Mostly wide, gravelly and steep but non-technical singletrack. The trail veers away from the incline and more closely parallels US 24. At the far end, it is close to US 24 and a right turn will deliver you to a pavement return to Manitou Springs. A left turn will put you on Long’s Ranch Road, which will take you back over to the top of the incline where you can descend the last 4 miles of the Barr Trail.

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.

Trails in the open space are well marked and are classified for difficulty. The trails here go through the fields and up around two small reserviors. At the top of the open space is a trail called The Chutes. This trail is an out and back and climbs about 600 feet over a couple of miles to Gold Camp Road. Turn around at the top here for a fast and fun ride down. The trail is banked and built for speed. Be careful of other bikers or hikers coming up the trail. The Chutes, although short, is one of the best trails in town.

It goes green to black within the first half mile and then mellows on top of spruce mountain. It loops for 2.5 miles and then heads back down the one mile track you came up.

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 is a connector trail that gets you off Gold Camp Road and connects with Mid-Columbine at about its midway point. You won’t ride this alone for any reason, but it’s a great addition to the Cheyenne Canyon area that adds high quality singletrack and gets you off the dusty, heavily traveled Gold Camp Road.

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.

This trail is also known as the Pikes Peak Greenway. This is a nice wide multi-use trail that extends north from the Fountain Creek Nature Center to Palmer Lake. The trail is smooth and wide with some sandy sections. It is a great place to ride with the family or take a nice long training ride. The scenery is great, especially through the Air Force academy. Watch for joggers and walkers though as this trail is widely used by all types of recreators.

This trail is an excellent ride for riders of almost all skill levels. The scenery is excellent, the trail is fast yet technical, and the length is just right. The only problem is, some of the other users of this trail aren’t too friendly (depends). Anyway, to avoid any dirty looks, etc, ride this route clockwise. Follow the double track / dirt road down from the trailhead. At the bridge on the right, CONTINUE straight to do this loop in an acceptable manner. There are alot of side trails here but as long as you stay close to the lake front, you will not get lost. This trail reminds me of some east coast rides, particularly lake rides like Tsali and Owl’s roost. Lots of trees, lots of technical sections involving large rock formations (although each of these can be avoided by taking an alternate route around them). Keep your eye out. Oh yeah, and be courteous. When someone yields trail to you, say thanks, say hello when you pass, etc. A great ride. You can also go camping nearby at Meadow Ridge.

The Trail loops around lake and offers a scenic ride for beginners and novice who want a quick lunch ride. Best parking is on the north side of the lake off Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. For the most workout head west counter clockwise around the lake and when you get to the east side of the lake hop up on the street (Quail Lake Rd). You should see a nice single track leading down the hill on the east side of the road(Quail Lake Rd). The Singletrack offers a fun downhill with a few fun surprises to keep you on your toes. Great Track for beginners to practice balance and control. When you get to the bottom of the hill just hop on to Venetucci Blvd and ride north to Cheyenne Mountain Blvd and ride back up to the lake. The street Climb really gets your heart pumping so you can continue the rest of the way around the lake. This is a great urban trail loop for lunch or after work to keep in shape.

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.

The trail begins with a short uphill climb and you will quickly come upon a gate to your left. Go through this gate and turn right. PLEASE NOTE: The gate is closed from October 1st until May 1st, which leaves you with the Elder Fehn Trail (Also good) to ride. Once through the gate travel south towards the Peak. This short down hill section is named the Limber Pine Trail. At the bottom of Limber Pine, turn left and travel across the dirt road to access the trail. The trail weaves through a wetlands area for a couple hundred yards and then leads into the forest along the banks of North Catamount. Through this section there are a couple good climbs that lead you away from the reservoir. Once you’ve reached the top of the last climb there is double track along a high ridge, which offers beautiful glimpses of Pikes Peak. The trail quickly descends a pretty beat up, rooted, washed out section and drops you into a dirt Cul-de-sac. A short distance away there is an intersection, which leads down to both South and North Catamount Reservoirs. Go straight and ride on Ridge Trail Road until you reach the dam. *There may be some single track along the bank of North Catamount, but the dirt road offers a quick pace and a moment to rest your legs.* Cross the dam and look for “Trail” signs on your left that will lead you back to the banks of the lake. This is a great section that meanders in and out of coves, much like Rampart Reservoir, but easier. Eventually the single track drops into another dirt Cul-de-sac. There are two roads leading out and one single track. The single track follows the lake, but is less defined. The less traveled road is also a good option. If you are beat, you can take the main road back out. The single track will lead you back to Limber Pines trail, which you would return on. The two roads entail an uphill climb that intersect with the Catamount road. Turn left once you reach this road. Once on the road look for an access point on your right hand side for the upper portion of the Limber Pines trail, which is also part of the Ring the Peak trail. This short portion of single track will take you back to the gate and back to the parking lot. If for some reason you miss the access point, you will eventually come back down to the reservoir where you would take the Limber Pine trail back up the way you came down. Please Note: I labeled this trail as single track because a large portion is. However, a quarter of the trail is on dirt roads.

This trail travels all around the mule creek area and follows the creek up. There are several fun stream crossings and lots of fast singletrack coming back. The only negative is some overgrowth near the beginning for a quarter mile. Not technical but still a blast with some loose steep spots but ultimately a gradual climb which makes for a quick cruiser back to your car. A great trail!

Near Monument     |     3 Miles     |     Moderate     |     7,005 Feet     |     Network
Mt.Herman (9063 ft / 2762 m) dominates the view over the town of Monument and is easily visible from I-25. It’s a short but fairly steep hike with impressive views at the top.

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.

tough grueling climb up to mt Herman road where you cross and continue climbing. stay on 715 at the top of this hill, then enjoy the downhill and flowy single track through some over grown wooded areas which will eventually lead you overtop of palmer lake watershed. when you get to the fence, go through it and head down hill to the left. you will have to ride you bike through the houses in palmer lake to get back or park a car near the watershed.

You can easily make this awesome singletrack a shuttle ride, but it is even more rewarding starting from the Gold Camp Rd parking lot. Start at the rear of the parking lot and climb up Gold Camp Rd. Continue to ride up the gravel road then turn right onto Old Stage Rd where the climb flattens out slightly. After about 12 miles of total riding, look for forest road 379 on the right hand side. This is a fairly short steep section with some rocky technical areas. There’s no shame using the granny gears here since you just climbed 2000 feet! Trail 701 will be on the right, and is the beginning of Jones Downhill. For the first few miles there are several whoop-te-doos and ridge riding. The singletrack is tight and fast most of the way down. The trail eventually turns into a twisting chute with banked curves with Cheyenne Creek on the right side. Watch for an old mine entrance on the left, but keep your eyes on the trail as it is somewhat rocky close to the creek. At the intersection of 666 and 667, cross the creek to the right and take Jones Park Trail 667. Stay on 667 until you reach the High Drive parking lot. Descend on the gravel road back to the parking lot. From 701 to the parking lot is a little over 10 miles.

There are two main loops, connected in the middle kind of like an infinity symbol. There are also a few shortcuts, social trails and connectors to the adjoining residential area.

A very hard uphill walk “5.6 miles” to Manitou Reservoir and then down to Barr Trail. This is not a easy trek! 14 mile round trip, it’s best to get a ride up to Cascade then ride down.

This old rail bed leads from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. The rail grade makes it a fairly gradual climb through the mountains and some beautiful terrain. You’ll go through multiple tunnels so bring a light if you’re afraid of the dark. After you’ve had enough riding, turn around for the quick descent back to the parking lot. About the first 10 miles of the road is closed to vehicular traffic (except dirt bikes, ATVs, etc.) but the rest shares the road with cars. If you’re a wuss you can shuttle vehicles to make this an all downhill ride. Several trails diverge from this road as well.

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.

Marked singletrack loop through the grounds around the US Air Force Academy. Some steep sections and several road crossings.

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.

A Great Trail!! Great downhill all the way with just a few spots you have to walk the bike. Go all the way down the trail and bust a left at Barr Trail. “very well marked.” after that you can take Barr all the way down or cut left at Bob’s road to head down Ute pipeline trail.

Near Colorado Springs     |     11 Miles     |     Challenging     |     14,088 Feet     |     North Cheyenne Canyon General Description Columbine trail winds through the Cheyenne Canyon starting at the east end of the canyon and ending by Helen Hunt Falls. There are three trailheads (Lower, Mid and Upper), all accessible from the main […]

From the start, you go through a tight single track until you reach the steeper Hike-a-Bike sections. After hiking up to the retaining wall visible in the distance. The trail levels out. Move to the west, immediately entering one of the 6 130 year old Railroad tunnels. I recommend a flash light for Tunnel 1 & 2 for they are long enough for black out conditions. For the most part, you will encounter flat conditions with slight turns and obstructions. The trail obviously ends . You can either turn around and come back the way you came, or make your way down the steep slope and onto Hwy. 24 itself and return to Manitou. Once you pass the Hike-a-bike section to your right (west) is Tunnel 2. Tunnel 1 to your left (south) is long and curved. The other side comes out in some man’s property. So if you choose to ride through Tunnel 1 and into the neighborhood, be cautious of tresspassing.

Most of these trails were not designed with the mountain biker in mind, but a few of them make for a pretty good ride. There are great training climbs (Talon, Blackmer, Cougar’s Shadow). Around the bottom, the trails are wide and well manicured so that families with strollers can negotiatie them, but the higher you go, the narrower and more technical they get. The one exception is the Medicine Wheel Trail, which is near the bottom, is a half mile technical rock fest. For a good overall ride, hit the Talon/South Talon/North Talon trails and come back down. then head up Medicine Wheel to Blackmer to Cougar’s Shadow, back on to Blackmer and Medicine Wheel, Boulder Run also has a few technical challenges. Although not the best ride in the area, this is a welcome addition to C-Springs’ already impressive MTB resume. there is a $6 fee/vehicle to enter the park.

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.

From the TH, climb past the gate to the T-intersection. The Ring the Peak (that’s Pikes Peak) markers will be directly in front of you. Brown for CW; Green for CCW. This trail is for an out-and-back going CCW past the Raspberry Portal, and turning around about half way to the Horsethief Portal. (~9 miles out, and 9 back. Total distance for the entire ring is 63 miles.)
Mostly singletrack, with some dirt road near the beginning and in the middle. More climbing going out, which makes getting back easier. Some technical sections, some loose and sandy areas, a few switchbacks, a couple of small stream crossings, fantastic scenery.

From the gate, pedal up the dirt road for about .6 miles where you will see a distinct dirt path headed up the mountain on your right. If you make it to the hard left hand turn on the dirt road you have gone too far. As you head up the trail take the first possible hard right. You will follow this trail up through pine trees on some great single track that includes some great views, a series of switchbacks, and minor rock and root obstacles to go around or over (it really isn\’t too technical going up – although it is fairly narrow). Eventually, (after about 1.4 miles of nearly all up) you will come to a T intersection. Take a right for this description (if you go left you can link into Trail 666 – see Bear Creek Loop description). Once you take the right your climb is almost over. Continue on this trail to the top of the mountain for some really nice views. Once the trail starts to drop, it goes fairly fast. Watch out for loose gravel due to the moto bikes that are allowed on this part of the trail (unlike the previous section). Once you hit the dirt road (High Drive) you take a right and ride the mountain road for about a mile back to the parking lot. Before you hit the parking lot make sure you look off to your slight left and catch a glimpse of the top of Silver Cascade Falls. That describes the loop, which is best if you\’re alone or short on time. I recommend linking this trail into one of the other nearby trails to make a longer ride. Also, if you decide to ride the trail in the opposite direction, be prepared to yield to the uphill riders (who may flip you the bird for going the \”wrong\” way). This trail makes for some really fun down hill if done in the opposite direction, but be sure to only do this during low traffic times (early morning during the middle of the week, and definitely not on a holiday) to avoid angry up hill climbers and hikers.

Trail starts as a fireroad and climbs. You can do an up and back to a water tower which is about 2 miles total. Not technical but good little quick climb. Another option is to take a left at double-track about 1/4 mile before the water tower. Take this up and stay to the right, you will be above the water tower. Keep going and you get to a point where you pickup your bike and carry it for about 10-20 minutes. You will eventually T a trail which run’s parallel to the mountain (you can see it from where you parked). Go right and it is an awesome singletrack downhill with a lot of big rocks to pay attention to and some tight turns and fairly steep drops. You will eventually cross into Air Force Academy. At first major trail intersection (double track) go right. You go downhill and then up. Open and close first gate. Keep heading south and you will hit second gate (I usually bunnyhop through the left side) and then into a subdivision. At road head left and then you will hit Woodmen, head right and you will hit your ride in about 3 minutes.

Nice gentle four-mile loop through the trees, good shade and incredible scenery. No huge climbs or descents, but rolls nicely: clockwise is more gradual climb to top elevation. Trail is roomy, but does narrow in spots. Plenty of horses & runners & dogs, so be prepared to yield.

This is a wide, gravel, beginner’s level trail I ride with my daughters quite often. There are several different loops you can do and even a few short sections of singletrack hidden here and there.

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.

This trail climbs 7500 vertical feel in just under 13 miles to the top of Pikes Peak (6,600 to 14,100 ft). Since bikes are not allowed on the toll road, this is the only way to ride your bike to the top of Pikes Peak. Be prepared for fast changing weather and much colder conditions on top. The trail starts out with a few stairs and then enters a section of switchbacks called the incline. The incline climbs at an average grade of 11% for a couple of miles with it almost all being rideable.