Trail Guide

A technical, fun, and challenging grunt of a climb into the generally rocky and flowy Red Hill trails.

A very technical descent that could put a smile on your face! The top half was re-routed in 2017 to be more rideable

An enjoyable meander through the woods with a bit of gentle climbing, and some flowy descending. This trail starts out with a short continuation of fun descending like Roller Coaster, but then becomes level to slightly climbing for a bit. You won't have much trouble pedaling along over the bits of volcanic rock in the trail, as you work your way around through the woods. nnAfter half a mile or so, the trail descends again. This section is very flowy and fun, requiring little to no brakes in most places. nnAbout a third of the way along the trail you'll reach a marked intersection with Bogus Trail, and you'll stay left to continue this trail. There's more descending, then a short bit of very mild climbing to the end. nnYou'll pop out at a kiosk with Elk Traverse right in front of you and Bogus Trail off to your right.

Elk Traverse starts at the intersections of Faerie Trail and Bogus Trail. It side hills around a large ridge, with a right to left slope. There are many crux moves for beginner/intermediate riders. If one stops to look West you can see out to Highway 82. nnAs you leave the traverse, you'll climb a few steep switchbacks before topping out. A quick descent brings one to the intersection of Outer Loop. Elk Traverse takes a right here. From here to the start of the Northside Loop the trail climbs steadily. Shortly before you reach the Northside Loop you may see the Outer Loop coming in over your left shoulder. The return back to Bogus Trail and Faerie Trail is fast and full of excitement making the trip out well worth it.

The Northside Loop is a 4.9 mile loop with a bit of everything. If done in the counter-clockwise direction, it starts with a long rocky climb with some technical spots thrown in for fun. As you top out, the trail descends out of the woods and into open sage. nnThis is where the fun really begins. The sage fields in the middle of this loop are super fast and so much fun. Wooded technical spots are thrown into the mix but the fast sage riding starts again. Riding in this direction can be tough later in the day as you're riding into the sun in all the high speed sections. nnThe loop ends as you climb back into the forest. The rocks start again as well. Overall the loop is a blast and begs for fast riding.

The Outer Loops is a side trail off of Elk Traverse. The most common way to ride it is on the way back, or heading South. If going this direction the trail starts with a long fast downhill. It's not terribly steep at all but flows nicely. nnYour downhill ride ends in a wash of sorts then the trail climbs back up to Elk Traverse. Along the way, you'll hit a few switchbacks and a few small crux moves in tight corners. The Outer Loop is a great alternative to coming back on Elk Traverse.

A fun romp with great views of lower Cattle Creek.

After ascending Three Gulch Trail, most riders will find this one kinder and gentler. The trail surface is generally much smoother here, although there are still a few rocks to contend with. You'll be rewarded very quickly with incredible views out over the Roaring Fork River and Carbondale, all the way out to Mt. Sopris in the distance. nnThere are plenty of spots to hang out and enjoy the scenery once you reach the ridge. Just remember to stay right at the first fork you come to, and just before you reach the highest point along the ridge, be looking left for a 180 degree turn to the left for Roller Coaster Trail.

This trail is super fun, but far too short. It's a twisty roller coaster in a bit of a mini gully, with a smooth trail surface and bermy sides. The traction is great, and it's hard to rip down this trail without hooting and hollering. If only it dropped another 1000 vertical feet...

Take Three Gulch Trail which starts out immediately on red sandstone. It's a beautiful trail with a very accurate black rating for elevation gain at altitude over distance traveled, numerous steep grades (the steepest and longest at the top), and technical sections. nnAfter reaching the top, the terrain thankfully flattens and the trail joins Blue Ribbon for a short distance to the intersection of Bogus Trail. By now, you should be breathing normally again. Turn right and follow Bogus past Roller Coaster and both turns for Faerie Trail and turn right again on Elk Traverse. You'll soon find yourself back on the beautiful red sandstone you encountered on Three Gulch Trail but in a more enjoyable grade! You can include Outer Loop for some more distance or continue past it. nnUpon reaching Northside Loop continue straight past the first intersection of Sage Loop and turn left at the Big Top Trail #82951 sign. Apparently this trail is named differently on the two ends! It has more downhill ridden counterclockwise. Ride it back to the Sage Loop sign and go back to the intersection with Northside Loop. Continue back to Elk Traverse and retrace your ride to Faerie Trail. Turn right on Faerie and return to a five -way intersection. nnFor this ride, we took Blue Ribbon which includes numerous technical rocky challenges until we reached an intersection for a newly-built downhill named B-line. Mountain bikers and downhill only. It took us past the exit for Blue Ribbon and to the bottom of the road climbed up on in the beginning. It is steep with numerous tight switchbacks and rocks. nnOverall a very fun combination of skill levels and almost every trail feature you can think of.