Dogs Leashed
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Need to Know
This is a busy trail with both mountain bike and hiker traffic. Be courteous to hikers, and be alert on some of the fast downhill sections this trail offers.
Frisco is a nice town with plenty of options for food, drinks, and a bike shop right on Main Street to sort you out if you need mechanical help. You can also ride into Breckenridge on the other end of the trail to find similar services and supplies.
Description
You'll start out from the trailhead at the end of 2nd Ave. in Frisco. Just continue driving all the way down 2nd Ave until you see the obvious trailhead - there are usually a bunch of cars parked there. The trail is fairly obvious, but not well-marked here. Just a heads up, the trails around Rainbow lake are a tangled mess and not signed very well or not at all. Just take the trails that feel more traveled and it's fairly easy to stay on the right track. The MTB Project mobile app would be helpful here as well.
Rainbow lake is under a mile from the start of the ride, and it's a scenic spot to regroup and hang out for a bit. After this, the trail gets a bit more technical for a while, as it dives into the woods over roods and rocks. When it's wet or damp (often), it can be quite slippery in here!
There are a few places where other trails branch off from this one. One is the Gold Hill trail on the left about 3 miles in, and the other is the Miners Creek Trail just past that on the right. Just stay straight and follow this trail the whole way - it's easy to follow.
About halfway along, you'll reach the high point of the ride. There's a bench with a nice lookout to the east. After that, some big clearcut logging has drastically changed the character of the trail for about a mile. Views are now wide-open, and the trail is still recovering from the operations there.
Shortly after that, you'll head back into the woods, and twist around on a very fun section of trail. It's not particularly technical, but there are a few tough spots, and some bridge crossings over mostly swampy mud. The concentration of hikers is often heavier here as you near Breckenridge, so be alert and respectful.
Just a bit more up and down over the last mile - nothing too steep, and you'll pop out near Peak 7 at Breck. There are lots of options here to continue riding, or you can turn around and head back the way you came.
Contacts
Shared By:
Matt Thoele
with improvements
by Brad Davey
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