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Hard work with big rewards on a popular section of the Colorado Trail.


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Map Key

32.9

Miles

53.0

KM

Singletrack

11,836' 3,607 m

High

9,200' 2,804 m

Low

4,437' 1,353 m

Up

5,233' 1,595 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (3°)

21%

Max Grade (12°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Commonly Bikepacked · Views

Section Of

Need to Know

This trail segment begins on the South Platte Ranger District at Kenosha Pass, and is jointly managed by the South Park Ranger District and Dillon Ranger District.

Description

This trail can be ridden in either direction, although it flows a bit better and the climbs are more climbable heading down from Kenosha Pass, as mapped here.

In this direction, you'll find climb to 11,90 feet then have about 6.5 miles and 2000 vertical feet of descent. Don't take this section lightly though - although it's a fantastic singletrack descent, it does have some rocky sections. One section in particular is one that less advanced riders will consider walking - big rock step downs on top of loose rocky trail make for some sketchy moments.

Once you finish the first big descent, you'll find yourself at an open spot along the Swan River. If you've brought a water filter, this is a great place to use it. Otherwise, it's a nice place to eat a snack and cool off. You'll want to catch your breath here, because the next 3.5 miles bring a big uphill grind with over 1000' of climbing. This section gets quite a bit of sun, and it's granny gear climbing in spots, making this a real grunt, especially if you started the day at Kenosha Pass.

However, more reward is in store after the climbing is done. The next descent is beautiful riding - less technical than the first descent, and flowy enough to let it rip. It's good enough to restore your energy, which is good because you're not done yet.

The rest of the trail has changed quite a bit due to big clearcut logging operations that have changed the character of the area and reduced the amount of shade available. Although the rest of the trail trends downhill, there are a couple of short and sharp climbs which you can see on the elevation profile below.

Keep an eye on the MTB Project mobile app for this one, because there are a couple of unmarked trails that branch off this one, and it's possible to get yourself headed in the wrong direction, although you'd eventually pop out to the road and make it back to the trailhead either way.

Contacts

Shared By:

Michael Ahnemann with improvements by s platte

Trail Ratings

  4.2 from 24 votes

#2

in Park County

#867

Overall
  4.2 from 24 votes
5 Star
33%
4 Star
54%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#2

in Park County

#232

in Colorado

#867

Overall
5 Views Last Month
17,534 Since Oct 1, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

0%
0%
27%
14%
59%
0%

Photos

A pedaler and her pooches soak up the last rays of summer on the Colorado Trail.
Jan 27, 2017 near Keystone, CO
Chilly October ride with awesome views and one last hurrah before snow covers all of this!
Mar 18, 2016 near Brecken…, CO
Cruise the Red Trail as part of the Keystone Gulch to Soda Creek Loop.
Mar 5, 2017 near Keystone, CO
Ryan Raymond on the Colorado Trail with Mt Guyot in the background
Sep 11, 2013 near Brecken…, CO
Outlook from top of Georgia Pass.
Jul 24, 2017 near Brecken…, CO
Suffering through the climb in order to ride one of Breck's best descents
Jan 16, 2020 near Brecken…, CO
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Current Trail Conditions

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