Winter Ride: Big Perm

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

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The epitome of winter riding: a 6-mile groomed loop beginning and ending at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. Awesome fun for fatbike riders of all abilities. This is a WINTER-specific ride. See Boulders, Elk Run, Giddy Up, Upper Deck, Old Chub, and others for dirt season rides in the area.

Park at CMC near Climax Molybdenum Leadership Center. Dogs need to be leashed on campus. Expect to encounter traffic and users of all sorts. Grooming is planned for Sun, Tues, and Thurs afternoon/evenings but may occur (or not occur) at any time or day. Please try to avoid using the trails immediately after grooming to give them time to firm up and be sure to clean up after your dog(s).

Loop through the forest while climbing/descending moderate and flowy terrain designed specifically for winter riding. It rides great both ways, and multiple variations of routes are available, so choose your own adventure.

If you ride it clockwise, just take the left-most trail at any junction. If ridden counter-clockwise, take the right most trail at each junction. There are a couple of cut-offs to make for multiple loops...but staying all left or right throughout will create the simple loop system.

Clockwise route: Park at CMC. Ride NE back toward the college entrance and turn right onto a plowed road at the curve (BEFORE the large downhill) and look for the trailhead sign. Now just stay left throughout, twisting and turning, until you come to the the end, where is meets Nordic trails. Go down the hill and turn right onto access road, riding it to/around gate to campus.

Counter-Clockwise (Big Worm route): Park at CMC and go around gate to access road at SW corner of campus. Take the first left onto Nordic trails, up short steep hill (near 1st Tee of Disc Golf course). At top of hill junction, the singletrack begins to the right. Stay right throughout, and you'll finish down the fun and fast Boulders trail section to the trailhead. Head left back to campus on the road.

The entire trail system is moderate in difficulty as it gently climbs and descends while winding through the forest. At two different points, you cross the Mineral Belt Trail, an 11-mile loop around town, much of which is groomed during the winter. There are also many Nordic loops in the vicinity of the college (which you'll cross several times) - all of which can be ridden. Please maintain voice control over your dog(s) and clean up after all canines to preserve trail integrity. Pets must be leashed on campus. You can connect to Swamp Angel via the Mineral Belt, which is often groomed in the winter.

The winter trail closely mirrors some of the dirt singletrack trails. Summer and winter riding maintained by the Cloud City Wheelers in partnership with Colorado Mountain College and Lake County.