First time riding in west Glenwood Springs? Look no further than this great sampler and guide to the area's trails. You'll enjoy a big dirt road climb, an epic singletrack descent, a bit of flat and fast mileage, and some traditional rocky trails at Wulfsohn Mt. Park.
Park at the Glenwood Springs Community Center / Recreation Center. Start your ride at the corner of the parking lot where you'll see the community garden plots. Take
Wulfsohn Trail - South TH a short distance south and make a left onto the
Olsen Trail (you'll be coming back on this flat and fast ditch trail after the first half of the ride).
At the end of the
Olsen Trail, climb the bottom 50 yards of the
Grandstaff Trail, and then make a right onto
Red Mountain Jeanne Golay Trail, aka Red Mt. Road, which is paved for the first few hundred yards, and then dirt the rest of the way. Settle in for a big 1,500'+ climb, but at a pretty steady grade. The road is gated, limiting most vehicle traffic. This is good social climbing time if you're riding with a friend or a group.
Near the top of the climb, continue a few hundred feet past the top of
Grandstaff Trail to go enjoy the big views of Glenwood Springs, the Colorado River, the Roaring Fork River, Glenwood Canyon, Mount Sopris, and plenty more horizon in the distance.
From the top of
Grandstaff Trail, it's time to enjoy the big 1,500'+ descent! The trail includes a few original rocky segments, a few tight switchback turns, and increasingly more flow, big berms, rollers, and optional jumps as you get further down the mountain. Most of Grandstaff is a two-way trail, and it has numerous intersections with the adjacent hiking-centric Cross Trail. Enjoy your descent, but yield to uphill bikes and all foot traffic.
The Lower
Grandstaff Trail is signed as "Downhill Direction" only! Enjoy the final segments of berms and features without uphill traffic around the corner! At the bottom, cross Red Mt. Road, and retrace your route back on the
Olsen Trail.
At this point, you can return to the trailhead, or continue on the ride, climbing
Wulfsohn Trail - South TH a short way until it's time to make a left onto the
Defiance Trail. Defiance starts as a climb, steep and rocky at times, before dropping back down at its northwest end. Continue the ride by making a left onto
Wulfsohn Trail - North TH, taking some care to stay on the trail to the left at a confusing intersection that you'll revisit soon. At this 'trails' end, you'll find the Wulfsohn Mt. Park northern trailhead, and the start of
Stevie Bob Trail.
For a full tour of West Glenwood, as an option, ride paved paths to the north a few hundred yards to visit The Wave on the Colorado River - you might catch some kayakers or paddle boarders surfing on the man-made feature.
To finish the ride, take
Stevie Bob Trail to the southeast. You'll cross over
Wulfsohn Trail - Lower once, and then meet it again at the end of the trail. Take the wide cinder
Wulfsohn Trail - Lower (if you're in a rush) or
Wulfsohn Trail - South TH (if you want a final bit of singletrack) back to the trailhead.
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