Double Stuffed

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Mostly high altitude descending with rocky trails, great views, and cooler temps. Since you return to the toll gate, shuttling is easy.

This is a long backcountry ride at altitude, with much of it in loose granite soils and rocky terrain—not to be taken lightly. Be prepared for bad weather and bad luck.

Shuttle up the Pikes Peak Toll Road to the Elk Park Trail at 12,000ft. You'll be above timberline, and, if you shuttled, not warmed up, so take it easy on the first mile or two of trail. The first mile is easy and open, with your first challenge coming at mile 1 where the trail immediately becomes loose, much rockier, and steep. There is a nasty switchback to navigate and a long gravely rocky chute.

You're into the trees now, crossing Severy Creek at 2 miles, and continuing on along some moderately technical sidehill in the forest carpeted in pine needles with large boulders scattered here and there. You hit a meadow at 3.6 miles with great views of Pikes Peak, and a good place to regroup. Continue on and T into Barr Trail at just over 5 miles, then take a left to immediately hit Barr Camp.

Once on Barr Trail, continue descending for 0.25 miles, you'll see the sign for the Mountain View Spur Trail on your right. It is mostly wide singletrack, rocky in spots, with a few short bridges over Cabin and Sheep Creeks. After one third of a mile, you'll see the sign for the Lake Moraine Trail, with it heading off to the left.

The Lake Moraine Trail is 4.1 miles of narrow, rolling, mostly flow trail with some rocky, technical sections here and there. There are multiple small water crossings with bridges. Heading from west to east, you descend a mile to the Cog Railroad through the trees with a short rocky section right before the cog. Take care crossing the cog. You'll start climbing, and except for a few small descents, you'll be climbing for the next 3 miles. You'll ascend through pine forest and aspen groves, with a beautiful meadow about halfway through. You'll reach the Colorado Springs Utilities Road, with multiple signs warning you to not stray from the trail. Once across, you have the toughest piece of climbing left—it's steep, rocky, and at 10,000 feet, so you'll feel the altitude. You'll crest a rocky ridge, then roll around to the junction with USFS 67 into Jones Park.

At this point, you'll get the reward for all your climbing, turn around and now you'll get to descend the 3 miles of climbing on Lake Moraine, which is super fun. Once at the cog again, you'll start climbing back to Mountain View. On Mountain View, you'll ride only 1,000ft and you'll see a rusty metal sign with distances to Barr Camp and a cog station behind you. Mountain View Spur also turns left and heads more steeply uphill. Take a right at this sign, this is the beginning of Cabin Creek Trail #671.

Follow Cabin Creek Trail north, you'll cross Cabin Creek, and see a large cabin to your left. After a half mile, you'll intersect Barr Trail. Another rusty metal sign marks this junction with distances to Barr, Manitou, and the summit. Once you head north from Barr Trail, you're following a still visible old trail with minor climbing and descending. After 0.5 miles from Barr, the trail becomes very faint, and the trees alongside are marked with red plastic dots. You cross a small creek at this point.

At 0.9 miles, you regain the old trail at a saddle and start descending a prominent rocky trail with rock retaining walls, very similar to the Elk Park Trail. At 1.3 miles, the trail flattens out and you'll see a sandy overlook just to your left. Continuing, the trail is very narrow with a steep side hill. At 1.6 miles, you hit an extremely steep rocky hillside, with a challenging line only vaguely visible. From there to the junction with Manitou Reservoir Trail, it's fast and flowy, with one great, steep, optional slab rollover.

The Manitou Reservoir Trail is smooth singletrack flowing through trees and meadows, in and out of several drainages. At the reservoir, descend on French Creek #703 until you hit the junction of the Heizer Trail. Climb Heizer for 1200ft, you'll see the USFS Road #330 just 50 ft above you. Join the road, there's a short climb to a saddle, then downhill to the Toll Road. It's wide doubletrack—be careful of Utility traffic. Descend the Toll Road to the gate.

Most of the Pikes Peak area was homesteaded, except for the Lake Moraine Trail, so all the other trails used in this ride are remnants from this era, connecting homes, mines, and resort properties.