Spring Creek

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps · Technical · Views

A great climb up the creek through beautiful ferns, aspens, and wildflowers, with a thrilling one-way downhill.

This is a beautiful ride that's accessible right from downtown Steamboat. Parking is at the bottom of the dirt road, right at the intersection of E. Maple St. and Amethyst Dr. It's also well-used, so please use caution when riding down—dogs and pedestrians abound, especially on the lower section. Once you get on the singletrack, however, you'll find that what constitutes as "crowded" for Steamboat means passing a few people here and there, and the one-way downhill of Spring Roll helps with both safety and congestion.

Ride for about 1.5 miles up the dirt road until it turns right and becomes a wide singletrack. The trail continues up the valley, criss-crossing the stream a dozen times and winding through beautiful aspen groves, wildflower meadows, and lush ferns. There are a few punchy uphills, but they're followed by mellow sections that allow you to catch your breath. There's not much tech on the uphill, aside for some rocky spots on the steeper uphills.

As you near the top, the trees give way to wildflowers and sagebrush, and you get a dramatic view of Steamboat and the Flat Tops across the valley. You can continue all the way to Dry Lake Campground parking lot for a snack in the shade, but most folks turn onto the downhill just before the parking lot.

For the downhill, keep an eye peeled for the sign to Spring Roll on your left. There are a couple of entrances; take the second one—the first is at the entrance to Flash of Gold. (Spring Creek to Flash of Gold is also an awesome longer ride if you're looking for more miles.)

Spring Roll is a one-way downhill for mountain bikes only, so you can open it up and let 'er rip. It's rolly and fast, with some rocky sections that make it one of the more technical downhills accessible right from town. That said, it's all doable for advanced intermediates.

Spring Roll parallels Spring Creek for the entire singletrack segment, but it does have multiple points where you can bail and go down the main trail. If you ride Spring Roll all the way, you get dumped out onto the dirt road where the singletrack began. Enjoy!