Boulder, Colorado Area Trails

Area

Boulder, Colorado Area Trails

Page Type: Area

Location: Colorado, United States, North America

Lat/Lon: 40.01605°N / 105.27992°W

Trail Type: Cross Country, Downhill, Mountain, Cyclocross, Paved

Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Page By: Chris

Created/Edited: Oct 11, 2007 / Oct 17, 2007

Object ID: 262233

Hits: 1878

Page Score: 88.31% - 11 Votes

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Table of Contents

Other Things To Do In Boulder

Events and Races

Boulder Links

Images

Overview

Boulder, Colorado... the name is almost synonymous with cycling. Boulder is home to numerous pro cyclists, a pro cycling team, bike companies, and the International Mountain Biking Association. The now-defunct Coors International Bicycle Classic was started in Boulder and several stages of the race took place here.

You'd think a town so full of cycling fanatics and the home to IMBA would be a mecca of mountain biking. You couldn't be more wrong. Boulder has long been known as one of the most mountain bike unfriendly cities in the country. Draconian open space policies have kept almost all city open space west of a line created by Hwy 93/Broadway/US 36 closed to mountain biking. This only left a handful of 12 foot wide gravel "trails" open on the plains.

Thankfully, the Boulder Mountain Bike Alliance (BMA) has worked tirelessly to change this. Over the last few years, with the BMA's guidance, lobbying, and trail building, more and more trails have been opened to mountain bikers. If you live in Boulder or ride the trails here on a regular basis, JOIN THE BMA TODAY! They do great things for us!

That said, there is great mountain biking in the area (there could just be so much more). Recent strides by the BMA have opened new trails at Heil Ranch and other places. If you have a day to spare, volunteer to build new trails... it's extremely rewarding to ride trail you helped build!

Getting There

Boulder is located in north-central Colorado, along the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It's about 30 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado.

Via Car:
US Hwy 36 is used to access Boulder from Denver. Take I-70 or I-25 to US 36 and go west. Hwy 36 runs right into the middle of town and becomes 28th Street.

Via Plane:
The best airport for reaching Boulder is Denver International Airport. There are hundreds of daily flights into DIA. From there, rent a car and drive to Boulder: Take Pena Blvd south from DIA to I-70. Take I-70 west to I-270. Take I-270 west. Just after I-25, I-270 ends at US 36. No need to exit, just continue straight into Boulder. Drive time from the airport is about 1 hour, depending on traffic.

Camping and Lodging

Hotels/Motels
Boulder Lodging

Camping
There's no camping in the immediate vicinity of Boulder, but there are numerous National Forest campgrounds within an hour. Golden Gate Canyon State Park, southwest of Boulder, also has year-round camping.

USFS Campgrounds in the Boulder Ranger District
    Camp Dick and Peaceful Valley
    Kelly Dahl
    Rainbow Lakes
    Pawnee

Golden Gate Canyon State Park
    Camping

Selected Trails

Some Boulder "Must Ride" trails:

Walker Ranch - Walker Ranch is one of the finest rides in the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. This mostly singletrack trail follows rolling terrain near South Boulder Creek, in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado.

Hall Ranch - Hall Ranch is part of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks portfolio of property. It lies just west of Lyons, Colorado at the edge of the foothills. The mountain bike trail is a 9.6 mile lollipop that features a tough, technical climb to up to a beautiful loop around a high meadow that was once the homestead of the Nelson family.

Heil Ranch - Heil Valley Ranch is a lollipop loop with loose, rocky terrain. While the riding at Heil isn't the best in Boulder County, the creation of a new loop and soon to be completed connector to Hall Ranch increase this trails draw.

Other Things To Do In Boulder

Pearl Street Mall - The soul of Boulder. A 6 block long pedestrian mall, featuring shops, restaurants, street performers, and the best people-watching around.

Boulder's Pearl Street Mall

Boulder Creek Path - Take a walk or ride along the 13 mile paved Boulder Creek Path. The path starts as a gravel doubletrack about 3-4 miles up Canyon, at Fourmile Canyon Rd. It heads down canyon and turns to a paved path near the Elephant Buttresses, 0.5 miles up from Eben G Fine Park. From here, it course through the center of town, following Boulder Creek.

Boulder Farmer's Market - Pick up something tasty to eat while you're out riding the Boulder Creek Path on a Saturday! Located at 13th and Canyon.

Other Outdoor Activities
Rock Climbing
Ice Climbing
Mountaineering
Hiking/Backpacking
Trail Running
Road Running
Road Cycling
Kayaking
Paragliding/Hanggliding

Events and Races

Coming Soon