OverviewDavidson Mesa is a Louisville (Colorado) Open Space Park that features several miles of mostly completely non-technical double track. What it lacks in interest it makes up for with it's close proximity to Louisville and with it's sweeping views of the Front Range.
This is an ideal place to bring a first time mountain biker, as there are essentially no technical challenges and no climbing. It's a good place to hit after work, for a good night ride, or while towing the kids in the trailer.
Trail DescriptionThis description is for the perimeter loop. There are many ways to make things shorter or longer by combining loops and doing multiple laps.
From the trailhead on McCaslin Blvd:
Enter the trail system through the fence and take the left-most trail. This will follow an irrigation ditch for about a half mile. At 0.6 miles, the trail with reach a T-intersection with another prominent doubletrack. Take a left here. You'll continue in a westerly bearing, crossing a couple intersections and passing under some powerlines until you reach the end of the open space near Hwy 36, under another set of powerlines. From here, take the prominent doubletrack to the right and wind around the western perimeter of the open space. At 2.0 miles you'll reach a neighborhood and the trail will curve right. Go right and parallel the neighborhood for about .4 miles (to mile 2.4) to an intersection. Take a left here, onto the singletrack, and follow the edge of the neighborhood in a northerly direction. At mile 2.6 the trail reaches the edge of the mesa. Bear right and continue on the singletrack to mile 2.9 and another intersection and a bench. Take a right on the doubletrack and follow it back to the parking area, paralleling the dog park. The trailhead is mile point 3.1.
Mileage Points:
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0.0 - Start
0.6 - T-Junction, go left
1.4 - Far southwest point, power lines, take right trail
2.0 - Neighborhood, trail goes right (east)
2.4 - Intersection, go left (north) on singletrack
2.6 - Intersection, edge of mesa, go right and follow mesa rim
2.9 - Intersection, go right (east) towards trailhead
3.1 - Trailhead
Variations:
1. From the 1.4 mile point, leave the open space to the left and follow the dirt road that parallels Hwy 36. This will bring you out to McCaslin and Dillon, where you can cross US 36 and ride the Coal Creek Trail east, or enter the Marshall Mesa trail system to the west.
2. From just past the 0.6 mile T junction, as the trail curves right, follow the old jeep trail that goes straight, then right, and follows near the rim of the mesa. This will bring you out at the 1.4 mile point, but is a little more interesting riding.
3. There is a faint singletrack trail that runs diagonally from the 1.4 mile point back to the 2.6 mile point. It tends to grow over with tumbleweed during the summer months.
Getting ThereFrom Boulder:
Take US Hwy 36 east, out of Boulder, to the first exit for McCaslin Boulevard. Go North on McCaslin for 1.5 miles and take a left into the parking area.
When to BikeThis ride can be ridden (or run) year-round.MapMapMyRun map, using Google Earth:
Davidson Mesa Perimeter Loop Images |
