Horsetooth Mountain Park sits next to Horsetooth Reservoir west of Ft. Collins and provides a tremendous biking opportunity with big miles of technical riding. A variety of routes can be made from the trails, but you can you should bring your climbing legs all routes go up, up, up to start.

The base elevation of the parking lot is near 5400 feet and the top of Horsetooth Rock is over 7,200 feet. Nearly 30 miles of trails are spread out across the large park with a spiderweb of trails for your biking pleasure.

Trail Description

A lot of trails interweave across the park varying from double track service roads to big travel worthy rocky descents. The double track service roads serve as a good way to climb up to the top before picking a singletrack descent of your choice.

Wathen to Stout is a favorite downhill route for those looking for technical descents.

Getting There

Directions from the Larimer County website:

From Denver:

1. Take I-25 north to the Harmony Road/Timnath exit (#265).
2. Turn left (west) continuing on Harmony Road for 7 miles where it becomes County Road 38E at the Taft Hill Road intersection.
3. Continue west on County Road 38E approximately 4 more miles to the entrance at the south end of the Reservoir.

The entrance to South Bay (including campground, restaurant, group use area, and swim beach) is at the south end of the reservoir. Watch for signs. To get to Inlet Bay (including Inlet Bay Marina and Inlet Bay Campground), continue west on 38E 1 3/4 miles past the South Bay entrance. Watch for signs and turn right on Shoreline Drive.

From Loveland:

1. From Highway 34 (Eisenhower) go north on Wilson. Wilson becomes Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins. Turn left (west) onto County Road 38E and continue west to the reservoir.

Continue directions from #3 above.

From Fort Collins:

1. From Harmony and Taft Hill Road turn west onto County Road 38E.

Continue from #3 above

When to Bike

All season biking is available, although winter months will see lingering snow especially at higher elevations.

Elevation Profile

Google Earth View

Trail Map

This map from Larimer County's website is a valuable tool in planning a ride at HTMP.

Images