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Soda Park Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.3 (105)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Central Rockies
  4. …Keystone
  5. Soda Creek Trail System
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“A great beginner loop with big views and lots of singletrack. ”

Nick Wilder
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Map Key

10.8

Miles

17.3

KM

65%

Singletrack

9,459' 2,883 m

High

9,037' 2,755 m

Low

679' 207 m

Up

679' 207 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

18%

Max Grade (10°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Family Friendly Nothing too steep on this ride. Interesting picnic spot at the midpoint.

Overview

It's not often you'll find this much easy beginner singletrack way up in the Rockies! This is a great ride for beginners ready to leave the bike path and try out "real" mountain biking. And everyone else should have a blast too!

Description

Park at the recreation path parking area off of Swan Mountain Road. Follow an unmarked trail uphill, cross Keystone Ranch Road, and regain the singletrack for another half mile. You'll hit an intersection with Keystone Aqueduct Trail, right at an junction with Soda Ridge Road. You are now on top of an aqueduct and you follow this for over a mile.

You'll snake through neighborhoods and open hillside, sometimes directly in the aqueduct (where it's not contained in pipe). Surprisingly fun!

After the neighborhood ends, leave the aqueduct and climb gently uphill through a massive logging operation. In summer 2013, there were MASSIVE piles of dead lodgepole pines waiting to be burned. Kind of sad, but due to the hills and big mountains in the distance, it's surprisingly scenic.

When you're overlooking a historic homestead, you are at the junction of Soda Creek Trail and Red Trail. Take Soda Creek Trail down to the homestead, and continue pas on well-signed singletrack.

Ascend a series of boggy meadows. The trail is well designed and stays dry despite the marshy sections. Remember to turn around for great views of Quandary Peak (14,265') and other big mountains in the distant Ten Mile Range.

Reach a low saddle, pass through some moist, healthy forest, and then descend an open meadown on fun, flowy singletrack until you get to the Cove Trailhead in Summit Cove.

If you have energy left, climb the singletrack across the road, ascend a bit, then descend left back to the same road you just crossed (or just take that road for a bit). Look for the Swan Mountain Rec Path to the left, hop on it, and cruise back north/east until you get on the Snake River Path. Follow this through a golf course and look for a bridge to get across the river. You're now on Soda Ridge Road and just a short ways back to the car.

There are MANY ways to make this longer. Look at the map for more singletrack options as well as paved paths.

Contacts

Local Club: Summit County Mountain Bike Alliance

Land Manager: USFS - Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Office

Shared By:

Nick Wilder with improvements by Benjamin Gadberry and 2 others
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 105 votes

#1

in Soda Creek Trail System

#143

Overall
  4.3 from 105 votes
5 Star
43%
4 Star
48%
3 Star
8%
2 Star
1%
1 Star
1%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Soda Creek Trail System

#43

in Colorado

#143

Overall
10 Views Last Month
30,186 Since Sep 6, 2013
Intermediate Intermediate
6%
14%
77%
2%
1%
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Photos

Keystone Gulch path looking west over Keystone Ranch area.
Oct 7, 2016 near Keystone, CO
Pretty damn scenic singletrack!
Sep 6, 2013 near Keystone, CO
Some really nice fields of flowers at the end of Soda Creek loop, post card style
Jul 10, 2017 near Keystone, CO
View from the Soda Ridge Trail overlooking Keystone.
Jun 6, 2016 near Keystone, CO
The view coming down Hay Trail and looking at part of the Soda Loop.
Jun 6, 2016 near Keystone, CO
Trail to the Keystone Ranch
Jul 14, 2019 near Keystone, CO

3 Comments

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Current Trail Conditions

Minor Issues 55 days ago
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Check-Ins

Oct 9, 2024
Chris Furlong
Sep 20, 2024
Abby Cowan
Elevation gain was closer to 1050 than the listed 670. Beautiful loop though. Agree with other comments that there are a lot of intersections. 10.8mi — 2h 08m
Aug 10, 2024
Peter Byrne
Aug 1, 2024
Brian Weiner
11mi
Jun 23, 2024
Trey Kay
All clear 10.8mi
Aug 6, 2023
Jason Herzog
Jul 25, 2023
Private User
Jul 14, 2023
Andrew Storer

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