Colorado Trail - Segment 14: US-50 to Chalk Creek

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Commonly Bikepacked

Segment 14 of the Colorado Trail contains so many fantastic stretches of singletrack that it's well worth pedaling in its entirety as a day ride. You'll enjoy endless singletrack running through beautiful aspen groves and towering pine forests, crossing rushing mountain streams, and affording spectacular views of the valley below through the occasional clearing. This ride consists of 100% bonafide singletrack, but you can expect a dramatic variety in trail character, ranging from buff and flowy to boulder-filled and technical.

Expect to encounter backpackers, and be sure to yield the trail.

To complete a point-to-point day ride on Segment 14 of the Colorado Trail, you'll have to run your own shuttle logistics, but you'll find trailheads at both ends of this segment. After dropping the pickup vehicle at Chalk Creek and returning to the beginning on US-50, you'll begin with a steep climb up out of the valley before rolling along an upper bench.

The navigation on this route is straightforward and easy—just follow the Colorado Trail. But the riding is dramatically more varied. The trail alternates between rolling along a mostly-flat bench with plummeting into a steep-sided valley... and then grinding its way back up and out.

This process repeats over and over. The rolling singletrack between the valleys is often buff, fast, and just downright fun, while the steep descents into the valleys are rocky, rugged, and adrenaline-pumping. Unfortunately, some of the climbs out of the valleys will force some riders to hike-a-bike, but that's the price you have to pay for the beauty of this trail.

Standout sections include the stunning aspen groves near Blank's Cabin at the base of Shavano and the wide-open meadows near Raspberry Gulch.

The final descent to Chalk Creek is fast and furious! Starting at a beautiful viewpoint, the final descent rips downhill via a series of rocky, loose switchbacks, ending at the valley floor far below.