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Cheyenne Mtn State Park - Big Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 3.9 (38)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Front Range
  4. …Fort Carson
  5. Cheyenne Mountain State Park
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“The best trails in Cheyenne Mtn State Park, all in one ride! ”

The Kraken
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Map Key

14.3

Miles

23.1

KM

80%

Singletrack

6,870' 2,094 m

High

6,022' 1,835 m

Low

1,618' 493 m

Up

1,604' 489 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

17%

Max Grade (10°)

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Allowed

Dogs allowed on leash on designated trails at the northeast side of the trail system.
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…

Overview

Cheyenne Mountain State Park has a lot of interconnected trails. Some are sweet singletrack, many are somewhat wider and groomed. This ride tries to collect the best of the park into one ride for the avid rider. There are a few short sections of overlap, but you'll love the route.

The official map can be found online at

cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…

Need to Know

Access via car requires a fee or State Parks Pass, bike access is free through the main gate. An annual Colorado Parks pass is also good at any other state parks, so it can be a good deal.

Description

This ride starts at the main parking lot, which has excellent facilities available. The trails are well marked and there are maps posted all along the way. Please note that the mileage that follows is approximate.

Starting at the day use trailhead parking lot, take the Sundance Loop to the east, south, then west until you descend the ridge and intersect Talon at mile 1.7. Head west (uphill) on Talon to the North Talon and South Talon loops. Turn right onto North Talon and follow it to South Talon.

You'll then return down to Sundance via Talon at mile 6.2, turning left and heading north. Near mile 7.2, stay left on Talon past Turkey Trot, left past Little Bear, then Left on Zook Loop.

Follow Zook around clockwise, past Blackmer until you reach Medicine Wheel at mile 8.2. Left on Medicine Wheel (highly technical), follow all the way to Blackmer Loop. Right on Blackmer Loop (uphill), right again, still on Blackmer, climbing up to the high point of the park. Pass by Cougar's Shadow (stay left) at mile 9.7.

Enjoy the views and the trail, until you reach the other end of Cougar's Shadow at mile 10.3. Right (uphill) on Cougar, follow it north back all the way to Blackmer Loop. Right on Blackmer (you've ridden this section before) continuing all the way down Blackmer to the start of the loop at mile 13.3.

Right at the intersection, take Blackmer Loop down to Zook Loop (or you can do Medicine Wheel the opposite direction from which you came).

Left on Zook, headed east, to Coyote Run, then the parking lot.

There are lots of options and the trails are all well marked. Medicine Wheel and Cougar's Shadow are the most technical of the park.

History & Background

Cheyenne Mountain State Park was built from scratch with mountain biking in mind. The original trail network was designed by Joey Klein (IMBA) and Tony Boone (Trailbuilder). The current management is slightly less MTB friendly, but it's still a great place to ride.

Contacts

Local Club: Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates

Feb 26, 2024: Use YOUR voice to direct the future of recreation in Colorado: SCORP ’24

Feb 1, 2024: The Trail That Dare Not Speak its Name

Jan 9, 2024: What is going on in North Cheyenne Cañon?

Land Manager: CO Parks & Wildlife Office - Cheyenne Mnt State Park -

Shared By:

The Kraken with improvements by Mark Jakusovszky and 1 other
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  3.9 from 38 votes

#1

in Cheyenne Mountain State Park

#612

Overall
  3.9 from 38 votes
5 Star
24%
4 Star
55%
3 Star
16%
2 Star
3%
1 Star
3%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Cheyenne Mountain Stat…

#159

in Colorado

#612

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Photos

Clean it! It's all smiles as we tackle one of the challenging rock gardens on the Blackmer Loop.
Mar 25, 2017 near Fort Ca…, CO
One of the loops offers techy boulder-climbing sections.
Mar 25, 2017 near Fort Ca…, CO
Blackmer Loop
Aug 9, 2019 near Fort Ca…, CO
Right before the powder hits
Nov 14, 2018 near Fort Ca…, CO
Getting ready to head down on talon north.
Sep 10, 2016 near Fort Ca…, CO
High viewpoint at the park
Jun 26, 2013 near Fort Ca…, CO

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