Rabbit Ears Peak

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

Snowbound until June, heavily used by jeeps and hikers.

Rabbit Ears Peak's distinctive stone monoliths are a prominent landmark in the North Park/Steamboat Springs region, and have lent their name to everything from highways to hotels. An easy-to-follow jeep road provides technically straightforward bike access to great views from the top, but the thin air and steep pitches can make for a strenuous physical challenge.

From US 40, turn north onto Buffalo Park Road and bear right into CR 199. Follow that past the turn off for Dumont Lake campground, and your parking area is the next left, at the start of Forest Road 311. Get on the bike and continue on Forest Road 311 north for about 0.15 miles until your second right—this will be Forest Road 291, which you'll follow the rest of the way to the top.

291 starts off flat and smooth, exiting the woods and entering a broad, open alpine meadow. Rocky sections become more frequent after half-a-mile, and following a stream crossing around 0.8mi from the parking lot, the road begins a stair-step climb with progressively steeper and longer pitches. It snakes back into the trees about 2 miles in, and while a few flat sections offer relief, a sustained steep section at 2.5 miles is probably going to require a hike. But if you've got big enough lungs, low enough gears, and tacky enough conditions, riding might be possible.

The road flattens slightly before summit, so you can remount and pedal to the base of the summit's looming stone towers. A number of short foot trails offer climbing and panoramic views, but the peak is exposed and the area is notoriously windy, so pack a light shell if you're planning to hang around. Once you've had enough, the ride back down is blazingly fast, with more than a few opportunities to get rad off of bumps or rock sections.

Wyoming Trail leaves from the same parking lot, offering connections to other MTB favorites like Steamboat Mountain, Fish Creek Falls, and Buffalo Pass.