Baxter Gulch Green Lake Loop

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps · Views

One of the best advanced technical loops close to town. Featuring sustained climbing through aspen and pine forests, popping in and out of meadows linking Carbon Trail 436 to Para Me Y Para Te Trail and eventually Green Lake Trail. While sustained and demanding, this is probably the least painful way to access the top of Green Lake Trail. You're now rewarded with 4 miles of rocky, rooty, and rowdy descending back to town. Be aware, this is a popular trail for hiking.

This loop is a great ride to see the aspens changing colors in the Fall. As much of this ride is high elevation singletrack, be prepared for snow October through June, as well as the common afternoon thunderstorms year-round.

Be aware of other trail users on all sections of this loop. This is a physically and technically demanding ride that would not be enjoyable for a beginner rider, but is rewarding if your legs and lungs can keep up.

Starting from the Baxter Gulch parking lot, the trail starts out singletrack switching back up the slope in and out of aspens. This sets the pace for what is a somewhat uneventful grind up Baxter Gulch. Beautiful scenery and a well defined trail provide ample sights to take in while your crank. About a mile and half in you'll get a break as you descend into the creek bed and cross a nice bridge and sign signaling you are on a private easement and to stay on trail.

Climb your way up through more aspens and into the pine forest where you'll traverse up along the south side of the creek on a narrow trail, beware of other trail users.

Climb into National Forest, and up through more forest and small meadows for another two and a half miles until you reach the top of Baxter Gulch Trail. Your reward is a small section of flowy downhill to reach the intersection with Carbon Trail 436.

Take a right at the Carbon Trail 436 intersection to again begin some more mellow climbing. About a mile in, Carbon Trail 436 turns into Para Me Y Para Te Trail that has a little more down than up over the next 2.5 miles until you reach the trail junction with Green Lake Trail. The downhills on this section are foreshadowing of what is to come.

Take another right at the junction with Green Lake Trail and start the four mile descent back into town. Rejoice! You're climbing days are done. This is the descent you've heard about! The trail starts with some great flow and transitions to some chunky, rooty fun until it spits you out onto a dirt road.

Follow signage to the right for Green Lake Trail. After a half mile on the road, the trail appears again on the left-hand side of the road and turns into a bombing doubletrack road descent. Mind your speed here, as the trail turns off to the right fairly abruptly and turns back into singletrack for the rest of the descent through the aspen forests until you reach the bottom of the trail. Take a right on Journey's End Road to head back to CO135 and the Baxter Gulch parking lot.