Monarch Crest to Tank Seven

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If you're looking for a Monarch Crest ride that is far from ordinary, this epic route culminating with the descent down the rugged Tank Seven trail will fit the bill. This route combines some of the best singletrack in the nation on top of the Crest with rugged, ripped up moto trail beyond where most mountain bikers ride, to eventually finish on an under-the-radar but absolutely beautiful and entertaining descent deep in the Sawatch Mountains.

This is a rugged, remote ride at high elevations. This route is dramatically more difficult than the classic Monarch Crest route. The navigation gets more difficult after passing Silver Creek—riders have gotten lost and stranded out here before. Finally, finishing the ride on the uber-technical Tank Seven trail after hours of slogging at high elevation is a demanding challenge for even the best of riders.

Since this shuttle route drops down the west side of the Continental Divide, you'll need to organize your own shuttle logistics. Begin by dropping your own pickup vehicle at either the bottom of the Tank Seven trail or at the gas station in Sargents. The route shown here runs all the way to Sargents.

From there, drive up the mountain to the top of Monarch Pass and begin riding via the classic Monarch Crest Trail route. The trail quickly climbs to treeline, rolling up and down along some of the most beautiful singletrack in the nation!

You'll follow the classic Monarch Crest route past Marshall Pass, subsequently picking up the Colorado Trail (COT) at the top of the pass to continue south. It can sometimes be tricky to pick up the singletrack Colorado Trail alignment here, so if in doubt, be sure to reference this map.

After pedaling along the COT, you'll pass the classic turn-off to Silver Creek... and keep on pedaling. Beyond Silver Creek, the trail gets rougher and rougher due to minimal trail maintenance and excessive moto use. You'll blast down a few technical, rutted-out descents and have to grind or hike back uphill several times. Despite the increased ruggedness of the trail, you'll find yourself riding through beautiful terrain in the absolute middle of nowhere! Keep an eye out for the Tank Seven descent to your right.

Tank Seven is a hidden beauty of a trail! Despite being open to moto traffic, this is a narrow serpentine singletrack descent that begins flowy and smooth but quickly turns into a high-speed gnar fest through endless rock gardens and root webs. The tech on Tank Seven is not for the faint of heart, especially after hours of slogging through the high alpine to get here.

If you dropped your car in Sargents, turn left at the bottom of Tank Seven to finish the ride out on Marshall Pass Road.