Grandview Ridge & Horse Gulch Loop

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Downhill · Flow · Technical

For the hardy rider who likes adventure and variety but prefers mostly singletrack, is willing to go the distance, who wants to sample just about everything, and who really dislikes touching the same ground twice on a single ride—this ride is for you!

Ride exceptionally well-managed singletrack while exploring Grandview Ridge, Horse Gulch, and the famed Telegraph Trail systems. Make a brief encounter with the concrete-paved Animas River Trail and enjoy Durango's only bit of singletrack along the river as you round out the loop on the old railroad grade. There's a couple miles of roadway riding - view it as a well deserved break.

Take plenty of water, tools, flat repair, and sun protection.

The loop could be ridden in either direction, but this description takes it counterclockwise for a more front-loaded workout. Of the 16 miles, only 3 miles are on pavement, 1 mile of which is on the Animas River Trail.

Sale Barn rises steeply from the parking area, climbing onto the mesa where it meets up with Cowboy. Cowboy showcases the Grandview Ridge. Fun singletrack parallels dirt roads in some locations and then wanders out to explore more of the mesa top through stands of juniper and oak brush with a scarce rock here and there. The easternmost edge of the mesa sports a nice view over Highway 160 and the Bridge to Nowhere.

Cowboy continues its steady but gentle climb along the mesa and arroyos as it finds its meandering way toward the upper end of Big Canyon to finally meet up with Sidewinder beneath Grandview Ridge itself past the upper end of REA Canyon.

Sidewinder continues a steady climb on a wide trail to achieve the top of a wide saddle before following an old road grade around the hillside to meet Telegraph. A short but tough climb with some rocks and eroded trail thrown in for good measure takes Telegraph out of the tributary starts, to slip through a saddle and follow the contour to where Telegraph reaches its high just beneath Pautsky Point.

From the viewpoint, keep right to descend on Send It. Send It starts off with some steep, technical rocky sections that some riders will walk past, but the trail quickly transitions into great flowy singletrack through the scrub oak. Novice riders may prefer to descend into the meadow via Telegraph, but should anticipate lots of uphill traffic and yield.

Mellow out after taking a right on the easy Meadow Loop. Pedaling through undulating terrain will bring you to a junction with Staceys Loop. Another right extends the mellow loop farther. Take another right on Mike's for the final climb. The ascent has a few steep pitches, but is all quite rideable. A fast, steep, tightly dipping and blind hairpin descent will have you congratulating Mike until connecting with Cuchillo.

A right turn on Cuchillo makes a moderate ascent to achieve a narrow ridge line oddly poking up from the canyon floor. The ridge line delivers an overall lengthy descent over technical sections with interesting tilted rock and knife-edge sandstone (hence the name, I think).

The ridge delivers its riders onto the west side of the lazy Meadow Loop and a high-speed descent that spits the rider out onto Horse Gulch Road. A left on the old road, which is closed to motor vehicles, makes a rocky descent through the canyon to the trailhead at East 3rd Street.

Take the streets toward the left on a short stint to Santa Rita Park to meet the concrete paved Animas River Trail. Follow the trail left for a mile, crossing the Animas River at the bridge below the Animas Medical complex. If you're game and still have legs, take a spin on the Durango BMX Track for some fun jumps before crossing the bridge.

To avoid riding through private property, take a short detour on Sawmill Road. Catch Railroad Trail before the intersection with Highway 3 and skirt along the bank of the Animas River on singletrack following the old Railroad Grade. Pop out on Highway 3 at its south end and Carbon Junction to catch the frontage road back to the trailhead.

If you're feeling extra strong take the Sale Barn - South Rim - Carbon Junction featured ride in reverse to trim yet another mile of roadway off your ride, adding 7.2 miles of singletrack and only repeating a little over a mile of trail!