Weekend Wheeling in Denver

Bend, Oregon: Biking, Climbing, and Beer

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Most riders begin the Colorado Trail on the north side of Kenosha Pass and crank up to Georgia Pass on what is approximately 6.4 miles one-way (12.8 miles total) on an out-and-back. Don't be surprised if you puff more than usual on the first of a series of climbs; the elevation is a rarefied 10,000 feet at the trailhead.

Getting There
Head southwest from Denver on US Route 285 and drive about an hour. Eighteen and a half miles past Bailey, you should be at the top of Kenosha Pass. Turn left opposite the campground entrance and park near the Colorado Trail sign and restrooms.

The Trail
A clearing is reached with a spectacular view of South Park about two miles from the start. A moderately rocky climb from the overlook leads to the highest point of the ride. From there, the trail descends sometimes steeply on a surface of small and loose rocks reaching a Colorado Trail sign in the middle of a meadow. The climb from the meadow follows a smoother, easier trail surface to a second high point at mile 4.1. The steep drop to Johnson Gulch ends just as the trail starts back up on a sandy trail to the Rock Creek Trailhead. This is the turnaround; return the same way you came.