This summer I spent 14 days hitting the trail — the Colorado Trail, that is — mountain biking the iconic trail system that connects Denver to Durango.
The trail travels between 486 to 549 miles, depending on the route, offering a unique experience for adventure lovers and outdoor enthusiasts wanting to experience Colorado’s wilderness. In 2024, the Colorado Trail turned 50, and over its life span, it has been walked or biked on by tens of thousands.
Each year, thousands more tackle the trail on foot, by bike or on horseback, with some splitting their journey into segments, while others attempt the more daunting through-hike or through-bike.
Over one, 10-day period, and three, single-day outings, I mountain-biked 13 segments and one wilderness bypass detour of the Colorado Trail.
Taking a closer look via two wheels at impacts to the trail from heavy use to weather to wildfires is something I ventured out to do.
As an avid mountain biker, I’ve pedaled a multitude of Front Range trails over the years, but never explored and studied segments of the Colorado Trail.