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Summit County Bike Trails: Colorado Trail

Following a beautiful section of the Colorado Trail, this loop explores forested hillsides above the Swan River Valley.

Know Before You Go: This trail is quite rideable in the opposite direction and also can be split into three shorter loops by parking either at the dredge boat parking lot, 2.6 miles up Tiger Road or near the old Tiger Townsite, 4.8 miles up Tiger Road. Use either the North Fork Road or Horseshoe Gulch Road as connections back to your vehicle. The 6-mile loop following the Middle Fork Road and the first section of the trail is the easiest. If you use Horseshoe Gulch Road, park at the Dredge Boat Parking Lot, and follow the trail that leads to two newly constructed bridges. Turn left after the second bridge to reach Horseshoe Gulch Road. Please stay on the trail, as all surrounding land is private and you will be trespassing if you wander. This trail is maintained entirely by volunteers, who provide feedback to the Forest Service and Colorado Trail Foundation about the trail’s condition. Please ride responsibly so comments regarding cyclists are positive and the trail remains open to them. Also, anticipate other cyclists, hikers and horsemen on this popular trail. Expect to yield and use caution around blind corners, especially when descending. Expect traffic on Tiger Road.

Parking: From I-70, drive through Frisco on Hwy 9 and continue south toward Breckenridge for about 4.6 more miles. Turn right onto road #950 and park at the Gold Hill trailhead.



Description: Get on the paved recpath and ride up it a short distance. Cross the Hwy at the traffic light onto Tiger Road (by the Breckenridge Golf Course). Follow this road as it changes to dirt up to the North and Middle Fork roads junction at 5.5 miles. Turn right onto the Middle/South Forks road. Pass some private property and at the next junction continue straight, staying on the Middle Fork Road. Climb along the left side of the drainage, passing a gate. At about 7.8 miles, look for entrances to the Colorado Trail on both sides of the road. Turn left onto the trail (the right fork climbs steeply to Georgia Pass and the main road climbs above timberline, eventually dropping into Montezuma). Ride over rolling terrain along the base of Wise Mountain. Cross the North Fork of the Swan River. Then, at roughly 10.4 miles, cross the North Fork Road (this road climbs to high alpine valley). The trail continues


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