Why this ride
Out of Indian Hills, one way: 141 km, roughly 2 h 49 in the saddle. On the way it passes Applewood and Scenic stretch near Erie. near Evergreen is the high point. It tops out at about 2,950 m.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Golden Gate Canyon Dawn · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 141 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 49
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 26 km this is Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 26 km
- Named road
- Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Indian Hills
Planning note
Golden Gate Canyon Dawn is where the day begins. Next is High point near Evergreen.
2. High point near Evergreen
Evergreen is the mountain town that Denver residents escape to, and you can feel it as soon as you arrive. Pine trees close in around the road, the elevation has crept above seven thousand feet, and the lake in the middle of town reflects aspen and sky. After the open prairie and the busy suburbs, this feels like a different state, and it takes only forty minutes by bike to get from one to the other.
Read the complete Evergreen write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
You top out here; the road stops climbing. Next is Golden Gate Canyon Dawn checkpoint 8.
3. Near Applewood
Golden is a brewery town, a college town and a gateway to the mountains, and this finish lies just east of it, near Applewood, where Denver's western suburbs meet the foothills of the Rockies. The Coors brewery, one of the largest in the world, dominates the town, and the Colorado School of Mines sits on the hillside above. Two flat-topped mesas, North and South Table Mountain, capped with ancient lava flows, frame the view.
Read the complete Near Applewood write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 141 km. Next is Scenic stretch near Erie.
4. Scenic stretch near Erie
Planning note
Scenic stretch near Erie, late in the day. Next is Photo stop near Firestone.
5. Photo stop near Firestone
Planning note
Finish at Photo stop near Firestone. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Indian Hills to High point near Evergreen
Fuel stop near Indian Hills → High point near Evergreen is 26 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Evergreen to Near Applewood
High point near Evergreen → Near Applewood is 43 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Erie to Photo stop near Firestone
Scenic stretch near Erie → Photo stop near Firestone is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.