Why this ride
Out of Loveland, one way: 253 km, roughly 3 h 44 in the saddle. The climb of the day is Guanella Pass and Georgetown. It tops out at about 3,400 m. Guanella Pass is subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Guanella Pass and Georgetown · part 2
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 253 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 44
- 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 86 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
- 86 km
- Named road
- Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Food stop near Loveland
Planning note
Food stop near Loveland is where the day begins. Next is Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off.
2. Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off
At 3,570 metres the pass is among the highest paved routes in the state, linking Georgetown and Grant through forest, willow flats and finally open tundra. The summit of Bierstadt, at about 4,285 metres, is named for the painter Albert Bierstadt, who visited in 1863 and made the mountains of the West famous with his enormous luminous canvases. A rider stopping at a pull-off near the top can see a good deal of what he saw.
Read the complete Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off 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 Guanella Pass and Georgetown checkpoint 8.
3. Near Sheridan
Southwest Denver ends abruptly where the plains slam into the foothills. Beyond it, red rock formations and pine-covered hills rise toward the higher peaks of the Front Range.
Read the complete Near Sheridan 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 253 km.
Leg by leg
Food stop near Loveland to Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off
Food stop near Loveland → Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off is 167 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off to Near Sheridan
Guanella Pass and Georgetown photo pull-off → Near Sheridan is 86 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Denver · Peak to Peak and Trail Ridge · 284 km
- Peak to Peak Scenic Byway · 106 km
- Peak to Peak Highway · part 1 · 168 km