Denver · Peak to Peak and Trail Ridge
A 242 km loop from Golden
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Why this ride
Thin air, big views and no mercy for late starts. 242 km round from Golden - plan on about 4 h 39 of riding. On the way it passes Peak to Peak Highway and Estes Park. The climb of the day is Trail Ridge Road. It tops out at about 3,250 m. It is a high-mountain day.
Roadbook
- Golden fuel gate
fuel
Golden is where Denver's western edge hits the mountains. The town sits at the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon, squeezed between the twin flat-topped bulks of North and South Table Mountain, and its main street still looks like a western town that grew up respectable. Golden was the territorial capital of Colorado in the 1860s before Denver took over, and it has kept a few reminders, including the banner that arches over Washington Avenue welcoming visitors, and the Colorado School of Mines, the college that trains mining and petroleum engineers. Coors Brewing has made beer here since 1873, and the brewery still dominates one end of town, with a tour that finishes at a tasting room.
For a rider, the value is practical and geographic. Golden has several fuel stations and plenty of places to eat, which makes it a natural starting and finishing point for the roads into the Front Range. The road up Lookout Mountain winds in a series of hairpins to the grave of Buffalo Bill Cody, who died in 1917 and was buried on the summit with a view over the plains, and the museum beside it is a small treat. The Lariat Loop, a scenic route that circles up through Lookout Mountain and down through Genesee and Morrison, packs a lot of road into a short space.
Further on, Clear Creek Canyon leads west along Highway 6 with rock walls on both sides, the creek foaming beside the road, and a handful of tunnels. Beyond it, Highway 119 and Golden Gate Canyon Road climb toward the Peak to Peak Highway, which links mountain towns such as Nederland, Estes Park and Black Hawk at heights of eight or nine thousand feet, with the Continental Divide glittering to the west. From there, Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park reaches over twelve thousand feet, and only opens when the snow has cleared, usually from around Memorial Day until mid or late October.
Weather on the Front Range moves quickly. Mornings are often clear and calm, and afternoon thunderstorms can build over the mountains, bringing hail and sudden cold. Start early, carry rain gear and layers, and be aware that the temperature difference between Golden and the high passes can reach twenty degrees Celsius. Golden itself is easy: parking is manageable, the creek-side path is pleasant, and a coffee at the edge of town is a good way to start or end a ride.
- Peak to Peak Highway
scenic
The Peak to Peak Highway runs along the eastern front of the Rockies, linking Black Hawk in the south to Estes Park in the north, and it follows the old route between mining camps and mountain towns. It is a scenic byway for good reason. The road stays between about 2,400 and 2,800 metres, running through pine and aspen forest with the peaks of the Continental Divide standing white on the western horizon, and every few kilometres a gap in the trees gives you a view of Longs Peak, the Indian Peaks or a glittering lake.
Along the way, you pass small mountain communities that grew from the gold and silver rushes of the 1860s. Nederland, near the middle, is a quirky town with an arts and music scene and an annual festival devoted to a frozen corpse, called Frozen Dead Guy Days, which is exactly as strange as it sounds. Farther along, the villages of Ward and Allenspark keep a rustic, mining-camp feel, with log buildings and cafés that serve hearty meals to riders and hikers.
The riding is outstanding. The curves are long and flowing, the surface is mostly smooth, and the gradients are gentle, so it is a joy for a relaxed day. Aspens turn gold in late September, and the road is at its busiest then, when leaf-peepers and bikers share the lanes, but even in summer it is a joy. Weather changes quickly at altitude. Thunderstorms build in the afternoon, often with hail, and temperatures can drop sharply, so bring layers and a rain suit. Wildlife is common, including elk, mule deer and the occasional black bear, and they sometimes cross the road at dawn and dusk.
Boulder, about twenty-one kilometres from the nearest point, is the large town with the services and the university, and it is also a lively place for food and coffee. Nederland has a small supply of fuel and a few cafés, but prices are higher and hours can be short. It is better to fill up in Boulder or at another larger town before you start.
The Boulder Canyon road, which connects the plains to Nederland, is a good way to reach the highway, and it follows a creek between granite walls with tight bends and a few tunnels. Watch for cyclists, who use the canyon road in large numbers, and for rockfall after storms. Take your time and enjoy the climb.
- Trail Ridge Road
pass
Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous paved highway in the United States, rising to 3,713 metres in Rocky Mountain National Park, and for a few kilometres it runs above the treeline across open alpine tundra. The road was completed in the early 1930s, and it was designed to give visitors the experience of walking in the high country without the walking. Today it carries traffic from Estes Park on the east side to Grand Lake on the west, and it is open only for part of the year. Snow closes it from mid-October, usually until late May, and early or late storms can shut it for days.
The scenery changes as you rise. Below, you ride through lodgepole pine and subalpine fir, then spruce thinning into twisted trees, and finally the tundra itself, a world of low plants, lichen-covered rocks and wide sky. The tundra is fragile, and tiny flowers bloom in the short summer. Elk graze in the meadows at lower levels, and marmots and pikas whistle among the rocks. At the Alpine Visitor Center, you can stand beside snowfields in July and look across mountain ranges that fade into blue.
Riding here needs respect for altitude and weather. The air is thin enough that engines lose power and riders may feel light-headed, so go slowly and drink water. Temperatures at the top can be near freezing even in summer, and wind is fierce, so a warm jacket, gloves and a windproof layer are essential. Thunderstorms build over the high peaks by early afternoon, and lightning is a real hazard on the open ridge, so plan to cross early in the day. The road has steep drops on one side and tight hairpins, but the surface is excellent and the speed limit is modest. Entry to the national park requires a fee or a pass.
Estes Park, about nineteen kilometres from the entrance, is the nearest town with fuel, food and lodging, and Granby on the western side is another. The visitor centre has a café and shop, but hours are limited.
An older gravel road, Fall River Road, climbs the mountain on a one-way route, and it is a worthwhile adventure for those with the right bike and a spare afternoon. Trail Ridge, though, is the grand tour, and on a clear morning there is hardly a better road in North America.
- Estes Park food
food
Estes Park sits in a high mountain valley at about 2,300 metres, at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and it has been a holiday town for well over a century. The main street runs beside the Big Thompson River, lined with shops, ice cream parlours and restaurants, and the mountains rise on every side, with the great bulk of Longs Peak to the south. In autumn, herds of elk wander through the town during the rut, grazing on lawns and golf courses, and the males bugle in the evenings, a sound you do not forget.
The landmark above the town is the Stanley Hotel, a white colonial-style building opened in 1909 by F. O. Stanley, an inventor who made his fortune with the Stanley Steamer motor car. The hotel inspired Stephen King's novel The Shining after King stayed there in 1974, and it embraces its reputation with ghost tours. You can wander the grounds and the lobby even if you do not stay, and the view of the mountains from the porch is lovely.
The town also carries a darker memory. In July 1976, a flash flood tore through the Big Thompson Canyon, which carries the road from the plains to Estes Park, killing well over a hundred people. The canyon road is still one of the main ways in, a winding route beside the river through steep walls, and a memorial stands along it. Take it gently, watch for rockfall and keep an eye on the sky, because storms still gather above the canyon.
As a food stop, Estes Park gives plenty of choice. Many places serve burgers, steaks and local trout, along with breakfasts of pancakes and green chile, and coffee shops and bakeries are scattered along the main street. In summer the town is crowded, with tourists filling the pavements and traffic crawling, so patience helps. Parking for motorcycles is usually available in side streets and public lots.
Fuel is plentiful, and the town has about six thousand people, so repairs and supplies are easy. Lyons and Boulder lie to the east and are the other places to fill up on the way up from Denver. Bring layers, because even in summer evenings are cool at this altitude.
Plan to arrive early or late to avoid the worst of the traffic, and keep your eyes open for elk. They are large and unpredictable, and they have the right of way.
- Back to Golden
finish
Back at Golden. That is the ride.