Denver is one of America’s greatest cities for mountain biking. Set at the transition of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, the landscape is incredibly diverse, and nearby open spaces and national forests offer unparalleled access.
LessEasily accessible off Hwy 93 or from a variety of trailheads in Golden, North Table Mountain not only sees mountain bikers, but hikers, dog walkers, trail runners, and equestrians as well. This trail network is worth riding if only for the views from the tops of the cliffs ringing North Table Mountain, providing beautiful vistas of the greater Denver area, and the mountains rising up from the plains.
Enchanted Forest and Apex Trails together make one of the best descents in the Denver area.
Green Mountain is a local favorite trail network in Lakewood, and Box O Rox is one of its signature rides. It can be ridden in either direction but is best as a downhill.
Renowned as one of the most technical trails on the Colorado Front Range, Dakota Ridge serves as a technical test piece for the thousands (perhaps millions?) of mountain bikers living in the megalopolis that runs up and down the eastern edge of the Colorado Rockies. While the trail continues to morph and change over the years, Dakota Ridge is characterized by a brutally-rocky trail tread with off camber moves; short, steep climbs; ledge drops; and significant cliffside exposure.
Most riders on Colorado’s Front Range consider Buffalo Creek the go-to destination for flowy, swoopy, buffed-out singletrack, hence the nickname “Buff Creek.” This classic trail system has long been popular with cross country-style mountain bikers, but just about anybody that rides a bike will have a great time on the trails at Buffalo Creek.
The Colorado Trail (COT) is widely regarded as one of the very best long distance mountain bike trails in the world. Running for 535 miles between Denver and Durango, the trail crosses high alpine mountain passes and drops into beautiful valleys as it traverses the most beautiful portions of the state of Colorado. The COT forms one-third of the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, along with the Arizona Trail and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.