The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is the premier bike trail in the northeast metro area, connecting the South Platte Greenway in Commerce City to the Highline Canal trail in Aurora. The trail is paved in the Commerce City section, but crusher fine/soft surface in the Denver and Aurora sections.

The trail starts off in an industrial area in Commerce City. Metro Wastewater, the UPS plant, and Xcel Energy are all nearby. The trail here is paved and in great condition. The main trailhead is near the intersection of Sand Creek Drive and E. 56th Avenue, and has plenty of parking and some picnic tables nearby. There is another parking lot near the intersection of Ivy Street and E. 52nd Avenue, which is very close to the Wetlands Park (there are picnic tables and bathrooms here as well). The Commerce City section of the trail is easy riding, and follows I-270 until it winds into Denver.

Moving into the Denver area, the trail surface changes from paved to crusher fine. Because of this, I would strongly recommend using a mountain bike (instead of a road bike). There is a lot of construction going on in this section of the trail, with the replacement of the I-70 bridge and installation of the Central Park Boulevard bridge. The trail stays open through these periods of construction, although there are occasionally detours. You can check out construction and detour information online by going here: http://www.sandcreekgreenway.org/3map/3.3directions/construction.htm. Use caution in these areas.

There are some nice areas along the Denver section, which is far less industrial than the Commerce City section and takes you through nice cottonwood groves and a few scenic areas. Bluff Lake Nature Center and the Stapleton Urban Farm are directly off of the trail, and are definitely worth checking out. The main trailhead for the Denver portion is near the intersection of Smith Road and Havana Street, and has a huge parking lot. The trail cuts through the runway tunnels of the old Stapleton Airport, which is really nifty.

You will enter the Aurora section of the trail after crossing Peoria Street. The trail surface in this area is a mix between soft surface and crusher fine. In my opinion, the most beautiful areas of the Greenway are in Aurora- do yourself a favor and check out Star K Ranch and the Morrison Nature Center for native wildlife and scenic views. Sand Creek Park is also another beautiful area worth exploring.

The trail ends at Colfax Avenue, where you can easily hop on the Highline Canal trail. Although some areas of the trail are in need of improvement, overall I really enjoy the Sand Creek Regional Greenway. The way the trail connects industrial, residential and scenic areas is very cool, and I love having a place to go to get away from the city that is so close to my house. You can also do a 50 mile loop in the metro area by taking the South Platte Greenway to the Sand Creek Greenway to the Highline Canal to the Cherry Creek Greenway. Happy trails!

We jumped on this trail with hybrid bikes at Sand Creek Park and headed east. The trail was mostly sand and small gravel which was difficult to ride on and very dusty. Not very scenic either. Not good for bikes. Next year we will try the western part with hopes that it has a better surface.

"Maybe I was fortunate, but on my ride from the Platte to the prison (and back) I saw an osprey and a coyote. Some sections aren't that great but most of it is ok."