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It's a road with a 30mph speed limit, lots of cross streets and awful sidewalks with countless blind driveways. Did I mention that for over a mile there is no bike lane and the road is too narrow to let cars pass safely without crossing the double-yellow?
You're forced to take it from time to time, but no one would seek this out. I can only assume that this trail designation is someone's idea of a joke.
This trail has two personalities, from the east (Frisco) and from the west (Vail). It's delightful from either direction but can be crowded with rental e-bikes in the summer.
If you're travelling from the east many people park at exit 201 on I-70 near W. Main Street in Frisco. There's a free parking lot to the SE of that exit. Biking on the Tenmile Recpath takes you along Tenmile Creek, passed several ponds and small lakes to Copper Mountain village. You croos Hwy. 91, then pedal through Copper Mountain village and continue west out of Copper Mountain village near Copper Road and Beeler Place. The trail then follows West Tenmile Creek to the west, parallel to I70. Now the trail is called the Tenmile Canyon Recreation Trail. You'll climb fairly gently but steadily now to the summit of Vail Pass (10,666 ft.). Note that this approach (from the east) is a more gentle elevation gain than the approach from the west, covered below.
If you wish to ride up Vail Pass from the west you can start in Vail Village, near Gore Creek USFS campground or elsewhere in the Eagle Valley to the west. If you start near the Gore Creek USFS campground there is a new, large parking area about 1/4 mile to the SW of the campground; parking is free. Vail Village is about 8200 ft. elevation so the gain, biking on the trail from the west is about 2400 ft with 4 or 5 pretty steep climbs. If you start from at Gore Creek USFS campground parking area you'll ascend past the campground, through an open gate and will parallel I70. This paved trail is the former Hwy. 6 before they built I70. You'll pedal passed a few small ponds and creeks through pines and firs, eventually descending briefly to Polk Creek; this is an excellent place to stop in the shade next to a rushing creek. You'll continue under I70 and ascend over new sections of trail, still heading up to Vail Pass. You'll come to Black Lakes where there is usually a primitive port-a-potty. After passing Black Lakes you have a little more uphill and then you're at Vail Pass. Some people continue to the east and then climb back up and back to Vail; it's your choice.
Weather: in the late spring and summer, even into early fall it's usually warm and dry. Pack plenty of liquids due to aridity and elevation - there are no stores or sources of water on the trail, except perhaps at Copper Mountain. Most days from last spring to early fall there will be thunder clouds building up in the afternoons but it rarely rains. Bring a rain coat just in case.
In mid-summer there are groups of ebikes that people rent in Frisco or Vail (or nearby) and many of these non-locals have very little idea of the rules of multi-use trails so watch out for them! There are occasionally walkers and dog-walkers on the trail but usually nearer Frisco or nearer Vail only.
You may see deer, elk, bear (not likely in mid-day), eagles, ospreys, marmots and other typical local creatures. While blasting downhill one side of the pass or the other be aware that you can easily reach speeds of 30-50 mph so watch out for the rare animal on the path - it IS possible! Have fun!
Nice trail for a lunch time walk. Not worth commuting to. Walked in early spring so not too green yet. I’m sure it gorgeous during summer!
Been walking parts of this trail daily for weeks. It’s a nice, clean, safe and quiet area to walk and ride bikes.
I rode this trail on a rented bike on a beautiful late October Sunday in 2024 while in Denver for a conference. I started near the intersection of Sherman Street and Speer Blvd, riding northwest toward the Platte River trail / Confluence Park before turning around and riding out of the city to the southeast. I was very impressed by the trail etiquette of other users: families with strollers, runners, joggers, and all range of cyclists at various speeds. It was a glorious and sunny 60 degree day a few weeks after the season's first snowfall, and traces of snow were still in the shadows under trees. I followed the trail all the way to the Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park before turning around. This trail is wide, smooth, fast, and best of all, has VERY FEW intersections with vehicular traffic. In my opinion, it's the best urban greenway I've ever ridden on. I look forward to someday returning and doing the entire 47 mile route.
The only significant climbs are to the top of the dam, whether clockwise past Massey Draw (links to C-470 Trail) or counterclockwise after crossing Plum Creek. The latter climb is gravel as is a 1.2 mile section on top of the dam. A nice, easy, pretty ride.
We rode the trail today 10-27-2024. The weather was perfect in the 70’s and slightly cloudy. The trail has lots of beautiful scenery. Only complaint was the condition of some of the asphalt. In some sections it has many cracks which are NOT marked so be very careful. The concrete sections were in great shape.
We drove 2 hours from Durango to ride this trail and were wanting to ride a round trip of 20+ miles. When we arrived we parked at the state park, which includes a parking fee of $10, and started riding south to Ridgway. Much to my surprise, we arrived after riding only 3.5 miles. We did not ride to the southern trailhead, about four blocks south, due to traffic.
I was surprised by the brevity of the ride so we rode back to the northern trailhead, stopping intermittently to check our map location, and arrived back to the car with only seven miles on my bike computer.
After riding farther than the trailhead I came across two riders and asked if they were locals. They confirmed that they were and I explained our dilemma. When I told them this was listed as a 12+ mile ride they laughed and said that wasn't even close. They did state that you can ride above the lake on a single track, but none of that is on the Traillink map.
Riders beware!! This is not even a quarter of the length listed so plan on a short ride or plan on doing multiple circuits to get in some miles.
This path is littered with homeless people! Their tents, clotheslines, and trash line the river and completely destroy what would be a beautiful view of the river. Worse than the bike paths in downtown Denver!!
For those rail trail enthusiasts who prefer consistent crushed gravel, this trail offers that for a bit. Close to Slate River it turns to big rocks and tree ruts. Definitely a mountain bike trail not a rail trail.
I was happy to see that they finally extended this trail, and added 2 miles from where it meets the Shooks Run trail to the Pikes Peak Greenway trail (at Beacon & Van Buren.), including an underpass at the Nevada crossing. Well done COS!
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