Granite: Ride 17 - Spring Creek Loop
To download GPX files, click the link then select "File->Save As..." from your browser's menu OR right-click the link and select "Save Target As..." from the pop-up menu.
Use the "refresh" feature of your browser or press the "F5" key on your keyboard if route data gets scrambled when toggling between Earth and Map/Satellite views.
Use the "refresh" feature of your browser or press the "F5" key on your keyboard if route data gets scrambled when toggling between Earth and Map/Satellite views.
Have you ever ridden in the Fourmile Recreation Area and wished for a more tranquil (fewer ATVs) backcountry experience? This ride, a shorter version of the traditional Spring Creek Loop, is an excellent alternative. Though open to jeeps, motorcycles, and ATVs, the area sees few visitors and you are very unlikely to suck dust and exhaust as you serenely spin this one. The riding surface is refreshingly bereft of tracks and nature is slowly narrowing the lines. Though the eastern side of the loop is technically double-track, the trail is so overgrown that much of it rides like parallel lines of elegant single-track.
Be careful. This is a tricky route to follow and many people have trouble around mile 8.0. In addition, your chances of encountering wildlife on the trail are great
(I unwittingly startled a lone coyote as I blasted through a stand of aspen at the start of the descent). This is mountain lion and bear country, so think twice about riding this loop alone or riding at dusk/dawn.
If you have time, explore the many spurs in the area. Use a map to connect the numerous jeep trails and county roads.
Be sure to respect local land owners and heed all posted private property warnings!
Be careful. This is a tricky route to follow and many people have trouble around mile 8.0. In addition, your chances of encountering wildlife on the trail are great
(I unwittingly startled a lone coyote as I blasted through a stand of aspen at the start of the descent). This is mountain lion and bear country, so think twice about riding this loop alone or riding at dusk/dawn.
If you have time, explore the many spurs in the area. Use a map to connect the numerous jeep trails and county roads.
Be sure to respect local land owners and heed all posted private property warnings!
Ride length: 11.2 miles
Ride type: lollipop-loop (clockwise)
Riding time: 1.5-2 hours
Surface: dirt road/jeep trails
Elevations: start/end 8,950’; max 10,330’; min 8,950’
Total climbing: gain/loss 1,880’
Aerobic level: moderate (the climb approaching the highpoint is strenuous)
Technical level: 3+ (the final descent to CR 397 is intense)
Season: May through October
USGS Quadrangle: Granite
Ride type: lollipop-loop (clockwise)
Riding time: 1.5-2 hours
Surface: dirt road/jeep trails
Elevations: start/end 8,950’; max 10,330’; min 8,950’
Total climbing: gain/loss 1,880’
Aerobic level: moderate (the climb approaching the highpoint is strenuous)
Technical level: 3+ (the final descent to CR 397 is intense)
Season: May through October
USGS Quadrangle: Granite