Bike the San Juans

TELLURIDE’S TRAILS AND VIEWS MAKE IT A MUST RIDE DESTINATION FOR BOTH SEASONED PROS AND CASUAL RIDERS

by Evie Carrick

If every trail has a story to tell, then the trails surrounding Telluride and Mountain Village weave a grand narrative — one that holds over a century of secrets. Long before mountain bikers raced down these paths or hikers trekked up them, they were traversed by 19th-century miners on their way to work and pack trains of burros hauling ore.

Most of the trails in our region were not built for recreation; they were originally mining access routes,” explains Sophie Fabrizio, executive director of Telluride Mountain Club. Liberty Bell Trail, which consists of an old mining road and passes by mining ruins, is a prime example.

Mountain biking didn’t emerge in the area until much later, and even then, it wasn’t widely embraced.

Today, however, mountain biking is one of the region’s most popular summer activities — whether it’s a leisurely ride along the Valley Floor or an adrenaline-pumping descent at the Telluride Bike Park. Biking is also deeply embedded in the local culture, with colorful townies and vintage bikes populating the bike racks around town. Even in winter, locals can be seen riding their bikes to the chairlift, their skis secured in a DIY ski rack or slung over a shoulder.

Biking is also the fastest way to get into the backcountry, where the stillness and beauty of the San Juans await.

“The views and the reward of putting in the effort make it all worth it,” says Fabrizio. “At the end of the day, you’re surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery in the state.”

First-timer & Beginner Rides

If you’re truly new to biking, make your way to the west end of Telluride and hop on the Valley Floor Trail. “The grade is mostly flat and there are not a ton of obstacles in the way,” explains Fabrizio.

The 3-mile trail starts right from town and runs east to west along the swath of protected open space west of Telluride. For a longer ride, Fabrizio says you can cross Highway 145 and “Continue beyond the Valley Floor Trail onto the Galloping Goose Trail,” which follows the historic Rio Grande Southern narrow-gauge rail line.

The Boulevard Trail in Mountain Village is similar to the Valley Floor Trail in grade and length. The paved, beginner-friendly path starts from the Mountain Village Center and runs to The Village Market. From there, the paved trail gives way to a well-maintained natural surface path that continues to the entrance of Mountain Village.

Progressive Intermediate Rides

If you’re an experienced intermediate biker, you’ll have the chance to get up high and see some of the area’s best trail views.

Two of Fabrizio’s suggested rides start on Mill Creek Road near the Shell gas station west of Telluride. After riding up the road, you can take the Mill Creek Waterline Trail to the Jud Wiebe Trail that leads back into town. Or, you can take Mill Creek Road to the Eider to Mill Creek Connector.

“The Telluride Mountain Club built that trail [Eider to Mill Creek Connector] a couple years ago,” says Fabrizio. “It has really awesome views and is nice and smooth.”

Intermediate riders might also want to venture into the Telluride Bike Park in Mountain Village, which offers lift-served downhill biking on Telluride Ski Resort. You’ll need a pass to ride, but the trails are well maintained and you don’t have to deal with the uphill grunt. Tommyknocker, which runs from the top of Chair 4 to the bottom, is a great place to start.

In Mountain Village, you can also check out the town’s newest trail, Stegosaurus. The uphill-only trail runs alongside the downhill Jurassic Trail.

Advanced & Expert Rides

If you want to venture into the backcountry (right from town), or like steeps and switchbacks, the San Juans have you covered.

“We’re built into some really steep hillsides that other communities don’t have. The learning curve is steep, but the views and the reward that you get for putting the work in is that much greater,” says Fabrizio.

For advanced riders, she recommends the full Deep Creek Trail, which is around 15 miles roundtrip from Telluride. “The Deep Creek Trail is long and has lots of elevation gain and there are several steep parts. You can ride that from town and back to town. It’s a big day.”

The other big, advanced ride she recommends is the Wasatch Connection, which starts from the Gondola’s San Sophia Station and includes a ride up the See Forever Trail to the Wasatch Connection and finally to Bear Creek Trail that leads to Telluride. She notes that this route should only be attempted by very strong riders. “It has really steep, really loose switchbacks with some areas where the drop-offs on the side are incredibly consequential.”

Accessible Trails

One of the Telluride Mountain Club’s main focuses is adapting existing trails to meet modern standards and making sure that any new trails they build are more accessible and sustainable.

“Trails designed, built and maintained with adaptive users in mind, simply put, are better trails, period,” shares Tim McGough, the ski and ride director at the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program. McGough also started the organization’s mountain bike program.

He notes that there is no hard and fast definition of what makes a trail accessible because “trail accessibility is a spectrum just as much as are the goals and abilities of riders.” However, he says there are many local trails that many adaptive bikers can ride successfully, including Tommyknocker in the Telluride Bike Park and Boulevard Trail and Stegosaurus Trail in Mountain Village.

In Telluride, he suggests starting on the Valley Floor Trail. If you’re willing to make a short drive, he says, “the Aldasoro Trail is a great accessible ride with the most epic unobstructive panoramic view of our area.”

Rules of the Trail & Safety

If you come across a hiker or horse on the trail, it is your job as a biker to yield (give right of way) in all situations. In addition, bikers going downhill should yield to bikers going uphill; uphill riders have the right of way.

You should also be mindful of how you ride area trails. Cutting switchbacks and riding off the trail causes erosion, and biking on muddy trails leads to rutting and widening.

Like with any adventure you undertake in the San Juans, pack water, food, and layers, and start your adventure early and have a plan B. Always pack out what you pack in and leave behind what you find. Bikers should bring along a bike kit with an extra inner tube, patches, tire pump and multi-tool.