Bike rides in Colorado

Explore 12 rail-trail, greenway and park ride options in Colorado, with route lengths, surfaces, access notes and starting locations. These are selected recreational outings, not an exhaustive trail inventory. Read each guide’s scope and access cautions before choosing a ride.

12 ride guides · alphabetical order

• Boyd Lake: northward City Trail return

  Loveland

  Up to 2 miles return · Out-and-back

  Paved City Trail

  Follow the paved City Trail north along the west shore, away from the campground and southern city connection. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier at a barrier, road crossing, trail end or uncomfortable approach, and retrace. Stay on pavement; exclude Grassland Trail, beach and fishing-pier spurs. Walk lot and driveway interfaces.

• Cherry Creek Trail: short downtown return from Confluence Park

  Denver

  Up to 2 miles return · Out and back

  Paved separated creek trail

  Walk down the designated path connection to the creek-side bike trail. Follow Cherry Creek southeast up to one mile and retrace; stay off the South Platte branch and city-street bike lanes.

• Cherry Creek: Campground Trail short return

  Aurora

  Up to about 1.8 miles return · Out-and-back

  Paved Campground Trail

  Take the paved Campground Trail toward the campground. At the trail end or its junction with the northern Cherry Creek main trail, turn and retrace before entering a camping road. Turn earlier at a barrier or an uncomfortable grade. Exclude campground-road loops, the dam, shoreline sand and hiking-only wetlands paths. Walk the parking and any internal-road interfaces.

• Clear Creek: short return from Prospect Park

  Wheat Ridge

  Up to 2 miles return · Out-and-back

  Paved main Clear Creek Trail

  Follow the main paved Clear Creek Trail east toward Kipling. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier before a closed tunnel, public-road crossing, barrier or uncomfortable ramp, and retrace. Do not enter the crusher-fines conservation path south of the creek, where bicycles are prohibited apart from qualifying ADA devices. Lake boardwalks and natural paths are not bicycle bypasses.

• Connected Lakes — Tailrace parking: short bicycle return

  Grand Junction

  Up to 1 mile return · Out-and-back

  Paved Promontory Point main trail; not dashed natural loops

  Follow the signed main path on the solid paved Promontory Point main path along the canal side. Turn after 0.5 outward miles or before the first public-road crossing, work barrier, uncertain continuation or uncomfortable transition, whichever comes first; retrace. Walk any initial lot or access-drive interface. Do not use a road or private-property detour.

• Corn Lake: paved Riverfront Trail west return

  Clifton / Grand Junction

  Up to 4 miles return · Out-and-back

  Paved Riverfront Trail

  Follow the paved Riverfront Trail west toward the park’s Colorado River Wildlife Area and 29 Road. Turn at two outward miles, or earlier before any road, barrier, change to loose surface or uncomfortable section, and return. Do not continue onto roads at 29 Road or east under 32 Road, and do not enter separately regulated State Wildlife Area side paths.

• Dickens Farm — short paved loop

  Longmont

  0.8 mi · Loop with short return approach

  Paved shared paths

  Ride about 0.8 mile through Dickens Farm Nature Area on a short paved loop from Dickens Park West Trailhead. The official featured route lists a maximum grade of 1%, a width of 8–10 feet, and 15 feet of total ascent. Cross-slope is unknown. These are published route descriptions, not a fresh survey or a guarantee of accessibility.

• Lathrop — Martin Lake paved loop

  Walsenburg area

  3.0 mi · Loop

  Paved shared path

  Ride about 3 miles around Martin Lake on the paved Cuerno Verde Trail. The manager describes this as a very flat loop and labels it accessible. It is a promising short outing for ordinary bicycles; those descriptions are not a numerical slope survey or an independent accessibility certification. The official COTREX route lists 45 feet of cumulative ascent; its trail record spans about 20 feet in elevation. Neither figure establishes the steepest section. The brochure calls the path concrete, while COTREX route prose calls it asphalt; both support describing it as paved.

• Long View Trail — Cathy Fromme Prairie: short bicycle return

  Fort Collins

  Up to 2 miles return · Out-and-back

  Concrete designated regional bicycle path

  Follow the signed main path south on the separate concrete Long View Trail. Turn after 1 outward mile or before the first public-road crossing, work barrier, uncertain continuation or uncomfortable transition, whichever comes first; retrace. Walk any initial lot or access-drive interface. Do not use a road or private-property detour.

• Pleasant Valley — Lions to Watson entrance return

  Laporte to Bellvue area

  4.2 mi · Out and back

  Paved shared path

  Ride about 4.2 miles out and back from Lions Open Space Trailhead to the entrance of Watson Lake State Wildlife Area and back. The official featured course is 2.1 miles one way and lists an average grade of 1% and maximum grade of 2%. Width and cross-slope are unknown; these published descriptions are not a fresh accessibility survey.

• River Bluffs — two short paved returns

  Windsor area

  1.0 mi · Two out-and-back arms from one public head

  Paved Kyger and Poudre shared paths

  Ride about 1 mile total on two short out-and-backs from River Bluffs Trailhead. This combines a short eastward section of the Kyger Trail with a short westward section of the Poudre River Trail, returning to the same head after each arm. The published mile already includes both returns. It is not a circuit around Kyger Reservoir.

• Trinidad Lake: Park View overlook circuit

  Trinidad

  About 0.6 mile per circuit · Loop

  Paved Park View Trail

  Follow only the paved Park View path around the overlook and return to the same junction. Stay on the named path at forks; exclude Carpios Cove and the unpaved Levsa and Reilly Canyon paths. Slow at overlook visitors and walk any road or lot interface. If a barrier breaks the circuit, retrace rather than detouring through the campground.