Going out for a bike ride is one of the best ways to enjoy the beautiful nature and the rich western heritage of Steamboat Springs. Here is a list of 5 great bike trails in the area worth checking:
Mad Creek is a wide singletrack shared trail popular with mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders. Marked as intermediate terrain, the trail is about 4 miles long and winds through aspen groves, wide open meadows filled with wildflowers, steep canyons and lush fern forests. Two miles up the trail sits the Mad Barn, built in 1906 by homesteaders. Take in local history and take a photo in the doorway of the barn. Or, enjoy a peaceful picnic lunch up in the loft, accompanied by the sounds of chirping birds and the rushing Mad Creek.
Spring Creek Trail is another popular mountain biking rout perfect for beginner and intermediate level bikers. It is accessed right from downtown at corner of Amethyst Drive and Maple St. From there follow Routt County Road 34 for a nice half a mile cruise up an easy dirt road to a pond and picnic area. Spring Creek Trail continues approximately 4 miles to Dry Lake Campground and the round trip distance is 8 miles. It takes you pass cool rock formations, huge aspens, and a beautiful creek all the way up to the top.
Emerald Mountain is home to miles of smooth and inviting singletrack trails and it comes as no surprise that its gaining recognition as the best cross-country mountain biking terrain in Colorado. A great way to explore this vast network of amazing trails is to take either the Emerald Mountain Intermediate Tour, which covers the lower part of the mountain, or the Emerald Mountain Advance Tour, which climbs to the top of the trail system. The intermediate tour is about 8 miles long, it gently goes up and down around a bench above the Yampa River. Views of the town and ski area abound. There are a couple rocks and slightly steep sections, but this is generally a low-intermediate trail. Emerald Mountain Advance Tour is a clockwise loop of the trail system that hits most of the highlights along the way. The trails are generally flowy and mostly smooth, although there are some rocks and more challenging sections, both uphill and downhill, along the way.
The Divide Trail Epic is a point to point route from Rabbit Ears Pass to the base of Steamboat Ski Area. It features miles of classic high country Colorado singletrack, magnificent views and an exciting finish down the fun, gravity-fed trails on Mt Werner. This is a long 25 miles bike ride suitable for experienced bike rides acclimated to the high altitude. As the climb tops out, there are fantastic views across Rabbit Ears Pass.
Coulton Creek Loop starts from the junction with Cutover Trail, Coulton Creek trail cruises through a lush meadow with big distant scenery, and a sea of wildflowers in the foreground.The trail then meanders a bit before descending down some fun, fast switchbacks lined with more incredible wildflowers. Roundtrip distance is 13 miles and the trail is rated as moderate to difficult.
