I don’t mind riding out-and-back trails. In fact, when I’m writing a trail guide, I am always focused on the details, such as taking pictures, jotting notes, and getting GPS coordinates, so the ride back is kind of nice to actually enjoy the trail without so many distractions.
Having said all that, though, my favorite rides are on loop trails. I especially enjoy my first ride on a loop trail, because the whole trip includes new scenery. I recently had the opportunity to write a trail guide for Colorado’s Northeast Denver Loop Trail that includes Cherry Creek Trail, Highline Canal Trail East, Sand Creek Greenbelt, and the Platte River Trail. Altogether, it was a 42 mile trail with a nice combination of urban, suburban, and rural scenery. Those of you who follow this blog know that I was in seventh heaven. That’s the kind of trail I like the most. I am deeply appreciative of the changing scenery.
The weather was perfect, and I made pretty decent time, but I still barely got off the trail by dark. Each one of the trails was vastly different. Cherry Creek Trail cuts right through the heart of Denver. It starts at beautiful and busy Confluence Park, then meanders past historic parks, cultural parks, country clubs, and a high-end mall.
Just as the city portion of Cherry Creek Trail begins to turn into the suburbs, I turned onto Highline Canal Trail. Like Cherry Creek Trail this trail is completely paved; and it has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, numerous major road crossings makes it a little less relaxing than I prefer. So I was glad when I turned onto Sand Creek Greenway. This trail has no major road crossings but less than half of it is paved, so a mountain bike is recommended. Sand Creek also passes through numerous environments including a major industrial section. I know many people are turned off by this type of scenery, but I like it for a change. The mountains and prairies are beautiful, but the factories and refineries are an important part of America’s culture also.
Finally, the greenway dumps riders off onto the Platte River Trail which, in turn, delivers them right to Confluence Park in Denver for a completed loop. It’s a good ride and a great workout. Now I’ve completed two of the four major Denver bike loops. I look forward to riding the other two soon.
