If you want to do a little biking this fall, just head south. But not too far south. You only have to go as far as Colorado Springs to find hundreds of miles of great trails. We’re talking trails that have something for everyone. Bring along your hiking partner, your BMX buddy, and your recumbent ridin’ spouse.
The Pikes Peak Greenway has a little something for everybody. The best part is that you can enjoy it for an hour, a day, or the whole weekend. The trail itself is mostly paved/concrete with a few short sections of gravel. It’s 16 miles long with enough trail connections for over 100 miles of sweet exploration.
If you just stick to the trail, you’ll ride 32 miles out and back. You’ll follow Monument and Fountain Creeks throughout your ride and wander past plenty of parks, campuses, residential areas, and a few commercial/industrial sites. In typical urban trail fashion, there’s a little of something for everyone.
To give you an idea of all the trail connections that you can make while exploring the Pikes Peak Greenway, here are some of the trail links available:
- Fountain Creek Regional Trail (south end)
- Sand Creek Trail
- Midland Trail
- Sinton Trail
- Templeton Gap Trail
- Rockrimmon Trail
- Cottonwood Creek Trail
- Santa Fe Trail (north end)
Most people explore the trails on trailsnet.com just enjoy riding a trail section for a single day activity. But many of the trails found on this website are great for overnight adventures. For example, a great two day journey is to start on the Santa Fe Trail in Monument, Colorado and ride all the way to Fountain, Colorado. Then back track a ways to south Colorado Springs and find a hotel or campground. The next day, you can meander back along the same trail and explore some of the many side trails.
For example, if you take the Midland Trail west, you’ll end up in the heart of Old Town Colorado City with a cornucopia of restaurants, coffee shops, and gift stores. It has great atmosphere and lots of fun diversions.
On the north end of the trail, theres’ a great miniature golf course, a huge bike shop, a delicious Italian restaurant, and the 9.6 mile Cottonwood Creek Trail. All of these little side trips are easily visible from the trail and are relatively inexpensive and superintensive. (a new word for fun)
