Durango Biking
Durango Bikes, Road Cycling, & Mountain Biking
Almost everyone in Durango bikes! It is a sport for all ages whether competitive or recreational. Here you'll find information about mountain biking and road cycling in Durango, Colorado.
Bike Trails & More
Durango, Colorado is home to world-class riding. You won’t be disappointed with the variety of places to bike in Durango. There are over 2,000 miles of Durango bike trails and hundreds of miles of road for your biking pleasure. Below are just a few popular biking trails in Durango. You will find plenty of Durango bike shops which will have more information on Durango biking trails, both Durango mountain biking trails and road biking routes plus Durango bike rentals.
Roll E-Bike & SUP Rentals
Roll delivers solar powered electric bikes (ebikes) door-to-door and inflatable Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUP's) door-to-river. We deliver ebikes to your hotel, vacation rental, VRBO, Airbnb, or a home residence within 10 miles of Durango. Rent a bike for 2, 4,...[+ More]
WebsiteRoad Biking In Durango, CO,
Trimble Loop
Easy - This is a shortened version of Baker's Bridge, also referred to as "The Short Valley". The total distance is about 20 miles. Begin at County Road 250, riding until you reach County Road 252. Turn left, riding past Dalton Ranch and across Highway 550. Turn left on County Road 203, which will take you back to Durango.
Elmore's Loop
Intermediate - Elmore’s Loop starts on Historical 3rd Avenue. Head north on 3rd Avenue, which will become Florida Road (County Road 240.) Once on Florida Road , there will be a steady 6-mile climb that ends at Edgemont Ranch. About a mile after Edgemont Ranch, at the bottom of the descent, take a right on County Road 234, at the fire station. CR 234 connects with Highway 160 after about 12 miles. Head west on Highway 160 back to Durango. This loop is approximately 26 miles.
Wildcat Canyon Loop
Advanced - Wildcat Canyon Loop begins on Highway 160 W, with a long 10-mile climb then a short descent to Hesperus Store. Turn left at the store on Hwy 140. The road has a gradual decline for a few miles. Take your first paved left onto County Road 141, which is Wildcat Canyon Road and is on a climb up from a bridge. County Road 141 has gently rolling hills that will take you back to Hwy 160 just west of Durango . The loop is about 35 miles long and can be taken in either direction.
Durango Area Mountain Bike Rides
Hermosa Creek Trail
Hermosa Creek is one of the most popular single-track trails in Durango. The trail leads from Purgatory to Hermosa and is about a 20-mile ride. A dirt road takes you to the trailhead located on the backside of Purgatory. The trail has some technical sections, steep climbs and two river crossings. The river crossings can get waist-high in the spring and early summer. The trail ends in Hermosa, about nine miles north of Durango.
Horse Gulch Trail
The trail head starts at 8th Avenue and 3rd Street , with a parking lot along the tree line. The beginning of the trail is up a rocky 4-wheel drive trail, but then turns into meadows. At the top of the dirt road, you have the choice of turning left or right. Turning right will lead you into the meadows where there are a few different trails. Just follow the signs. If you choose to turn left, the trail gets difficult and goes up the ridge face for some good climbs and descents.
All Durango Area Trails
Durango Bike Events
Iron Horse Bicycle Classic
It started as a contest between two brothers, Tom and Jim Mayer. Jim, Tom’s older brother, was a train engineer on the iron horse. Everyday when the train which Jim was conducting passed their home, Tom would jump on his 10 speed bike and pedal 50 miles over the two mountain passes in an effort to beat this brother. As the train pulled into the Silverton station one day in 1971, Jim’s young brother was waiting his arrival – sweating and smiling. The following year, Tom and friend, Ed Zink along with 36 cyclists joined the contest which today is called the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
Today over 2000 cyclists enter this race which is one of the largest bikes races held in the United States . The 47 mile, 5,550 feet climb is scheduled each year for Memorial Day weekend. For official registration information, visit ironhorsebicycleclassic.com.
by Ryan Muncy
Ride the Rockies
In 1986, The Denver Post created the premier Ride The Rockies (RTR) Colorado Bicycle Tour. Over 1,500 riders came from around the country to participate in the six day, cross-state tour. The Tour was an immediate success, and The Post has produced the ride every June since. Participants each year represent all fifty states and several foreign countries. Because Ride The Rockies chooses different routes every year, the outreach and ability to support many nonprofits throughout Colorado is grand. To date the Tour routes have traveled through 48 Colorado communities, including Durango.
The Ride the Rockies, Denver Post Community Foundation Grant Program allows RTR to provide a $5,000 grant to a deserving nonprofit in each Ride The Rockies host community. The Grant Program funds nonprofit organizations that provide services for low-income children and youth through community programs that support recreation and/ or youth education. Visit ridetherockies.com to learn more.
by USA Cycling
USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship
Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, USA cycling is at the forefront of the sport of cycling in the United States. USA Cycling supports cyclists from enthusiasts just beginning in the sport to seasoned professionals. Every year, USA Cycling hosts national championships for various groups, riding styles, and abilities. In 2021, USA Cycling is hosting the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship in Durango, CO. To learn more about the event, you can visit usacycling.org.
by Big Mountain Enduro
Big Mountain Enduro
The Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro series presented by Maxxis, is the premier Enduro tour in North America and currently holds stops in the most picturesque vacation destinations throughout the rugged west. This highly anticipated race series offers some of the biggest and most challenging mountain bike terrain in the country that includes a combination of backcountry and lift-accessed stages throughout the series. Each race stage is specially designed to give participants a unique riding experience, including high altitude trails, a mix of pedal transitions and big descents that test athlete’s pure strength, endurance and technical skills.
The BME series will showcase Enduro racing at its finest, while hosting many of the top mountain bikers from across the globe. New for this year, BME is offering e-bike categories, ultimately catering to all types of riders in an entertaining festival atmosphere for the entire family and local communities to enjoy. For official registration information, visit bigmountainenduro.com.
*Every year the Bureau of Land Management Colorado implements seasonal closures of trail access across the state to reduce disturbance to wintering wildlife. These closures usually take place between December & April. Please see BLM Colorado's interactive map of seasonal closures before planning your outdoor activities.
