3.8 km away
Gutz Descent
A rowdy fall line descent dropping thousands of feet down to the town of Salida.
Severe Mountain Biking
- Distance
- 5.4 km
- Ascent
- 13 m
- Descent
- 587 m
A short but sweep loop close to Salida providing a taste of the alpine.
Mountain Biking Moderate
Looping the Columbine trail provides a delectable taste of alpine riding and a fast descent, all without having to travel far from downtown Salida. Indeed, many riders pedal here from downtown, but if you have the legs and time for such a ride, you're best off doing the full-blown Bear Creek Loop, mapped separately.
Rather, this route begins from the Columbine Trailhead, climbs steeply up the dirt road, enjoys some of the sweetest portions of the Bear Creek section of the Rainbow Trail, and then drops quickly down Columbine back to the trailhead. While this loop isn't too long and the trails are relatively non-technical, the climb up to the top is brutally-steep in spots. Whether or not you have to hike-a-bike is completely dependent on your fitness level.
Despite being moto-legal, the Bear Creek section of the Rainbow Trail is ultra-flowy, with gorgeous bench cut singletrack contouring along the side of the mountain, swinging in and out of each small valley. While the trail begins in a deep forest, in a few miles it breaks out into an alpine meadow, providing beautiful views of Salida far, far below. You'll realize just how high up you are!
All too soon, it's time to descend Columbine. If you decide that you do have more legs and more time, a good option is to ride out to FS Road 108, turn around and ride back, and then descend Columbine.
Columbine drops quickly through the pines and into the scrub oaks. While some corners are bermed, not all are, and even the bermed corners can be tight, mandating complete attention. In spots, sight lines are short, so be careful of uphill traffic. A few alternate lines lead to easy jumps, providing a little extra spice in the fast descent. Despite some small rock gardens, overall this trail is buff and flowy.
While perhaps not the best route in Salida, this quick hit is a treat for an after work ride, or a great second ride after completing a long epic in the morning.
Moderate
Mostly stable trail tread with some variability, with unavoidable obstacles 8in/20cm tall or less. Other obstacles such as rock gullies and steep sections may exist. Ideal for lower intermediate riders.
3.8 km away
A rowdy fall line descent dropping thousands of feet down to the town of Salida.
Severe Mountain Biking
5.8 km away
A long loop with big climbs from downtown Salida, the singletrack is fast and flowy, making for a great cross country ride.
Moderate Mountain Biking
5.8 km away
With the addition of Solstice, Salida finally boasts a true downhill flow trail!
Moderate Mountain Biking
7 km away
Salida's flowiest, most beginner-friendly loop offers up gorgeous mountain views.
Easy Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
Pedal from downtown Salida high into the Arkansas Hills to access a ripping descent with fast, flowy sections and uber-gnarly rock gardens.
Severe Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
The Trans-Backbone route is an efficient, easy-to-navigate route through the Arkansas Hills trail system, with singletrack ranging from technical and challenging to flowy and fast.
Difficult Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
New school tech-gnar to challenge even the best of mountain bikers.
Extreme Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
A challenging 200km double loop through the Arkansas Hills region.
Easy Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
A gorgeous, challenging gravel loop from downtown Salida.
Easy Mountain Biking
8.7 km away
A rowdy collection of the original tech trails in the Arkansas Hills.
Extreme Mountain Biking
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