The 5 Most Technical MTB Trails in the Arkansas Valley

If it was easy, it'd be called "sitting on the couch eating potato chips" not "mountain biking."

Greg Heil

Images

DSC02335 (1).jpg
Pedaling through an aspen grove on the Green’s Creek Trail. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Marcel Slootheer.

DSC02264 (1).jpg
Rocks, roots, and a stream—Green’s Creek in a nutshell. Rider: Marcel Slootheer. Photo: Greg Heil.

DSC04252-orig (1).jpg
Dropping into the first descent along the Monarch Crest. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Tom M.

monarchcrestmainimage.jpg
The views from the Monarch Crest Trail are second to none! Rider: Marcel Slootheer. Photo: Greg Heil.

2016-07-09 09.05.38-1 (2).jpg
The singletrack follows the Continental Divide for miles. Photo: Greg Heil

37905907_2201090603252078_6892548969566568448_o (1).jpg
Rock roll on the Green's Creek trail. Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

IMG_1663.jpg
Sunset view from the Vitamin B Trail. Photo: Greg Heil

GPTempDownload-hdr.jpg
Rider: Marcel Slootheer

by Greg Heil

GPTempDownload (1)hdr.jpg
Rider: Marcel Slootheer

by Greg Heil

GPTempDownload (2).jpg
Rider: Marcel Slootheer

by Greg Heil

IMG_9671hdr.jpg

by Greg Heil

20930129682_c3c86dee87_o.jpg
Dropping down Unkle Nazty. Photo by Leslie Kehmeier, Mapping Manager, International Mountain Bicycling Association. Photo courtesy BLM via Flickr Creative Commons.

20939893975_ae14ddcce2_o.jpg
Dropping down Unkle Nazty. Rider: Ryan Knobbe. Photo by Leslie Kehmeier, Mapping Manager, International Mountain Bicycling Association. Photo courtesy BLM via Flickr Creative Commons.

20913635006_53a1fe42b4_o.jpg

20317283524_3d1375ab09_o.jpg

20317283404_e39fa7e3da_o.jpg
Descending the Unkle Nazty trail. Photo by Leslie Kehmeier, Mapping Manager, International Mountain Bicycling Association. Photo courtesy BLM via Flickr Creative Commons.

DSC00802.jpg
Descending the Unkle Nazty trail. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Marcel Slootheer

IMG_0091_1024x682-0-orig.jpg
Tight switchback on the Sand Dunes trail. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Brink Messick

PFNH0064.jpeg
El Duderino. Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

IMG_5360.jpeg
El Duderino. Rider: Marcel Slootheer

by Greg Heil

YJUZ2982.jpeg
El Duderino

by Greg Heil

IMG_5378-2.jpg
El Duderino. Rider: Marcel Slootheer

by Greg Heil

F66DB3BD-E8A4-466B-9674-ECA1E4BDEAE6 (1).jpg
Hooligan. Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

G0012114.jpeg
Hooligan. Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride4.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride2.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride1.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride3.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride5.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride6.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride8.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride7.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

ride9.jpg
Rider: Greg Heil

by Marcel Slootheer

Description

Colorado’s Arkansas Valley has acquired a reputation as a true enduro mountain biking paradise. While classic big mountain epics, such as the Monarch Crest, have long attracted riders with an affinity for lengthy, technical downhills, the profile of the valley for technical mountain biking has only grown in recent years.

The increase in the popularity of enduro mountain biking in the Ark Valley is partially due to local enduro races, like the Monarch Crest Enduro and the Salida Mountain Funduro, held by Chocolate Bunny Productions. But more than mere events, the local trails have transformed rapidly over the past five years.

Two of the top enduro trails—Vitamin B and Gutz—were locals-only routes for the longest time, but they’ve both been legalized in the last two years. In addition to old social trails joining the sanctioned trail system, a bevy of brand-new technical trails have been built in the last two years. From Unchained and Camp Elevation in Buena Vista to Hooligan and El Duderino in Salida, the opportunities for technical mountain biking in the Arkansas Valley have never been better!

In this guidebook, you’ll find the top 5 tech trails that the Arkansas Valley has to offer. Go forth and shred the gnar!

Adventures

Vitamin B

One of the most brutally-technical and high-consequence mountain bike trails in Central Colorado.

Monarch Crest -> Green's Creek

Green's Creek is the most relentlessly-technical singletrack trail dropping off of the Monarch Crest, making it a favorite of enduro racers.