A beautiful cross country ride with a flowy finish.

Statistics

1 - 2

hrs

374

m

374

m

5

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Moderate

Description

In contrast to many of the technical, challenging trails found in Durango, the Grandview Ridge trails were "designed as swoopy, intermediate style multi-use and multi-direction trails," according to [DurangoTrails.org](https://www.durangotrails.org/trails/grandview-ridge-trail-system/).

The loop mapped here is one of the most logical ways to make the most of this trail network. Beginning from the Horse Gulch Trailhead, you'll climb up the gulch before turning off on the Meadow Loop Trail.

The climbing will *really* begin in earnest, ascending mostly-smooth singletrack as you head toward the top of Grandview Ridge.

While you can choose to climb to the very top of the ridge, this loop wraps around the backside on a delightful benchcut singletrack, crossing the ridge via a low pass.

After putting in the work, it's time to descend! This route follows the Crite's Connect Trail to the Carbon Junction Trail, forming a logical, consistent descent back down the mountain.

While there's nothing overly technical on this descent, it's fast, flowy, and fun.

You'll find yourself banking and cranking through corner after corner, hooting and hollering as you drop back down to the river below. Wrap up the loop with a scenic pedal along the river to get back to the trailhead.