Colorado Ski Country Focuses On Best Mountain Bike Trails For Beginners
Are you ready to try your hand at downhill mountain biking this summer? Colorado is a mecca for mountain biking trails and bike parks, with endless options for new and exciting biking adventures. If you're not sure where to start, try out these mountain biking trails at Colorado ski resorts that have been praised as the best trails for beginners.
WINTER PARK
At Winter Park Resort, first-time mountain bikers should head for Green World, a long green trail that is big on scenery and small on technicality. It offers riders a longer smooth run, with a few berms and rollers and connects to other trails for riders who are starting to try blues, but don’t want to stray too far.
TELLURIDE
Telluride does not have mountain biking specifically suited to beginners at this time. Beginning in summer 2019, Telluride will have 17 additional miles of flow and downhill mountain bike trails including a 5.5-mile-long beginner level flow trail, which will be the best mountain biking trail for beginners.
STEAMBOAT
For cross-country mountain biking at Steamboat Resort, beginners can ride the gondola and take Duster to Sunshine trail for stunning valley views with little climbing.
For first-time downhill mountain bikers in the Steamboat Bike Park, a great beginner trail is Tenderfoot from the top of the gondola. Steamboat recommends that all beginner downhill bikers take a Bike Park 101 lesson, which offers access to additional beginner terrain below Thunderhead Peak.
PURGATORY
Beginner trails at Purgatory include the cross-country trail Brush Rake Road loop, a 1.7 mile loop which is accessible from the top of lift 4 via the mountain bike uplift. Hoody’s Trail is out and back (6 miles round trip), taking you from Purgatory to Cascade Village. Purgatory Resort plans to open a new beginner trail, Shangri La, later this summer that is accessible from the top of Lift 1 - a mountain bike uplift.
POWDERHORN
Powderhorn’s Mutton Buster is the ski area’s newest trail and focuses on all the skills beginners need to continue their love of downhill mountain biking.
GRANBY RANCH
At Granby Ranch, Bee-Line is a smooth flowy machined downhill trail perfect for beginners.
CRESTED BUTTE
At Crested Butte, Hotdogger makes for a fun first trip down the Evolution Bike Park. Hotdogger connects the top of the Red Lady Express to Lower Awakening via beautiful forest and meadows in the Smith Hill area. This is a machine-built trail to offer a wider tread for novice riders and some adaptive bikes. Gradients are consistent with other beginner trails in the Bike Park.
ASPEN SNOWMASS
Verde is the easiest bike trail, located in the Snowmass Bike Park. Beginners can ride the Snowmass Elk Camp gondola up to the top of the trail and practice their riding skills down the green Verde trail all the way to the mid-way station on Snowmass, to ride up and try it again!
ARAPAHOE BASIN
A-Basin’s only cut hiking trail, the Argentine-North Fork Trail is a single-track, multi-use trail climbing from the Mountain Goat Plaza base area to Black Mountain Lodge at mid-mountain. The trail is approximately 1.8 miles long with an elevation gain of 750 feet. The trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers, and well-behaved animals.
