This ride starts and ends in Golden, Colorado and makes a 133 mile loop which peaks (excuse the pun) in Estes Park before heading back to Golden.
Since I was coming into Colorado from the northwest – and staying at one of the route’s suggested campgrounds in the Rocky Mountain National Park – I’ll be starting and ending the ride from Estes Park, Colorado.
As you head out of Estes Park down route 36 you can almost immediately notice that the terrain is changing as you head to the lower ground. The trees begin to thin out and the landscape becomes more dry and rugged - but you’re rewarded with some nice descending sweepers before you reach the foothills of Lyons. At this point you continue for a nice rolling stretch on route 36 – with the mountains to your right and the flatlands to your left – until you reach Boulder. In Boulder, route 36 continues to the left and route 93 bears to the right. The described ride shows continuing south on route 93. It also suggests some alternate detours to lengthen the ride and add some ”hills”… what the heck, I have the time. I decide to take the alternate route.
Moto-Maps,LLC
Route 119 leads you back west into the Roosevelt National Forest and is a great 17 mile stretch that climbs and descends through the canyons offering some great riding before ending in Nederland. I do a quick pass through Nederland (I’ll be back through) and head down the road for a short stretch before turning - a very sharp left - onto route 72. The road starts off easy – following the rolling terrain of the valley – and I’m starting to wonder about the “steep, dangerous turns” caution that’s on the route map – but then the fun begins…
You climb and turn for the next few miles while attempting to take your eyes off the road for just a fraction of a second to catch the spectacular views all around you. It’s better to pull over when you can to really take in the scenery. Before long, route 72 ends as gently as it started. On your initial decent you can see the Denver skyline on the horizon before settling in to the flat lands and back onto route 93.
Moto-Maps,LLC
Route 93 takes you a bit further south before you take a right onto route 6 and begin the back leg of the loop. Route 6 cuts though the canyon heading east – with rock cliffs on both sides and a river running through the middle. After about 11 miles you turn right onto route 119 (which is also the start of Colorado’s Peak-to-Peak byway). Route 119 treats you to some more great riding as you pass the gambling towns of Black Hawk and Central City and on into Nederland.
Nederland is a neat little town nestled in the valley with the Baker reservoir on its eastern edge. The town, like many in the area, developed from a single pioneer family that raised their children and ended up growing a community. It survived three mining booms without becoming a ghost town as the mining went bust and today is an active scene for music, art and outdoor recreation.
There are several small café’s and pubs that invite an opportunity for a bite to eat and something to drink…which was enough for me to decide to take a quick lunch break.
After lunch, I hustle to get back on the road and head north back to Estes Park. It’s about 40 miles of fantastic riding – interrupted a few times for photo stops - on route 72 and route 7 before I make it back into town. By following the suggested detours and making stops for fuel, lunch and numerous breaks to walk around to take some pictures; this four hour ride took me seven hours to complete. I enjoyed every second of it!
Moto-Maps,LLC
This month’s featured ride is from the Moto-Maps® ® Colorado booklet and was created by Randy Rester – a Moto-Maps’ colleague - and reported by Keith Myers, the company’s founder.
Click on the map, legend and directions below to enlarge.
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