Off-road bicycle trails provide a path to Denver sights and recreation
Contents
See Denver by bicycle. A city bike trail network of paved, off-road paths covers 850 miles, with trails along rivers, creeks, recreation areas and on into the mountains.
Denver’s bike trail system is one of the largest in the country. The city is known for its healthy lifestyle, and these metro area bicycle routes are also used as hiking trails and jogging paths, providing free outdoor recreation for everyone.
Paved bike trails run from downtown Denver into the foothills, where they connect with an even wider network of dirt trails for mountain biking and scenic views. These four popular bike paths provide many miles of happy cycling.
Cherry Creek Bike Path
Beginning at Downtown’s Confluence Park, the site of Denver’s first settlement, the Cherry Creek Bike Path runs southeast along Cherry Creek. It’s one of the prettiest bike trails, too, safely away from city traffic.
Less than 5 miles away is the Cherry Creek Shopping District, with art galleries, boutiques, and interesting shops set along shaded streets. The outdoor cafes are a good stop for coffee or lunch. Beyond is Four Mile Historic Park, with pioneer exhibits. The stagecoach inn is Denver’s oldest standing structure.
The bike trail continues south through the Cherry Creek State Recreation Area, with a large lake for boating and swimming. The trail ends at Franktown, a total distance of over 40 miles. From here, a dirt road leads to Castlewood Canyon State Park a few miles away, where there are scenic walks through the canyon.
The Greenway Trail
The 30-mile Greenway Trail begins with a historical ride along the South Platte River from the city’s beginnings at Confluence Park. Signboards and markers along the trail illustrate Denver’s early days with stories of Native Americans, mountain men, and pioneers. Its natural history, birds and wildlife are highlighted, too.
The REI flagship store at Confluence Park is an attraction in itself, with a rock-climbing wall, kayaks and a vast array of biking and outdoor equipment. Nearby along the bike path are the Children’s Museum and Colorado’s Ocean Journey, Denver’s aquarium. Towering in the background are the thrill rides of Elitch Gardens theme park and INVESCO Field at Mile High, the Denver Broncos football stadium.
At Littleton, the riverside cafe at beautiful Hudson Gardens makes a welcome stop for refreshments. The bike trail ends at Chatfield State Recreation Area, surrounding a huge reservoir. Ride south through the park to Waterton Canyon, where the 400-mile Colorado Trail begins. The first 6 miles are a popular, scenic mountain biking trail through rock outcrops along the river.
Bear Creek Bike Trail
From the South Platte River, this trail follows Bear Creek southwest for 20 miles to Morrison. The quaint mountain town sits beneath striking rock outcrops and has several cafes and ice cream shops for refreshments.
Hearty bikers can continue on a steep, uphill road to Red Rocks Amphitheatre and its surrounding park. It’s worth the climb for the stunning views.
From Morrison, you can also make a 40-60 mile loop from downtown Denver by continuing on the paved bike trail links along C-470, which connect to the bike paths at Golden to the north or Chatfield State Park to the south.
Clear Creek Bike Path
Another 20-mile bike trail runs from the South Platte west along Clear Creek to Golden. Backed by striking high buttes, the town was Colorado’s first capital city and retains historic buildings and wooden walkways along Main Street.
Running right through town, this stretch of Clear Creek is a famous kayak spot. Watch them from the pleasant outdoor cafes, or visit the town’s museums or the Coors Brewery. Experienced mountain bike riders can tackle the dirt trails on the steep, rocky buttes above the town.