While we live and breathe ski gear year round, plenty of our staffers and skiers switch over to two-wheeled sports in the summer. Mountain biking satisfies the downhill rush and/or the uphill grind so many of us crave once the snow melts. Luckily for the Powder7 crew, Golden, Colorado is a fantastic launch pad for several Front Range favorite trails. Here’s a few of our picks for the best mountain biking near Golden, CO.
Powder7’s Favorite MTB Zones
Maryland Mountain
Maryland Mountain is tucked right outside of Blackhawk up Clear Creek Canyon. It’s not the closest to town, but it gets you up in elevation and features tons of tree cover for nice shade in the middle of the hot summer. Maryland has tons to offer, from the entry-level flow on Easy Money to the slightly spicier singletrack on Fast Money, all the way to proper downhill gnar like Hard Money and the brand-new Ore Chute (rated a whopping double black). You can collect a lot of vertical by taking a few laps here. Hope you’ve got your cornering technique dialed!
Trail to check out: Fast Money + Hard Money
Apex Park
Just a stone’s throw away from one of our favorite breweries in town, Over Yonder, Apex offers more technical riding and the chance to do it without any pedestrians. Only open to bikes on even numbered days, the Apex Trail and Enchanted Forest offer downhill only paths. That means you can really rip it the way you want to. Enchanted Forest offers a shady, forested breather from the arid foothills.
Trail to check out: Enchanted Forest
Green Mountain
Just a little further south of town, Green Mountain is a popular zone for not only Golden residents, but Denver and the suburbs. There’s plenty of trails and various loops to link up at Green Mountain. From mellow gravel appropriate for beginners and fledgling youngesters, to the corners and rock gardens on Rooney Valley and Box o’ Rocks, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. There’s practically no tree coverage here though, so be sure to not get caught out in a storm (or midday summer heat).
Trail to check out: Box o’ Rocks
Centennial Cone Park
Right up Clear Creek Canyon, Centennial Cone offers up mellow riding with some stellar views. The entire Centennial Cone loop runs for about 17 miles, perfect for our XC friends. Plenty of this ride is suitable for less experienced folks, with a few sections that can be easily walked. The northern trail, Elk Range, is a mellow double track. There’s bike closures on the weekends, with even numbered days for non-wheeled recreators.
Trail to check out: Travois Trail
White Ranch
Offering some of the most technical terrain in the Front Range, White Ranch delivers punchy climbs, techy drops, and fast riding. Just north of our shop in Golden, it’s easy to get to after work and delivers a ton of vertical in no time. While you’ll see some other traffic here with pedestrians and equestrians, a section of Longhorn is now dedicated downhill MTB only.
Trail to check out: Longhorn
Floyd Hill
Floyd Hill lives right up the hill off I-70 and provides a great blend of different terrain. From blue flow to a highly rated downhill trail with plenty of challenging features. Link up different trails or lap your favorite over and over again. At 8,000 feet in elevation, we love it in the summertime for a quick escape from the heat with a jump in elevation gain.
Trail to check out: Floyd Hill DH Loop or Canyon View
North Table Mountain
Last but not least, our literal neighbor North Table Mountain. It has it’s fair share of fire roads, but there’s several singletrack lines that make this trek well worth it. Not to mention, you can start and stop right next to New Terrain Brewing. Finish the day off (and really earn those brews) with a few laps at Golden’s ever growing bike park.
Support your local MTB Alliance!
We love our local non-profits that keep our trails in tip-top shape and help support the community. Colorado Mountain Bike Association (lovingly referred to as COMBA) is our local MTB advocacy group for mountain biking in Golden, CO and the greater Denver area. They host a great deal of events throughout the season and keep trail conditions up to date on their site. Meet like-minded riders at their many group rides throughout the season, try bikes at demo days, or attend a class on bike mechanics so you can fix your friend’s bikes on the trail and look really, really cool.
