The State of Colorado is a popular destination for tourists around the world. Millions of visitors come to Colorado each year, some for business and some purely for pleasure. Colorado is an area of diverse scenic beauty that ranges from mountains and plateaus to canyons and plains. The eastern half of the state contains rolling prairies and grasslands while the western half is distinguished by its alpine terrain with mountains and canyons at a relatively high altitude.
There are plenty of opportunities for hikers to take trips through this great natural scenic beauty and enjoy the diversity of the landscape. One of the greatest hiking attractions in Colorado is the Colorado Trail that spans 500 miles between Durango and Denver. It stretches over five river systems, eight mountain systems and encompasses six areas each of the national parks and wilderness. It is rugged at many places and not easy to handle given the high altitudes. It is split into 28 segments that range in length between 11 miles and 32 miles and gains in altitude from just over 1000 feet to just over 4500 feet. One of the most popular segments is near Denver and goes from Waterton to South Platte River. It is over 16 miles long and gains in altitude by about 2300 feet. The route is highly scenic and not very difficult to handle and is also suitable for mountain biking. Keep your eyes open for elk, deer and bighorn sheep. Another popular segment is the Summit County segment from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.
Mountain bikers from all over the world come to Colorado to ride some of the best single track mountain biking trails in the world. Imagine how you feel if you are hurtling down a track that is only 10 inches wide in the midst of rugged natural scenic beauty with the sun shining down on you. Some of the thrilling trails that await you are:
-Fruita was made by groups of mountain bikers with their own hands and the use of shovels. The Edge Loop is constantly voted into America’s top 10 trails and as a near 4000 foot climb followed by a mind-boggling downhill ride.
-Durango is a town where the most common site is mountain biking helmets and spandex riding outfits. The Hermoza Creek is a 20 mile single track trail that is often referred to as mountain biker’s paradise and covers among other things two river systems.
