I love riding on Lookout Mountain. It is close to Denver; it is full of other cyclists, and the scenery is great. I have been looking to extend my climbing rides with more hills though and this route adds two more climbs, for a total of five, to my Lookout Mountain-Cabrini Shrine loop. All the logistics are the same, so I will focus on what’s different.

Ride Statistics

Type: Loop Distance: 32.75 miles Elevation Gain: 4,570′

Map & Elevation Profile

The first thing I do differently than in the route I linked above, is to ride the extra climb up to Boettcher Mansion by taking a right after the picnic area of Lookout Mountain Park. This adds a little bit to the first climb and is a nice extension if you only have time for one climb.

The next change comes as you are riding down Lookout Mountain Rd. to Rt. 40. Before getting to 40, take a right on Mt. Vernon Rd. and ride up past the country club. This is a nice scenic area and there have been lots of elk around this spring. At the top, bare left and head down to I-70. Just before you get to the overpass, take a look to see if the buffalo herd is nearby.

Go over the highway and turn right up Genesee Mountain Rd. This is a pretty easy climb with a nice park at the top. Perhaps the best part is the great view of the clam shell house that was in the movie Sleeper. Come back down the way you came and cross over the highway. Take a right on Rt. 40 and start a long straight descent.

When you get to the stop sign with the next highway overpass, take a right and cross over I-70 again. After crossing the highway, take a left and proceed down a hill with a sharp curve at the bottom. This is where the neighborhood gets tricky. You will be on S. Grapevine Rd, which turns to dirt if you go too far. Bare right onto Shingle Cr., instead and start up Lininger Mt. This will get you to S. Lininger Dr., which takes you to the top.

This road gets steep, real steep. I sometimes don’t make it without stopping and then the only way to get clipped back in is to use a driveway. Sometimes the residents will cheer you on as you suffer to the top. Once (if) you reach the summit, just keep going and there is a less-steep way to loop back to the hill you came up. If you want to cheat, you can go up that way, but you will know you took the easy way up.

After coming down, cross over I-70 the way you came and continue down Rt. 40 to Cabrini Shrine Rd. From here on, you are back on this route, or if Lininger took too much out of you, take a left and head up Paradise for your final climb.

tags: climbing | colorado | road cycling