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.

Ride Statistics

Type: Out & Back with a loop Distance: 21.2 miles (15.5 without Cabrini) Elevation Gain: 3,349′

Map & Elevation Profile

Getting There

You can really park just about anywhere in Golden to do this ride, and parking in town adds some of the steepest climbing on the mountain. If you want to be like everyone else though, park just below the gate for Lariat Loop Road. From Denver, take Route 6 West to Golden. After it turns North, follow it down the hill until you see the sign for Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill’s Grave. Take the left there and follow the road up the steep hill. After it curves to the left, park in the dirt lot or along the side of the street before the gate.

Description

There is no time to warm up here. You will start climbing immediately, so make sure your bike is in a low gear when you get on it. Head under the gateway and proceed up the mountain for the next 4.5 miles or so. There is no real summit and the true highest point is much farther down the road than the places where most people turn around. The grade is moderate for most of the climb, between 6-10% with a few steeper switchbacks, but also with some flatter areas where you can shift into higher gears. The average grade for the climb is just over 6%.

About 4.2 miles after the gate you reach the last overlook visible from the road and then the ride flattens out considerably for the next .3 miles to Buffalo Bill’s grave. Stop if you want to check it out, or continue on with a few more moderate climbs before you hit the true summit at about mileage 5.75. You then continue down to the stop sign at Route 40, which runs along I-70 for this stretch.

Take a left and head downhill. About a mile down, you will see Paradise Dr. on your left, entering the Paaradise Hills neighborhood. This is where you will turn on your return, and if you only want to do the 15.5 mile loop, turn here and see the description below. Otherwise, continue down for another mile or so until you see the road to Mother Cabrini Shrine your left. Take the left and start climbing.

This road is in rather bad shape, but it is not heavily traveled. Its main purpose is to provide access to the shrine. During the summer, there are a surprising number of visitors up there, so I usually turn around right outside the gate to avoid the tourists (pilgrims?). The climb is fairly short after Lookout Mountain, and the views of the plains and the foothills are quite nice. The bad road is more noticeable on the descent, so be careful.

After returning to Route 40, take a right and go back the way you came. Save your legs. You will need them for Paradise which has a grade between 12-15% for much of it. When you get to Paradise, take the right and get in your lowest gear. I always want one more here, but the hill is manageable. Follow the signs that say “To Lookout Mountain Road” to keep from getting stuck in the neighborhood. If you have to rest, there is a hairpin turn with an intersection about a third of the way up and you can easily get clipped back in at this spot. Continue up the hill until it becomes manageable closer to the top and you will see some nice rolling countryside as you catch your breath. The road rejoins Lookout Mountain/Lariat Loop Road at the top.

Take a right and pedal back past Buffalo Bill’s grave and on to your descent. The descent on Lookout is fast and curvy and there is often gravel in the turns. Be careful here. Also note that I have seen several speed traps on the mountain and they target cyclists as well as cars. The speed limit is 25, but most cyclists, me included, exceed it on the way down. Just remember, you have been warned.

If you have any questions or comments about the ride, please feel free to enter them below or use the personal contact form to email me.

Deer Creek Canyon is a scenic, but fairly populated, canyon southwest of Denver. It has a well-maintained road and drivers are generally tolerant of cyclists (edit: see comments for evolving tensions), who can outnumber cars and trucks during peak cycling season. Perhaps best of all, there is a cyclist rest area on the route with coolers stocked with bottled water and Gatorade. It is maintained by the local Grange, but also has a tube for donations. I wish they had a spigot for regular tap water, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Ride Statistics

Type: lollipop loop

Distance: 33.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 3,600′ (note, corrected with an altimeter GPS)

Map & Elevation Profile

Getting There

You can ride to the base of the canyon from central Denver, but it is about 25 miles down the Platte River Trail from Confluence Park, making for a very long round trip if you live in central Denver, as I do. Instead, I often park at the intersection of Wadsworth and West Deer Creek Canyon Road. It is just South of the C-470 exit for Wadsworth.

The guide book I have, Road Biking Colorado’s Front Range, says there will likely be a half-dozen cars already in the lot when you arrive. Well, a lot has changed since the book was last updated in 2005. On my first weekend trip, there were over 100 cars parked there, and many more cyclists entering from the Chatfield Park area. Road cycling is popular now and this route is among the most popular for a reason.

Description

It is not an exaggeration to say that this ride is uphill for the first 14 miles. There may be one roller there at the beginning. I never really feel the downhill on the way out, but I feel the slight uphill on the way back. That said, this ride starts climbing gradually as you enter the canyon and then turns into a nice moderate grade for the next five miles or so. Be sure to bear left at the first intersection and continue into the canyon. At about 6.2 miles into the ride (distances will vary slightly depending on how far up the road you parked), you take a left onto South Deer Creek Canyon Road. You will see the following road sign:

Notice that the sign says “2.1 Miles.” That means the high grade begins in 2.1 miles. Until then, the climb actually mellows a bit as you pass by mountain homes and over some wide speed bumps (speed bumps have been removed). Pay attention to them, in case you do this route as an out-and-back. They are much more noticeable coming down at 30 MPH.

After your 2.1 miles of gradual climbing, the road takes a sharp turn to the right and enters the high grade portion. According to the maps, this section of road is actually named “High Grade Road.” It is not just a description. Get ready to climb steadily through curves and switchback for about the next 2.5 miles. This is my favorite part of the ride and it is not as bad as its name implies. There are actually some short sections of reprieve in here, but most of it is consistently steep, especially in the switchbacks. There are great views of the surrounding mountainsides and there are often raptors soaring on the breeze above you as you pedal.

Speaking of the breeze. It can be quite windy on this stretch. I have been battered by winds that seem to come from every direction up there and it can be difficult just remaining upright on the bike with the slow climbing speeds and omnidirectional gusts. If you are lucky, you will just have a nice breeze to cool you off as you struggle up through the curves.

I am not sure where the high grade section technically ends, but at about 11 miles into your ride, the road turns inland, from the edge of the mountain, and mellows out considerably. This stretch is called Pleasant Park Road, and is where I turn around, if I am only riding the climb as an out-and-back. The route continues to climb for another 3 miles or so. The climbs here are manageable with a few steep sections. The most difficult thing about this portion of the ride is the series of false summits. If you don’t want to be discouraged by them, keep your mileage in mind. You are not at the summit until your mileage hits 13.5-14 miles, depending on your parking spot.

About a half a mile from the summit, it will get steep again. This is your last big climb before a break. Once the hill rounds to a flat summit, be on the lookout for the cyclist rest area on your right. It is at the local Grange hall. There is a portolet there, but more importantly, there are several coolers which are kept stocked with water and Gatorade. Be sure to drop some money into the donation slot and thank anyone who might show up to restock while you are there. One of the volunteers who stocks the coolers told me that some of the locals aren’t appreciative of their efforts because it attracts too many cyclists to the area. The volunteers just want cyclists to be safe on the mountain roads.

Once you are rested and rehydrated, you will enter a different type of ride. You now have several miles of steep and curvy climbs and descents ahead of you. Some of these hills feel much steeper than the high grade section, but they are also much shorter. They are on less-traveled backroads, but they also have much more sand and gravel on them than the main road does, so be careful.

Take a right out of the rest area and descend until you see a farm with a windmill on your right and take that right onto Oehlman Road. You will follow this road, but it changes names at a few intersections. From Oehlman, merge onto Crystal and from Crystal, onto City View. The way through is pretty clear, but consult the map to be sure. There are five hills of varying degrees in here, but after the first one, you are beginning to lose elevation. Be sure to stop on City View and enjoy the views of the plains and downtown Denver.

After your fifth hill in this section, you will descend to a T-intersection with South Turkey Creek Road. Take a right and keep descending for a couple more miles (I need to confirm mileage for this section), until you see a firehouse on your left. You are in the town of Fenders. Take the sharp right onto South Deer Creek Canyon Road and climb your last hill before re-entering the canyon. After you reach the summit, it is basically all down hill to your car with a little pedaling required for the runout at the end (where it is fun to sprint). On your way down, you will pass the turnoff for High Grade Road, and from there on, you are on familiar road.

As you descend, keep in mind that the road is quite curvy and there is often wildlife on the road. The canyon is aptly named, and a friend of mine was injured quite seriously when he hit a deer on this stretch of the descent. Even though there is a good shoulder for many sections, I like to descend in the lane because there can be a lot of sand and gravel on the shoulder. Traffic is not too big of a deal because I am generally going the speed limit (or a little more) during the descent.

Be Prepared

This is a wonderful Colorado ride, but be prepared for it. Your 3,000′ of elevation gain will take you from a warm, dry canyon with cacti and rattle snakes (yes, be careful where you step at the parking area) to cool, high alpine forest. In the early season, it can be quite warm at the base and downright cold and snowy at the top. In the hotter months, the ride can go from stifling to pleasant, rewarding your climb with cool breezes and the smell of conifers.

If you have any questions or comments about the ride, please feel free to enter them below or use the personal contact form to email me.