Ute Valley Park
January 12, 2010 11:38 AM
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| Trail name | Ute Valley Park |
| Summary | This rocky square of open space tucked into the northwest corner of the city is a favorite after-work ride with rocky, technical terrain. |
| To get there | From Interstate 25, take the Woodmen Road exit and go west. Woodmen Road becomes Rockrimmon Boulevard. Follow it for about 1 1/2 miles. Turn right onto Vindicator Drive and continue for about 3/4 mile to a parking lot on the left. |
| Trip log | Distance varies. 100-foot elevation gain. |
| Hike | Think of Ute Valley as Palmer Park Lite. It has the same drops over white Foxhills sandstone and the same sandy corners and pine-studded mesa tops, but the rock drops aren't as big or numerous, the sand isn't as deep and the climbs aren't as steep. Even so, take your A game and expect to walk a few times. Start the ride from the Vindicator parking lot and pedal southeast over a wood bridge and up along a low, grassy ridge. Soon the trail drops down a set of sandstone steps into a broad valley. At the valley bottom, follow bike tracks east (left) along a singletrack that parallels a wider trail. In less than a mile, the singletrack crosses the wide trail and climbs into the woods. Here the trail becomes more technical. Climb a northwest-tending ridge on a series of sandstone ledges that get bigger and bigger until the last few force almost all riders off their bikes. Top out on a flat, open area and turn right onto a wide trail running north-south that leads back to the trailhead. |
| Details | Be aware of pedestrians and other cyclists in this heavily used park. Colorado Springs parks, 385-5940. |
| Dogs | yes |
| Difficulty rating | 2 boots |
| Location | Colorado Springs |
