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Indian Creek
10 reviews
4 of 5
Only 20 minutes from Castle Rock, this is a great ride without having to drive too far! Start out from just downhill of the rest room (south?), and grab the single track to your right, which winds up from 7600 (T/H) to 7900 over about 1.5 miles. From there, hang a left onto forest road double track, open the suspension, and ride out the ruts, bumps, and jumps for a couple of miles and perhaps a thousand feet of drop. You'll come up on the only unmarked and confusing part of this trail in a mile or so where one double track doubles back and drops into the valley, another heads into the shadows, and a third bears right. Take the rightmost of these 3 options, and you're on your way! Back into some newly cut (10/28/02) single track in a couple of miles, and more descending before connecting w/ the Roxborough and CO trails. Be prepared for some nice rolling jumps along the highlines. Most of the toys in this playground are below 6500 ft, but save some energy for the climb back to 7600, which is abrupt and demanding once you leave the CO trail. Once above 7000, the views are sweet, and you'll find some loose sand and a few technical challenges. I rode on an aggressive tread, but would recommend a semi-slick with an aggressive sidewall - the trail is mostly dry (October), fairly well packed, and you'll appreciate a lighter, better rolling tire on the climbs.
From Castle Rock, Hwy 85 NorthEast to Sedalia, then west on 67 ~ 8 miles up the hill to the Indian Creek Campground. $4 Trailhead fee at the Indian Creek Camprgound lot.
Summary: This is some great riding. Twisting singletrack and old logging roads. The best part of this ride is there are no motorized vehicle allowed in this part if the forest. They stay south of Hwy. 67. Nice.
There are many options around here and they all involve some solid climbing followed by some solid descending or vice-versa depending on the route. Not a lot of people ride from the Hwy. 67 side, so usually there a few riders around.
Recommended Route: Park in the dirt lot on the southeast corner of Rampart Range Rd. and Hwy. 67. You'll have a little climbing but you don't have to shell out USFS day use fees at Indian Creek. About a quarter mile west of the parking area is another parking area and the access to the old logging road that starts the Indian Creek system and winds around and above the campground. From there there are many options to choose from.
All involve climbing and descending. You can eventually get over to Waterton Canyon and the Colorado Trail, if you are ambitious.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Waterton Canyon
Colorado Trail
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Summary: I've ridden this trail twice. There are many options up there. From a quick 30 min loop to a 3 hour lung buster. Link in to the Waterton Canyon Network, Roxborough State Park, and the Colorado Trail for endless miles of fun. Mostly single track with some double track, forestry service roads, and North Shore obstacles.
Recommended Route: For a quick loop (approx 4 miles) head up hill from the parking lot (pay your $4 or might get a ticket). Once you get to the intersection of Indian Creek #800 and Swallow Tail Ridge take a sharp left and start your descent back to the parking lot. Tight single track winds down racing through dense trees and leads back to your starting point.
Now that your warmed up get ready for the long haul (14.5 miles). Descend from the parking lot heading down the forestry service road. Where the road ends you will find your first sign for Indian Creek #800. Continue your descent into the forest. The trail quickly adjoins with Bear Creek and presents a slightly rocky section as you near the bottom.
Some time later...(I think I passed out) At the intersection of Waterton Canyon and Indian Creek head right. Of Course another climb. Continue following the signs for Indian Creek #800. The trail is well marked so trust what you see. There are amazing runs through heavily vegetated forests and wide open parks. Take a picture at the old ruins of an early cabin.
GET OUT AND RIDE!
Other recommended trails in the same area: Deer Creek (more technical rock sections)
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Summary: I've been riding this trail for the past few years, sometimes parking near the Indian Creek campground and other times catching it from Waterton canyon if I feel like doing the Waterton 12 (12 miles of flat dirt road riding). The Indian Creek trail measures about 14.5 miles on my GPS and just over 3,000 vertical feet. It's a great ride but you need to be in pretty good shape because there is some very steep climbing. I would ride this loop twice and each loop would take me about 2:15-2:30. By the end of the second, I would be in the "why did I think this would be fun" mental state.
The truth is, this trail is a ton of fun. While above Roxborough State Park before dropping back onto the Colorado Trail, the trail is windy and in dense forest with ferns and moss which is not typical for the Colorado Front Range, and then turns steep and loose which does require some intermediate handling skills.
Once on the Colorado Trail/Waterton canyon rode, it's a nice climb back to Lenny's Rest and then on to the Roxborough Loop. Once you turn off of that to get back onto the Indian Creek trail, get ready for 4-5 very steep lung-busters. Great way to measure your actual max heartrate. Save a bit of energy to make it back to the parking lot as there is more climbing once you reach the perceived top.
Recommended Route: As described in the trail overview.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Deer Creek, Mt Falcon/Parmalee Trail.
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Summary: I just did this trail alone on 21 June, 2007. I did it entirely based upon the reviews here.
My first impression was, “WOW, this is the best rolling and swooping single track ever !” It went on and on, endlessly. The views as you swoop by make me think of the views one might get in the deep woods of Vancouver or something. I was so happy floating down, down, down, swooping. My smiles must have been as large as all of Colorado. On and on and on it went. Wow. I loved the manmade water bar or humps that come into play later on. You can hit them fast and get all the air you can take. What joy. You’d think they were made just for our mountain biking airtime enjoyment. But I knew I had to pay back sometime. No free lunch. When I came out to the dirt road, I thought well this s#$*ks having to climb a dirt road out in the full sun in the HOT summer, but after all, I do have to pay for my fun. That dirt road was actually nothing. What killed me was the final climb home to the Indian Creek trail head. I should have brought a light weight racer or a motor. I had a heavy weight all mountain. That killed my under-conditioned legs. It seemed to climb way too long for me. So a warning to all you “intermediate” types that don’t have the cardio to do the Alps, you will love the ride down but will pay (or enjoy if you really love climbs) on the ride back. But it is worth it. I did the entire big Fire Road 800 or the Indian Creek trail. It’s about a 4 hour ride. For me I call that epic. Still, I’ve ridden a lot back East and done some of the great trails in Vermont Kingdom and this is definately all over that, though it reminds me of that. Finally, with trails like that to choose from, we are very blessed to be here on the Front Range of Colorado !
I didn't find anything here particularly "technical", rather it was just good fun. Cario wise it was a challenge for my fat butt. There were difficult bits on the long steep climbs that might be technical just because you are too tired by then.
Great trail !
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Summary: This was a really fun trail. Good lung-busting climb and the end of the ride and starts with a super fast descent that seems to go on forever. Great views with plenty of dense forest riding. (ruts, jumps, tight singletrack to name a few) Whoever "cut" the trail should be given an award as it flows extremely well. ** THIS TRAIL WILL TAKE LONGER THAN YOU EXPECT! ** Watch for clouds as we started late and got hailed.
Recommended Route: We did this trail clockwise. Save yourself $4 and park up the road at the Rampart Range Road intersection. Ride down the road or washed out single-track (thanks for nothing moto's) Once you get to the Indian Creek trailhead start climbing on the single-track right behind the outhouse. Follow the route as described at the beginning of this review. As of 9-10-06 the trail was marked extremely well so just follow the signs.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Green Mountain (just off C-470 @ Morrison), Mt. Herman
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