The ultimate urban trail guide
Get off the beaten path and see another side of the city
Text by Laura Watt
The Denver Post

Thursday, April 14, 2005 -

A bicyclist zips by below rush-hour traffic on Speer Boulevard. An in-line skater whizzes through the woods in Arvada. Walkers stroll the High Line Canal. A triathlete trains on the hills alongside busy C-470, safe from the thousands of vehicles rumbling past.

More than 300 miles of off-road paths loop and wind through the metro area, from Westminster to Parker, Commerce City to Highlands Ranch, Golden to Aurora. New paths continue to be developed and old ones extended, making a regional trail system that now links nearly 40 jurisdictions.

Some sections bisect industrial corridors, flanked by refineries and railyards, others wind through meadows and wetlands.

Post Graphic / Andrew Lucas
Click on graphic for larger map

Most major paths follow the many river and creek drainages that meander through Denver and the suburbs. Clear Creek, Bear Creek, Ralston Creek, Sand Creek, Cherry Creek and other waterways form a network anchored by the South Platte River, which boasts its own 28-mile paved trail.

Come with us along the major linked paths. We'll show you how to get there, what to expect and how far you can go.

For more detailed trail maps, try "Bicycling the Greater Denver Area Route Map," by the Denver Bicycle Touring Club (www.dbtc.org); and the city of Denver's "Denver Bike Map" (www.bikedenver.org). Both available at bike shops, bookstores and sporting-goods stores.

The lowdown on the trails

1: Ralston Creek Trail

Ralston Creek Trail in Arvada starts where gold was first discovered in Colorado in 1850 by Lewis Ralston. The park is at West 58th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. Heading northwest, the trail passes near Olde Town Arvada, and continues on through older residential neighborhoods. Soon it reaches West Woods Golf Course and newer subdivisions before stretching out to Arvada Reservoir and topping out at Colorado 93. Uphill westbound, but the grade is mostly gentle.

2: Clear Creek Bike Path

Hooray! Yes, Virginia, they’ve extended the Clear Creek Trail west from McIntyre Street all the way into downtown Golden and neighborhoods beyond. And, a longexisting gap (and irritant to trailusers) between Federal Boulevard and Pecos Street has been completed, and now you can travel in uninterrupted bliss the full glorious length. (No more secretive dashing through a piece of private property). A good jumping-off or resting spot is the park at West 55th Place and Lowell Boulevard. Wheelchair access, picnic tables and large parking area.

3: Bear Creek Trail

The Bear Creek Trail’s western half is more scenic and parklike, winding through Bear Creek Lake State Park, the lovely Bear Creek Greenbelt between Wadsworth Boulevard and Kipling Street, then Bear Valley Park on West Dartmouth Avenue. East of that section, this trail parallels Hampden Avenue and cuts directly behind shopping centers and commercial belts — indeed, the path just west of Sheridan Boulevard actually cuts through parking lots — then briefly passes through more parkland before reaching the South Platte. At Lowell Boulevard, dismount and cross over the bridge to pick up the trail.

4: C-470/E-470 Trail

Ready for a training ride? Take a big bite or just a selected morsel. This utilitarian trail is not flat, and it’s a lot longer now that they finally connected the dots through Bear Creek Lake State Park. The trail is continuous and crosses a high bridge over Hampden Avenue. Before, cyclists were forced to leave the trail at Quincy Avenue and take the highway around the park. Good, long hills along the Dakota Hogback. East of Santa Fe Drive, it climbs toward Parker. Here’s where you realize just how big Highlands Ranch really is. Nice detours through Chatfield State Park, if the highway noise becomes too much. Or you get too tired.

5: High Line Canal

Courtesy pays on the High Line. This is a heavily used trail. If you’re biking or skating, don’t go too fast and stay alert. On horseback, pay attention and follow the regs. Extremely squiggly, which accounts for its length. Tumbling from Waterton Canyon, the unpaved trail hits Chatfield Reservoir before heading northeast through densely packed neighborhoods. And yet, because of its woodsy nature, it feels almost rural.

6: Cherry Creek Bike Path

A great urban corridor with class. Start with an Arabian Mocha Sanani at the Starbucks at Confluence Park, zoom through downtown along Speer Boulevard on that caffeine buzz, cruise by Denver Country Club on that wide (but not wide enough) sidewalk and whiz past the backside of Cherry Creek Shopping Center. Stop to catch your breath. Enjoy the creek. Travel through south Denver neighborhoods down to the reservoir, where you can catch the mountain views. Some tight turns coming into tunnels.

7: Sand Creek Regional Greenway

A once-wild waterway returning to its former glory. The Sand Creek Trail was little more than an industrial ditch near the old Stapleton International Airport until the Sand Creek Regional Partnership began reclaiming it. The plan is to turn it back into a natural corridor full of wildlife and gentle vistas. This trail is not finished yet. Some parts are hard to get to and there are gaps. Right now, it’s best enjoyed in segments. The trail should be finished in five to seven years, according to Sand Creek executive director Kate Kramer. Access its western end from the South Platte River Greenway at East 64th Avenue and York Street, crossing a bridge over the Platte, but be ready for dirt and gravel when the pavement runs out. Heavy rains last August caved in the path at Brighton Boulevard, and repairs are not expected to be finished until mid-fall. Until then, passage is dicey as you skirt the cave-in by going into the street and around. OK for adults, but not the best option for families with small children. The Morrison Nature Center at the Star K Ranch is a good jumping-off spot. Plenty of parking and bathrooms. Take Interstate 70 to Chambers Road, go south to Smith Road, then east a mile. Turn at the sign for Emil-Lene’s Sirloin House. The road dead-ends at the restaurant, the Nature Center and the trail. More information: www.sandcreekgreenway.org

8: South Platte River Greenway

The grandaddy of Denver’s paved multi-use paths, the Platte River Greenway was born 30 years ago when Denver Mayor Bill McNichols realized the city was neglecting a natural treasure. With the help of dozens of volunteers, what was basically a flowing sewer was transformed into a useful and beautiful urban corridor. Its northernmost part travels past wetlands and woods; its middle cuts through downtown Denver; its southern portion is bucolic. Visit the Carson Nature Center in Littleton, just off Mineral Avenue. The trail dead-ends at 104th Avenue, but the construction underway there will push the trail north under the bridge to a fishing area scheduled to open this fall. In about five years, the trail should reach Adams County Regional Park, says Mark Pedrucci, natural resource analyst for Adams County. Homeless people sometimes congregate along the 2-mile section running northeast from 20th Street to Interstate 70. They generally leave recreational users alone. This section also has some litter and glass, so be prepared to fix a flat. The trail has a complicated detour from the bridge at the Denver Wastewater Management Building at 2000 W. Third Ave. to Valverde Park at Bayaud Avenue and the river. Best undertaken by experienced cyclists. That portion of the path is scheduled to reopen this weekend, according to the city.

More information: www.greenwayfoundation.org