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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Inadequate
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
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Activity Recordings
Trailforks users anonymized public ridelogs from the past 6 months.
- mountain biking recent
- mountain biking (>6 month)
- hiking (1 year)
- moto (1 year)
Activity Recordings
Trailforks users anonymized public skilogs from the past 12 months.
- Downhill Ski
- Backcountry Ski
- Nordic Ski
- Snowmobile
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where riders jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with NO bikes.
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SaveThe Horse Gulch/Telegraph Trail System is the perfect trail system for all levels and user types. Located right in-town, it is a local favorite for hiking and mountain biking, and with so many different connecting trails it’s easy to go for a quick ride or turn your hike into a longer adventure.
It accommodates beginners or advanced users, short rides, long rides, quick trail runs, dog walks, and more. You can start this trail any time of day, but plan ahead and make sure you are done before dark. In the summer months these trails are mighty hot so bring lots of water. The climb up the road is the hardest part for beginners, but once you arrive at the Meadow you are greeted with rewarding 360 degree views and wide open space vistas.
The trailhead features a self-service bike repair station with all tools for changing a flat, adjusting brakes and derailleurs, etc. You’ll start with a half mile climb that many people just walk up. But this walk/ride is worth it. Once up in the meadow, there are signs giving variations of different rides. For rides involving the whole family, or less experienced riders, it is suggested to stick to the “meadow loop.” It is relatively short and flat. There are many options for longer rides. The trail is very well marked with trailhead signs at major intersections.
History of Horse Gulch
Durango native Daryl Crites, then president of Goff Engineering and longtime Trails 2000 board member, kicked off the preservation of the Horse Gulch area. In the early 1990s, he approached Noel Pautsky, the owner of the vast area east of Durango, about preserving its many trails with permanent easements. Pautsky agreed, and Crites went to work surveying all of the trails, including Crites Connect, Telegraph and Anasazi Descent. Pautsky eventually gifted the easements to La Plata County.
That initial partnership laid the groundwork for a series of recent open space purchases in Horse Gulch by the City of Durango. In addition, Trails 2000 facilitated an easement opening legal access to Raider Ridge in 2009. The acquisitions have promised that the trail network and the pristine high desert surrounding it will be preserved for perpetuity and enjoyed by Durangoans and visitors for generations to come.
It accommodates beginners or advanced users, short rides, long rides, quick trail runs, dog walks, and more. You can start this trail any time of day, but plan ahead and make sure you are done before dark. In the summer months these trails are mighty hot so bring lots of water. The climb up the road is the hardest part for beginners, but once you arrive at the Meadow you are greeted with rewarding 360 degree views and wide open space vistas.
The trailhead features a self-service bike repair station with all tools for changing a flat, adjusting brakes and derailleurs, etc. You’ll start with a half mile climb that many people just walk up. But this walk/ride is worth it. Once up in the meadow, there are signs giving variations of different rides. For rides involving the whole family, or less experienced riders, it is suggested to stick to the “meadow loop.” It is relatively short and flat. There are many options for longer rides. The trail is very well marked with trailhead signs at major intersections.
History of Horse Gulch
Durango native Daryl Crites, then president of Goff Engineering and longtime Trails 2000 board member, kicked off the preservation of the Horse Gulch area. In the early 1990s, he approached Noel Pautsky, the owner of the vast area east of Durango, about preserving its many trails with permanent easements. Pautsky agreed, and Crites went to work surveying all of the trails, including Crites Connect, Telegraph and Anasazi Descent. Pautsky eventually gifted the easements to La Plata County.
That initial partnership laid the groundwork for a series of recent open space purchases in Horse Gulch by the City of Durango. In addition, Trails 2000 facilitated an easement opening legal access to Raider Ridge in 2009. The acquisitions have promised that the trail network and the pristine high desert surrounding it will be preserved for perpetuity and enjoyed by Durangoans and visitors for generations to come.

Links
Activities Click to view
- Mountain Bike
39 trails
- Horse
1 trails
- Hike
39 trails
- Trail Running
39 trails
Region Details
- 2
- 6
- 17
- 11
- 3
Region Status
Open as of Apr 9, 2022Stats
- Avg Trail Rating
- Trails (view details)
- 39
- Trails Mountain Bike
- 39
- Trails Horse
- 1
- Trails Hike
- 39
- Trails Trail Running
- 39
- Total Distance
- 33 miles
- Total Descent
- 7,398 ft
- Total Vertical
- 1,531 ft
- Highest Trailhead
- 7,944 ft
- Reports
- 448
- Photos
- 146
- Ridden Counter
- 19,273
Popular Horse Gulch Mountain Biking Trails
Horse Gulch Mountain Bike Routes
title | rating | distance |
---|---|---|
IHBC MTB Expert 2021 | 9 miles | |
2ndAve - Meadows/Stacey's Beginner Loop | 9 miles | |
2ndAve - Classic Intermediate Telegraph | 11 miles | |
Horse Gulch Classic Loop | 7 miles | |
Horse Gulch spin | 11 miles | |
Raider Ridge Loop | 9 miles | |
Durango Derby Stage 1 race | 9 miles | |
Durango Derby Stage 4 race | 13 miles |
Photos of Horse Gulch Mountain Bike
trail: Snake Charmer
266 |
Dec 12, 2018 @ 11:09am
Dec 12, 2018
trail: Snake Charmer
190 |
Dec 12, 2018 @ 11:09am
Dec 12, 2018
trail: Telegraph
122 |
Oct 30, 2018 @ 7:50am
Oct 30, 2018
trail: Snake Charmer
989 |
Sep 20, 2013 @ 10:50am
Sep 20, 2013
trail: Telegraph
150 |
Sep 5, 2013 @ 6:53am
Sep 5, 2013Videos of Horse Gulch Mountain Bike

trail: Telegraph
|
Jun 30, 2022

trail: Medicine
3:00 |
371 |
Jan 18, 2018

trail: Medicine
2:27 |
206 |
Nov 27, 2017

trail: Telegraph
3:39 |
109 |
Sep 30, 2017

trail: Telegraph
2:10 |
57 |
Sep 30, 2017

trail: Snake Charmer
1:00 |
287 |
Sep 25, 2016

trail: Horse Gulch
2:06 |
170 |
Jul 15, 2015

trail: Telegraph
5:34 |
199 |
Jun 30, 2014
Recent Trail Reports
status | trail | date | condition | info | user |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Telegraph | Feb 20, 2023 @ 10:22am Feb 20, 2023 | Snow Covered | Yaelpedroza | ||
Horse Gulch | Feb 4, 2023 @ 2:56pm Feb 4, 2023 | Snow Covered | spokesmanmtb | ||
Snake Charmer | Dec 15, 2022 @ 10:36pm Dec 15, 2022 | Dry | mbeiser4 | ||
Rocky Road | Nov 19, 2022 @ 7:06pm Nov 19, 2022 | Dry | Cbake | ||
Half Ridge | Nov 19, 2022 @ 6:15pm Nov 19, 2022 | Ideal | Cbake | ||
Flame Out | Nov 19, 2022 @ 10:15am Nov 19, 2022 | Ideal | Cbake | ||
Half Ridge | Nov 19, 2022 @ 10:15am Nov 19, 2022 | Ideal | Cbake | ||
Skyline | Nov 9, 2022 @ 11:47am Nov 9, 2022 | Freeze/thaw Cycle | jasbushey | ||
Powerline (Durango) | Nov 9, 2022 @ 11:46am Nov 9, 2022 | Freeze/thaw Cycle | jasbushey | ||
Mike's | Nov 8, 2022 @ 3:02pm Nov 8, 2022 | Wet | Bjepson |
Activity Feed
username | action | type | title | date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | mmmarchman | wishlist | route | Durango Derby Stage 1 and 1 more | Mar 23, 2023 @ 8:21am 10 hours |
![]() | sebsta | wishlist | trail | Snake Charmer | Mar 21, 2023 @ 5:38pm 2 days |
![]() | tashmoreATgmailDOTcom | wishlist | route | Durango Derby Stage 1 and 1 more | Mar 19, 2023 @ 3:38am Mar 19, 2023 |
![]() | veloveritas | wishlist | route | Durango Derby Stage 1 | Mar 18, 2023 @ 8:18am Mar 18, 2023 |
![]() | tashmoreATgmailDOTcom | wishlist | route | Durango Derby Stage 1 | Mar 18, 2023 @ 4:01am Mar 18, 2023 |
Recent Comments
username | type | title | comment | date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | trail | Agree, not a double black but a very fun black | Jan 12, 2023 @ 8:59am Jan 12, 2023 | ||
![]() | trail | This comment was valid when Hyper, Extended... | Dec 2, 2022 @ 6:39am Dec 2, 2022 | ||
![]() | trail | This trail has rock rolls, berms, jumps, drops... | Oct 31, 2022 @ 6:56am Oct 31, 2022 | ||
![]() | trail | Is this trail is NICE! Great condition and... | Oct 30, 2022 @ 7:26am Oct 30, 2022 | ||
![]() | trail | I've only ridden this trail uphill, but its... | Oct 26, 2022 @ 7:59am Oct 26, 2022 |
Nearby Areas
name | distance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Lewis College | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1.1 km | |
Grandview Ridge | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1.7 km | |
Three Springs | 13 | 4 | 2.3 km | ||
Overend Mountain Park | 6 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 2.4 km |
Animas City Mountain | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3.5 km |
Local Badges
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Activity Type Stats
activitytype | trails | distance | descent | descent distance | total vertical | rating | global rank | state rank | photos | reports | routes | ridelogs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain Bike | 39 | 33 miles | 7,398 ft | 18 miles | 1,532 ft | #373 | #187 | 146 | 448 | 8 | 14,732 | |
Horse | 1 | 3 miles | 810 ft | #1,634 | 127 | 1 | ||||||
Hike | 39 | 33 miles | 7,398 ft | 18 miles | 1,532 ft | #249 | #144 | 448 | 293 | |||
Trail Running | 39 | 33 miles | 7,398 ft | 18 miles | 1,532 ft | #248 | #142 | 448 | 538 |
- By canadaka
Trailforks & contributors
- Admins: Trails 2000, SWCCA
- #19233 - 8,332 views
- horse gulch activity log | embed map of Horse Gulch mountain bike trails | horse gulch mountain biking points of interest
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