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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs 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 users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs 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 activity logs 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 activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with no bike usage.
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SaveSalida trails and routes are listed on Trailforks with interactive trail maps, difficulty ratings, photos, and user-reported trail conditions. The Trailforks community has mapped hundreds of trails and shared hundreds of photos in this region. Supported activity types include Hiking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, E-Biking, Adaptive Biking, Skiing, Horseback, Dirtbiking, ATVing/Offroading and Winter Fat Biking. Trails here are often sandy, rocky and exposed. Scenery includes creeks, lakes and views. Common trail features include berms, drops and rock gardens. Many trails are family friendly. Amenities include shuttle access. Popular destinations include Monarch Mountain, Arkansas Hills Trails and Methodist Mountain Trail System.
This is an auto-generated description of Salida.
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Links
Trail info last updated
Activities Click to view
- Mountain Bike
215 trails
- E-Bike
70 trails
- Gravel Bike
111 trails
- Adaptive Bike
70 trails
- Winter Fat Bike
2 trails
- Horse
48 trails
- Hike
231 trails
- Trail Running
231 trails
- Dirtbike/Moto
45 trails
- ATV/ORV/OHV
19 trails
- Downhill Ski
67 trails
Region Details
- 84
- 18
- 21
- 44
- 44
- 4
Region Status
Open as of Oct 17, 2026
Stats
- Avg Trail Rating
- Trails (view details)
- 298
- Trails Mountain Bike
- 215
- Trails E-Bike
- 70
- Trails Gravel Bike
- 111
- Trails Adaptive Bike
- 70
- Trails Winter Fat Bike
- 2
- Trails Horse
- 48
- Trails Hike
- 231
- Trails Trail Running
- 231
- Trails Dirtbike/Moto
- 45
- Trails ATV/ORV/OHV
- 19
- Trails Snowmobile
- 4
- Trails Snowshoe
- 4
- Trails Downhill Ski
- 67
- Trails Backcountry Ski
- 1
- Trails Nordic Ski
- 3
- Total Distance
- 612 miles
- Total Descent
- 106,527 ft
- Total Vertical
- 7,690 ft
- Highest Trailhead
- 14,214 ft
- Reports
- 1,498
- Photos
- 446
- Completed Counter
- 82,098
Sub Regions
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Arkansas Hills Trails
- 5
- 9
- 12
- 2
-
Methodist Mountain Trail System
- 5
- 6
- 14
- 5
-
Monarch Pass
-
Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
Popular Salida Mountain Biking Trails
• 90 ★ 4.7 • 10 miles • 1,005 ft • 2,200 •
Monarch Crest is an epic High Country ride! Super popular and for good reason. After you climb the dirt road and do a short climb, the views are amazing, and then more amazing as you navigate between small peaks. The views are 360 and...
• 85 ★ 3.9 • 3 miles • 615 ft • 2,078 •
Popular blue difficulty singletrack. This mountain bike primary trail can be used downhill primary. On average it takes 47 minutes to complete this trail.
• 100 ★ 4.2 • 4,751 ft • 200 ft • 2,033 •
Many of the rides on the Arkansas Hills system will start out with a climb that includes Little Rattler. It is an easy/intermediate trail that climbs out of the S-Mountain parking lot. It meanders up and around a few hills and then...
• 85 ★ 4.3 • 4 miles • 96 ft • 2,019 •
A challenging and lengthy trail that runs from near the top of windy peak down to the start of Rainbow. It's an 1800+ foot drop that crosses almost every kind of trail you can imagine. From loamy flow to hard scrabble to baby head rocks...
• 85 ★ 3.6 • 2 miles • 243 ft • 1,772 •
You've made your way past the slower traffic on Frontside and Backbone. Your legs are still feeling pretty good and you want more miles before heading back to town. Enter Sweet Dreams. Expect small rocks, big rocks, rocks you may want...
• 100 ★ 3.7 • 2 miles • 385 ft • 1,710 •
The newest additions to the Arkansas Hills Trail System! Chicken Dinner was completed in December of 2016. Spicy XC trail, fun on the way down (mostly down, has some pedally bits), pretty easy on the way up.
• 100 ★ 4.3 • 2 miles • 160 ft • 1,689 •
Backbone is the heart of the Salida Mountain Trails system. With it, you can really create a lot of different loops to explore the trail system. Backbone starts at the end of Little Rattler - very convenient. Backbone is a fun, swoopy...
• 95 ★ 4.5 • 3 miles • 13 ft • 1,611 •
Cottonwood is a classic Salida trail that dates back to some of the pioneers of mountain biking. It has to be one of the better technical downhills in the area. It has recently had the upper portion rerouted to avoid areas that the...
Salida Mountain Bike Routes
Cottonwood Tour Featured
★ 3.7 • 22 miles • 2,663 ft • 14 • Loop •
This route connects some of the best trails around Salida in the S mountain area. Some connectors are not...
Canyon Creek - Sawatch Featured
★ 5.0 • 19 miles • 3,671 ft • 5 • Loop •
The Monarch Crest receives all the attention, however its the lesser known Canyon Creek that deserves more...
★ 4.2 • 35 miles • 2,660 ft • 5 • Point to Point •
The typical Monarch Crest route, starting from the ski area, traversing to Marshall Pass.
★ 2.7 • 27 miles • 1,821 ft • 3 • Shuttled •
Popular modified version of the traditional Monarch Crest IMBA classic MTB shuttle route, which skips the...
★ 5.0 • 22 miles • 2,943 ft • 13 • Loop •
The Cottonwood Tour but with The Dude Abides detour joining up to North Backbone instead of the full North...
★ 5.0 • 80 miles • 10,598 ft • 10 • Point to Point •
Put on your big kid pants, grab plenty of snacks, and earn your turns on five (more if you count parts of...
Photos of Salida Mountain Bike
Videos of Salida Mountain Bike
Current Trail Warnings
| status | trail | date | condition | user | info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rumba Trail | Oct 17, 2026 @ 11:01am (America/Denver) Oct 17, 2026 | Ideal | gamtnbkr NEGA SORBA | A broken tree is down at the bottom of... |
Recent Trail Reports
| status | trail | date | condition | info | user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backbone | Oct 17, 2026 @ 11:01am (America/Denver) Oct 17, 2026 | Ideal | gamtnbkr NEGA SORBA | ||
| Sun Up | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Ideal | reindeln | ||
| Burmac Road | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Dry | reindeln | ||
| County Road 108 | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Dry | reindeln | ||
| Old Railroad Grade | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Dry | reindeln | ||
| County Road 49 | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Dry | reindeln | ||
| Double Rainbow | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Ideal | reindeln | ||
| Little Rainbow | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Ideal | reindeln | ||
| Rainbow | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Variable | reindeln | ||
| Solstice | Sep 20, 2026 @ 7:27am (America/Denver) Sep 20, 2026 | Dry | reindeln |
National Scenic Trails & Official Routes
-
Colorado Trail (Bike)
- Mountain Bike
-
Continental Divide Trail
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
Activity Feed
| username | action | type | title | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| graziiigraziii | wishlist | region | activity #106401847 | Oct 22, 2026 @ 2:48pm 1 day |
| graziiigraziii | wishlist | region | activity #106400328 | Oct 22, 2026 @ 2:19pm 1 day |
| mid-c | wishlist | trail | activity #106288087 | Oct 20, 2026 @ 2:39pm Oct 20, 2026 |
| gamtnbkr | add | photo | activity #106203579 | Oct 19, 2026 @ 7:47am Oct 19, 2026 |
| MattRZ7S8X | wishlist | route | activity #106203577 | Oct 19, 2026 @ 7:47am Oct 19, 2026 |
Recent Comments
| username | type | title | comment | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trail | Classic, rough n rowdy backcountry rip. Not... | Oct 5, 2026 @ 2:45pm Oct 5, 2026 | ||
| trail | This road is terrible. I would say 1/3 is what... | Sep 6, 2026 @ 1:29pm Sep 6, 2026 | ||
| report | Uwawwwswuwww we iwqwwqw we wqwwww | Sep 2, 2026 @ 10:11am Sep 2, 2026 | ||
| trail | Fun, flowy trail! | Aug 29, 2026 @ 7:09am Aug 29, 2026 | ||
| trail | We rode this trail yesterday. The trail... | Aug 29, 2026 @ 7:07am Aug 29, 2026 |
Local Badges
-
Top 10 Trails25 awarded -
Descent 100k Badge17 awarded -
Big Ride 30k6,204 awarded -
Epic Ride 50k2,594 awarded -
Descent 10k Badge259 awarded -
Completionist3 awarded
Bike & Skill Parks
| name | type | city | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch Mountain | bike park | Salida |
Activity Type Stats
| activitytype | trails | distance | descent | descent distance | total vertical | rating | global rank | state rank | photos | reports | routes | activity logs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Bike | 215 | 570 miles | 93,468 ft | 255 miles | 7,690 ft | #166 | #8 | 409 | 1,498 | 37 | 42,561 | |
| E-Bike | 70 | 273 miles | 45,771 ft | 119 miles | 7,251 ft | #454 | #18 | 1,263 | 2 | 1,564 | ||
| Gravel Bike | 111 | 250 miles | 22,073 ft | 93 miles | 5,384 ft | #160 | #6 | 125 | 1 | 489 | ||
| Adaptive Bike | 70 | 158 miles | 13,720 ft | 60 miles | 5,384 ft | #148 | #5 | 167 | 1 | |||
| Winter Fat Bike | 2 | 5 miles | 33 ft | 1,706 ft | 4,150 ft | #1,810 | #19 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Horse | 48 | 241 miles | 39,144 ft | 102 miles | 5,869 ft | #101 | #7 | 379 | 2 | |||
| Hike | 231 | 591 miles | 94,423 ft | 258 miles | 7,690 ft | #148 | #7 | 33 | 1,498 | 31 | 4,876 | |
| Trail Running | 231 | 591 miles | 94,423 ft | 258 miles | 7,690 ft | #95 | #4 | 1,498 | 32 | 2,113 | ||
| Dirtbike/Moto | 45 | 235 miles | 37,605 ft | 107 miles | 7,244 ft | #87 | #5 | 364 | 2 | 86 | ||
| ATV/ORV/OHV | 19 | 81 miles | 6,017 ft | 27 miles | 4,843 ft | #206 | #10 | 3 | 341 | 1 | 6 | |
| Snowmobile | 4 | 8 miles | 62 ft | 1,877 ft | 2,897 ft | 1 | 3 | |||||
| Snowshoe | 4 | 8 miles | 62 ft | 1,877 ft | 2,897 ft | 1 | 2 | 21 | ||||
| Downhill Ski | 67 | 21 miles | 12,106 ft | 15 miles | 1,053 ft | #222 | #14 | 2,300 | ||||
| Backcountry Ski | 1 | 4 miles | 190 ft | 2,897 ft | 304 | |||||||
| Nordic Ski | 3 | 4 miles | 62 ft | 1,686 ft | 1,030 ft | 107 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the best places to ride in Salida?
Salida has 5 areas to explore for mountain biking. The top rated areas are:
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What are the highest rated mountain biking trails in Salida?
The highest rated mountain biking trails in Salida are:
- South Fooses Creek (4.5/5)
- CDT CT - Monarch Crest Trail (4.5/5)
- Hooligan (4.5/5)
- Rusty Lung (4.4/5)
- Cottonwood (4.4/5)
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What is the best time of the year to ride in Salida?
Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride in Salida are:
- August (837 activities)
- July (817 activities)
- September (801 activities)
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Where can I park to ride in Salida?
There are 33 parking locations listed in Salida. The most popular parking spots are: View all parking and trailhead locations on the map to plan your visit.
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What is the longest trail in Salida?
The longest trail in Salida is Rainbow at 41.6 miles. View all trails sorted by distance.
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What are the best & highest rated hiking trails in Salida?
The best hiking trails in Salida are: View all hiking trails sorted by popularity score.
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What are the best & highest rated trail running trails in Salida?
The best trail running trails in Salida are: View all trail running trails sorted by popularity score.
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What are the best & highest rated dirtbiking trails in Salida?
The best dirtbiking trails in Salida are: View all dirtbiking trails sorted by popularity score.
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How many trails are in Salida?
Salida has a total of 298 trails. Of those, 215 are designated for mountain biking. Browse top mountain biking trails in Salida to find detailed information including difficulty ratings, distances, and trail conditions.
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Which trail has the most elevation gain in Salida?
The trail with the most elevation gain in Salida is Rainbow with 8,701 ft of elevation gain. View all trails sorted by elevation gain.
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Which trail has the most elevation descent in Salida?
The trail with the most elevation descent in Salida is Rainbow with 6,839 ft of elevation descent. View all trails sorted by elevation descent.
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What activities are most popular in Salida?
Salida supports the following activities: Mountain Biking, E-Biking, Gravel Biking, Adaptive Biking, Winter Fat Biking, Horseback, Hiking, Trail Running, Dirtbiking, ATVing/Offroading, Skiing.
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What bike services are there in Salida?
The following bike services are available in Salida:
- Bike Shop (4)
- Coaching & Camps (1)
- Trail Association (1)
- Trail Builders (1)
- Other (1)
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What are the steepest mountain biking trails in Salida?
The steepest mountain biking trail in Salida is Grays Creek Trail with an average grade of 20.6%. View all trails sorted by grade.
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What trails have the biggest jumps in Salida?
The trails with the biggest jumps in Salida are: Browse all mountain bike trails to find trails with jumps and technical features.
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Are the trails open in Salida?
The overall region status for Salida is Clear / Green. Out of 133 trails:
- Clear / Green: 123
- Minor Issue / Yellow: 5
- Significant Issue / Amber: 5
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What are the trail conditions in Salida?
Based on trail reports from the past week in Salida:
- Ideal: 2 trails
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Can I ride an ebike in Salida?
Yes, Salida supports e-bike riding. There are 42 trails in Salida that allow e-bikes. Check the e-bike trails listing for specific trail access details and any local regulations.
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What are the most popular mountain biking routes in Salida?
The most popular mountain biking routes in Salida are: View all mountain biking routes in Salida.
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What type of bike is most common in Salida?
Based on activity log data, the most common bike types used in Salida are:
- AM (469 activities)
- XC (49 activities)
- Fat (6 activities)
- RD (2 activities)
- Adaptive MTB (1 activities)
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What is the highest summit in Salida?
The highest summit in Salida is Mount Shavano at 14,229 ft elevation.
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What are the most popular Strava Segments in Salida?
The most popular Strava segments in Salida are:
- Starving Marshall (14,765 athletes)
- Drop in to Silver Creek (14,489 athletes)
- Final Monarch Crest Jeep Trail Push to the DOWNHILL FUN (14,170 athletes)
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Are there accessible or adaptive trails in Salida?
Yes, there are 70 accessible/adaptive trails in Salida. View all adaptive trails in Salida for specific accessibility information.
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Are there local clubs or events in Salida?
There are 1 local clubs or associations listed in the Salida directory. Browse the local directory for details.
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What are the most popular mountain biking trails in Salida?
The most popular mountain biking trails in Salida are: View all mountain biking trails sorted by popularity.
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What are the best beginner ride trails in Salida?
The best beginner mountain biking trails in Salida are:
- Spartan West (4.3/5)
- Spartan East (4.1/5)
- Sgt. Pepper (3.8/5)
Activities
Trails
- By canadaka
Trailforks & contributors - Admins: SMT
- #4950 - 43,147 views
- salida activity log | embed map of Salida mountain bike trails | salida mountain biking points of interest
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