This loop is possible in the summer and winter and is difficult in each season for different reasons.
Park at the Peaceful Valley trailhead. Head west on Buchanan Trail, then head up Beaver Resevoir Cutoff to Coney Creek Road. The single track is rocky, steep and challenging. Coney Creek Road is a heavily trafficked 4x4 road. There's an out of date sign an the intersections of Coney and Middle St Vrain stating that bikes are not allowed on the trail. This information is incorrect. You'll come down Buchanan Pass trail back to where you started.
Summer: Rocks, rocks and more rocks The singletrack is very challenging in both steepness and technical features. Coney Creek Road is open to off-roading traffic and is very busy. It also has several large puddles than never dry up. Buchanan Pass Trail is a very popular hiking destination.
Pro-tip: There is not a set opening or closing date of the motor vehicle gate. Try timing this ride in spring or fall when the ground is mostly dry but the gate is still shut. Otherwise, hit it very early in the morning or as an evening ride to avoid jeeps.
Winter: A good layer of snow covers up all the rocks making this a great fatbiking ride. Buchanan and the lower section of Coney Creek are usually well packed. The western-most 3 miles of this route are not well traveled and traverse some open areas and thus are often untracked and drifty.
Pro-tip: Check conditions on Front Range Fattys before heading out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422762624607648/. And it's a good idea to carry snowshoes with you should you need to do some extended hiking.
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Trails in Route
3,573 ft | |||||
1 mile | |||||
5 miles |
Details
- Featured
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Riding area
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Primary ActivityMountain Bike
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Other Activities
- Horse
- Hike
- Trail Running
- Snowshoe
- Nordic Ski
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Difficulty ratingBlack Diamond
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Route TypeLoop
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eBike Allowed
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DirectionBoth Directions
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Physical ratingHard
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Ridelogs
More Stats for Coney Buchanan Loop mountain bike route
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Avg time2 hr 42 min
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Altitude min8,538 ft
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Altitude start8,548 ft
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Altitude end8,543 ft
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Grade max-78.1%
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Grade min38.7%
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Distance climb5 miles
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Distance down5 miles
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Distance flat1 mile
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
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- > 80%
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- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
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- mountain biking recent
- mountain biking (>6 month)
- hiking (1 year)
- moto (1 year)
- Downhill Ski
- Backcountry Ski
- Nordic Ski
- Snowmobile
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Recent Trail Reports Along Route
- By WendyBMA
BMA & contributors
- #26072 - 1,933 views