Don't try this one at home! This is a super hard route out in the middle of nowhere. Go with a buddy and write me into your will!
Lion Gulch is a trail with a reputation for catastrophic flooding and broken bones. The basic concept of Lion Gulch is that you're either riding in a riverbed or on giant rocks next to a riverbed, most likely hanging on for your life. Having ridden up this trail... once, I do not recommend this unless you are trying to start a fight with your significant other or friend by dragging them up this trail. The way down though is more fun than a three-legged bobcat trying to pee in a hold in a frozen lake in a heavy wind. The trail really is about as badass as you can get in Boulder County (at least of the stuff on the maps). Put on your pads, send a note to your next of kin, and put on your big girl pants cuz here comes trouble The Limber Pine Trail is on the right.
The route here is a shuttle. It's going to go through heaps of fun, rarely ridden trails and roads, past some historic sites, and then dump you right into Lion Gulch.
- First, park a car at the bottom - Lion Gulch Trailhead.
- Drive up Hwy 36 and turn onto the road to the Limber Pine trail (across the street from Pole Hill Rd - look at the map).
- Park as close to the Limber Pine Trail (on the right just a ways up the road)
- Ride on the Limber Pine Trail (4 miles) past some great sights!
- Get on Forest Rd 120. This is pretty overgrown.
- Left onto Meadow Loop Trail
- Back onto Forest Rd 120 (yay, you just skipped a short section of road!)
- Put on your seatbelt and turn left onto Lion Gulch Trail.
- In the next roughly 4 miles, you're going to cross the stream several times. You know you're at the end when you get a short (maybe 1/4 mile) brutal climb over some water bars and steps up to the parking lot.
Local Trail Association
YMCA Of The RockiesTrails in Route
2 miles | |||||
2 miles | |||||
1,804 ft | |||||
3,028 ft | |||||
1,378 ft | |||||
3,258 ft | |||||
1,079 ft | |||||
3 miles |
Details
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Riding area
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Primary ActivityMountain Bike
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Difficulty ratingBlack Diamond
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Route TypeShuttled
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Bike typeAM
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DirectionOne Direction
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Physical ratingExtreme
More Stats for Lion Gulch Shuttle mountain bike route
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Altitude change-1,090 ft
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Altitude min7,290 ft
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Altitude start8,425 ft
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Altitude end7,336 ft
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Grade-2.1%
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Grade max-42.2%
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Grade min57.3%
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Distance climb3 miles
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Distance down6 miles
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Distance flat4,199 ft
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Inadequate
- 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%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 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 (>6 month)
- hiking (1 year)
- moto (1 year)
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Recent Trail Reports Along Route
- By darmabum
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- #12305 - 1,447 views
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