North Boulder Dirt Ride route

Maximize your dirt options with this ride from North Boulder. Hopefully you can safely ride to Wonderland Lake to the start, if not there is a small parking lot. You'll ride around the lake, then hook up with the Foothills trail leading north. This trail has a bit of excitement on the downhill before it goes through the tunnel under Highway 36 due to some eroded water bars. After you cross under the highway, you'll come to a small parking lot and a dirt road named Broadway. Go left on the road, then follow it around to the right where it will dead-end at the Eagle trail.

Take Eagle trail east, it will wind around the mesa, then drop down the side to the Sage trail. Go left on Sage until you come to the Boulder Valley Ranch trailhead. Go through the parking lot and make a left, then look for the Left Hand trail to the right. Left Hand is a fun, windy singletrack that dead-ends at Niwot Road. It's worth doing, so ride it as at out and back. When you get back to the Boulder Valley Ranch trailhead, continue east on Sage trail. You'll come to an intersection with Eagle, stay high and continue east to the Eagle trailhead parking. Here, you'll take a left on North 55th. Follow the road as it curves around to the right and goes down a hill. At the bottom of the hill, look for the Boulder Reservoir trail. This double track goes around the lake and over the dam. You'll ride through the marina and down the paved road and back out the Res gatehouse. If you came in that way you'll have to pay a gate fee but you can ride out for free. When you hit North 55th St again, take a right. Follow the road up the hill and find the Eagle trailhead on your left.

Now you are on your way back to town. Take the Eagle trail around and at the intersection with Sage, keep left and climb back up the mesa. Extra brownie points if you can make it up the hill without walking Continue on Eagle until it ends on the road, ride the road back down to Foothills trail and find your way back to Wonderland Lake.

This route has the advantage of combining as much singletrack as possible that is accessible from the north end of town in a fairly long ride. The disadvantage is that much of the route is double track or even roads. But hey, all these trails are open 24 hours a day so it's a great long night ride.