Mountain Bike

10.7 miles

Distance

2,465 ft

Climb

-2,472 ft

Descent

1 mile

High Point

This is an advanced ride, due to steep climbs and lots (and lots and lots) of rocks.

Walker Ranch can be ridden as a loop (jury is still out on preferred direction but clockwise might have a slight lead) but many ride it as an out and back to skip the hike-a-bike section. This ride starts at the Meyers Gulch trailhead, which give you a warm up on the Josie Heath trail before hitting the main Walker Ranch area. You'll descend from the parking lot, cross Flagstaff road, then climb up to the Walker parking lot. From there you have a fun 1 mile descent to the creek, but keep in mind this is a heavily hiked area After the creek there's a big climb to the Crescent Meadows parking lot. Then another fun descent and little climb to the stairs. If you do decide to hike down the stairs, know that the biggest, steepest climb on the Walker Ranch loop lies ahead. If this doesn't sound fun, then point your bike in the other direction and retrace your steps.

Another option to add more miles without the hike a-bike-section is to to start from the Ethel Harrold trailhead.

Detailed Description

Walker Out-and-Back to Stairs is a 11 mile popular expert route located near Boulder Colorado. This mountain bike primary route can be used both directions and has a hard overall physical rating. This route includes 3 trails. This route climbs 2,465 ft with a max elevation of 7,358 ft then descends -2,472 ft.

Local Trail Association

Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (bouldermountainbike.org)

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Trails in Route

	Josie Heath Trail				5,194 ft
	Walker Ranch Loop				9 miles
	Josie Heath Trail				5,072 ft

Details

Featured
Riding area

Walker Ranch
Primary Activity

Mountain Bike
Other Activities
- Horse
- Hike
Difficulty rating

Black Diamond
Route Type

Out & Back
eBike Allowed

No
Direction

Both Directions
Physical rating

Hard
Ridelogs

65

More Stats for Walker Out-and-Back to Stairs mountain bike route

Avg time

1 hr 19 min
Altitude min

6,620 ft
Altitude start

7,358 ft
Altitude end

7,352 ft
Grade max

-65.8%
Grade min

66%
Distance climb

5 miles
Distance down

5 miles
Distance flat

4,209 ft

Trail Conditions

1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
All Time

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)

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< 50%
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Trail Ridden Direction

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Trail Popularity ?

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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter

ATV - 50 inches
OHV, SxS - 60 inches
Jeep - 72 inches

Max Vehicle Width

inches

Ridelog Year

Radar Time

x 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)

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Trailforks users anonymized public skilogs from the past 12 months.

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Winter Trails

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x Missing Trails

status	trail	date	condition	description
	Walker Ranch Loop	May 24, 2023 @ 10:36am May 24, 2023		Overall it is running great and the wildflowers are really starting to pop! Watch out for wet and slippery roots on the Columbine Gulch descent. Some running water in sandy seeps along the West-side double-track from creek to trailhead.
	Josie Heath Trail	Apr 30, 2023 @ 4:09am Apr 30, 2023