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1.7 miles
Distance
160 ft
Climb
-212 ft
Descent
00:12:55
Avg time
-52 ft
Altitude change
7,412 ft
Altitude min
7,534 ft
Altitude max
7,534 ft
Altitude start
7,484 ft
Altitude end
-0.6%
Grade
-22.2%
Grade max
15.8%
Grade min
2,438 ft
Distance climb
2,999 ft
Distance down
3,461 ft
Distance flat
00:12:55
Avg time
Backbone Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaArkansas Hills Trails
Salida, Colorado -
Difficulty Rating
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Local Popularity100 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 100 in Trail Running
- 90 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeAM, XC
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Climb DifficultyBlue
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Physical RatingModerate
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SeasonYear Round
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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Land OwnerBureau Of Land Management
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 trail. It's got some rocks, but is not super technical. You get some great views of town as you make your way East. You go down into the drainage that Sand Dunes runs down then up a climb out of the drainage. Some people turn downhill at Sand Dunes for a shorter loop. The trail gets a little rockier as you continue. Once you reach the end, you can head up the Cottonwood trail to Prospector or down and across the drainage for an extended tour of the trail system on Sweetwater.
Access Info
Ride up Frontside and Little Rattler or CR 173.
Trail Supporters
BLMLand Manager
Local Trail Association
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-
Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 4 rides
- 22.3 km average
6 Months
- 115 rides
- 16.8 km avg distance
All
- 943 rides
- Last: Jun 10, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Backbone Trail Reports
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Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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Directions to backbone trailhead
(38.545440, -105.984140)
Photos
12 more »
Videos
1 more »
14:48 |
408 |
May 8, 2019 , Salida
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Nearby Trails
- Rusty Lung 20 ft
- Tenderfoot Trail 1,768 ft
- Little Rattler 2,087 ft
- Burn Pile Trail 2,142 ft
- Cr 173 2,267 ft
Arkansas Hills Trails
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #13987 - 3,675 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Backbone
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Where is Backbone located?
Backbone is located in Arkansas Hills Trails, Salida, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Arkansas Hills Trails trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 38.54544, -105.98414.
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How hard is Backbone?
Backbone is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 0.6%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
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What is the elevation gain for Backbone?
Backbone has 160 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 212 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,412 ft to 7,534 ft.
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How long is Backbone?
Backbone is 1.7 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
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