more stats
5,157 ft
Distance
26 ft
Climb
-750 ft
Descent
00:08:43
Avg time
-724 ft
Altitude change
6,388 ft
Altitude min
7,124 ft
Altitude max
7,113 ft
Altitude start
6,388 ft
Altitude end
-14%
Grade
-43.2%
Grade max
19.8%
Grade min
384 ft
Distance climb
4,301 ft
Distance down
472 ft
Distance flat
00:08:43
Avg time

Bon Scott Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Lefthand OHV
    Boulder, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (7 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 35 in Trail Running
    • 50 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #71194 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #154769 in Trail Running
    • #146714 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #1,289 in Mountain Biking · Colorado [+]
    • #4,689 in Trail Running
    • #4,393 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • Land Owner
    USFS - Boulder Ranger District

Make sure your brakes are in good working order and prepare to hold on for dear life This trail is by far the steepest and most demanding of any trail around Boulder. The trail descends what used to be a moto trail although it's not too deep or dug out and works great for mountain biking. Expect steep, tight switchbacks, fast wide open sections, and a few rock rolls. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face and scare you a bit at the same time.

This trail was built by the OHV community but they never had a chance to ride it before the area was closed to motorized use and the trail has never been officially designated by the USFS.

This trail is unsanctioned.

Tags
Rock slabsTight and twisty

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 5 rides
  • 10 miles average
6 Months
  • 51 rides
  • 10 miles avg distance
All
  • 301 rides
  • Last: Oct 20, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Apr 14, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 3.63 (26 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to bon-scott trailhead (40.110480, -105.346020)

      Photos

      4 more »
      mtb
      123 |
      Jan 8, 2026 @ 10:58am
      Jan 8, 2026
      mtb
      137 |
      Jun 14, 2025 @ 1:52pm
      Jun 14, 2025
      mtb
      943 |
      Mar 20, 2019 @ 10:12am
      Mar 20, 2019
      report
      mtb
      552 |
      Sep 17, 2020 @ 6:50am
      Sep 17, 2020

      Videos

      5 more »
      Bon Scott - Lefthand Canyon
      mtb
      2:29 | 857 | Dec 23, 2022 , Boulder
      TwoRideTuesday #1 - Just Bon Scott!
      mtb
      3:35 | 695 | Nov 8, 2020 , Boulder
      Chasing Brian down Bon Scott on the HARDTAIL!
      mtb
      4:41 | 614 | Nov 8, 2020 , Boulder
      youtuber CO MTB ♦︎ | OHV Enduro - A tough...
      mtb
      13:03 | 1223 | May 1, 2018 , Boulder

      Routes with this trail

      22 miles • 2,888 ft • 16 • Out & Back •
      Welcome to the land of steep fire road climbs and rowdy, loose, sketchy singletrack descents. As the name...
      Intro to LHOHV Featured
      ★ 2.3 • 9 miles • 2,184 ft • 24 • Loop •
      Welcome to the land of steep fire road climbs and rowdy, loose, sketchy singletrack descents. As the name...
      3.7 ★★★★★
      26 Ratings
      5 ★ 54%
      4 ★ 12%
      3 ★ 4%
      2 ★ 8%
      1 ★ 23%

      10 Reviews & Comments

      Jrhockney
      Update on this Trail: I finally rode it again and I can tell some work has been done to this Trail. It's not nearly as blown out as it used to be but far from perfect as far as ideal Berms on all of the crazy steep turns it has. Definitely more rideable now plus the fact that I've been practicing on dead ass and skinny Pete but still very steep sketchy and lots of required commitments the further down you go (besides the last .2 miles which are way easier). Still had to walk parts of it but I'll blame the dusk coming in Enough Improvement on the trails work that I'm definitely trying this again
      Jrhockney
      This is arguably a double black diamond trail at least one other popular trail program seems to agree. Just did this several days ago and I've been regretting it since then after bashing my knee on a rock after endoing on one of the smaller rock rolls... mostly my dumb fault for grabbing my front brake too hard but being forced to mostly hobble down the rest of it might have saved me from a worse injury on this steep loose nightmare. The top of it is super fun but the further down you got, the more steep and blown-out it gets until the last forest area and the hill exposure is unsettling even if it's not nearly as dangerous as ODB. Ultimately this could be a lot more fun if it was just better maintained and had some better berms built up. This Trail was a bit beyond my level and I may not try it again anytime soon but it was definitely an adventure and a good trail to be able to clean before attempting. ODB.
      dmackyaheard dmackyaheard
      This trail is rad, and gets more rad every time I ride it.

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      • #93860 - 6,784 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Bon Scott located?
      Bon Scott is located in Lefthand OHV, Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Lefthand OHV trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 40.11048, -105.34602.
      ▼ How hard is Bon Scott?
      Bon Scott is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 14%.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Bon Scott?
      Bon Scott has 26 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 750 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 6,388 ft to 7,124 ft.
      ▼ How long is Bon Scott?
      Bon Scott is 5,157 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Bon Scott?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Bon Scott. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Bon Scott? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Bon Scott are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Bon Scott?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 9 minutes to ride Bon Scott. The trail is 5,157 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Bon Scott?
      Bon Scott is a very popular trail. There have been 4,462 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 4,476 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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