more stats
2.6 miles
Distance
14 ft
Climb
-1,215 ft
Descent
00:16:58
Avg time
-1,201 ft
Altitude change
7,584 ft
Altitude min
8,785 ft
Altitude max
8,785 ft
Altitude start
7,585 ft
Altitude end
-8.7%
Grade
-45.3%
Grade max
9.7%
Grade min
413 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
1,207 ft
Distance flat
00:16:58
Avg time

Drop Shaft Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
  • Riding Area
    Virginia Canyon Mountain Park
    Idaho Springs, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in E-Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #150 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #2247 in E-Biking
  • State Ranking
    #6 in Mountain Biking · Colorado [+]
    • #17 in E-Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM
  • Direction
    Downhill Only[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Downhill Only for E-Biking
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    Apr 1st-end of Oct
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Ladder Bridge, Rock Garden, Wallride
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Year Opened
    2024
  • Land Owner
    City of Idaho Springs

Drop Shaft is an easier black diamond Bike-only downhill-only directional trail that drops like a rock down the south face of VCMP. Its a bike park on the side of a mountain. If you like flow and speed this is the trail. Many alternate lines exist for progressive riding. Most features have ride arounds, but heads-up riding required.

The trail starts at the top of the mountain at the Miners Point Bike Launch wooden feature and the Rosa Gulch trail top and bombs downhill all the way to the bottom to the Argo Mill. The upper section flows through the sparse trees and consists of big bermed corners, rock features and drops, tables and rollers and a huge wood wall ride Half way down, take the cutoff and rest at the Hub, or continue on for more fun. A huge elevated wood ladder bridge lifts the trail over the Morning Star trail and then the trail continues below the Hub cliff area...rest up on the gentle descent before the trail steepens into a series of bermed corners, rock features, and table tops and then deeper into the woods.

Enter the woods for the lower section of the trail and bomb through the gulley including half-pipe type turns and step-up table jumps crossing the drainageway. As you near the bottom, a series of rock garden humps set the rider up for the iconic wood corkscrew feature and the final roll to the start of the Rosa Gulch climbing trail or into the Argo upper lot.

Access Info

Trail closed below the Hub Dec 2025-March 2026:
seasonal winter wildlife closure for bighorn sheep

Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 26 rides
  • 16 miles average
6 Months
  • 418 rides
  • 17 miles avg distance
All
  • 1,006 rides
  • Last: Oct 18, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Drop Shaft Trail Reports

Status:
on Aug 1, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.23 (39 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (7,499)
close
      Directions to drop-shaft trailhead (39.756980, -105.507430)

      Photos

      28 more »
      mtb
      1,315 |
      Sep 23, 2024 @ 8:17pm
      Sep 23, 2024
      mtb
      74 |
      Aug 27, 2026 @ 1:56pm
      Aug 27, 2026
      mtb
      234 |
      May 6, 2026 @ 3:06pm
      May 6, 2026
      mtb
      252 |
      May 6, 2026 @ 3:06pm
      May 6, 2026

      Videos

      3 more »
      Race Down Virginia Canyon || Session Series...
      mtb
      10:58 | 138 | Jun 3, 2026 , Idaho Springs
      Drop Shaft - black bike park thrill ride! -...
      mtb
      14:47 | 1401 | Oct 2, 2024 , Idaho Springs
      Virginia Canyon Shoot
      mtb
      0:49 | | Oct 20, 2024 , Idaho Springs

      Routes with this trail

      8 miles • 1,579 ft • 6 • Loop •
      Grand tour of the main trails at Virginia Canyon Mountain Park.
      4.2 ★★★★★
      40 Ratings
      5 ★ 68%
      4 ★ 10%
      3 ★ 8%
      2 ★ 5%
      1 ★ 10%

      19 Reviews & Comments

      kimberleefasa kimberleefasa
      The gully is siiiiiick. Long trail, takes a few laps to remember the whole thing for sure.
      bigmop bigmop
      Probably the best trail on the front range. Agreed that it’s a blue/black.
      ajoelrand89
      The most fun trail in Colorado. Mic drop.

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      • By bkdenverTF Pro COMBA & contributors
      • #782028 - 6,009 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Drop Shaft located?
      Drop Shaft is located in Virginia Canyon Mountain Park, Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Virginia Canyon Mountain Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.75698, -105.50743.
      ▼ How hard is Drop Shaft?
      Drop Shaft is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 8.7%.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Drop Shaft?
      Drop Shaft has 14 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 1,215 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,584 ft to 8,785 ft.
      ▼ Is Drop Shaft a point to point trail?
      Yes, Drop Shaft is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Drop Shaft?
      Drop Shaft is 2.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Drop Shaft?
      There is no information about dogs being allowed on Drop Shaft. Check with local trail managers or the trail page for the latest access rules.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Drop Shaft?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Drop Shaft are:
      • October (243 activities)
      • August (131 activities)
      • September (127 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Drop Shaft? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Drop Shaft are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Drop Shaft?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 17 minutes to ride Drop Shaft. The trail is 2.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Drop Shaft?
      Drop Shaft is a very popular trail. There have been 5,407 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 7,499 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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