more stats
1.0 mile
Distance
278 ft
Climb
-27 ft
Descent
00:12:13
Avg time
251 ft
Altitude change
7,080 ft
Altitude min
7,336 ft
Altitude max
7,085 ft
Altitude start
7,336 ft
Altitude end
4.6%
Grade
-13%
Grade max
16.2%
Grade min
3,425 ft
Distance climb
492 ft
Distance down
1,572 ft
Distance flat
00:12:13
Avg time

Frontside Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Arkansas Hills Trails
    Salida, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    70 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 80 in Trail Running
    • 55 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #78722 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #67634 in Trail Running
    • #87457 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Season
    Year Round
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • Land Owner
    Bureau Of Land Management

If you are up for a healthy climb, Frontside is the fastest way to get from downtown to the Salida Mountain Trails system. The trail is not overly difficult compared to some trails in the area, but be advised that there is a tight switchback and a few narrow, technical rock sections to get over with some exposure all the way up.
Most locals take this trail up so jump on a train and get warmed up fast. It gets a fair amount of hiking traffic so be courteous.

Access Info

At the north end of F street (by the red caboose) is a free parking lot. Head out the chain link fence and along the well worn path along the railroad tracks for 100ft and cross at the railroad crossing (no trains anymore). Turn right at the access road and go East towards the big, industrial building. Soon, a 2 track road will take off to the left. Make your way up this as you cross and ride up a loose, rocky/sandy, dry stream bed a short distance until you see a trail take off to the left heading back towards the S-Mountain. There is often a rock cairn, as well as a few more rock cairns indicating you are going the correct direction. You will cross a drainage where the lower part of Sand Dunes spits out. You will be heading along the front of S-Mountain. The trail ends at the S-Mountain parking lot and a kiosk with a map to plan which trail to take next (most likely Little Rattler).

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 7 miles average
6 Months
  • 31 rides
  • 11 miles avg distance
All
  • 242 rides
  • Last: Sep 1, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Aug 8, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 3.94 (13 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
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  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
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  • > 6 months
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  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
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  • Uphill Only
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  • Videos
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        Directions to frontside-14004 trailhead (38.538040, -105.986630)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        2 more »
        mtb
        206 |
        Jul 11, 2019 @ 11:19am
        Jul 11, 2019
        mtb
        157 |
        Jul 12, 2018 @ 1:40pm
        Jul 12, 2018

        Videos

        1 more »
        Frontside - Arkansas Hills Trails - Salida -...
        mtb
        0:05 | 366 | Nov 16, 2021 , Salida

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        3.8 ★★★★★
        13 Ratings
        5 ★ 15%
        4 ★ 46%
        3 ★ 38%
        2 ★
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        1 Review & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Arkansas Hills Trails

        • By toddTF Pro Trailforks & contributors
        • #14004 - 2,274 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Frontside

        ▼ Where is Frontside located?
        Frontside 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 38.53804, -105.98663.
        ▼ How hard is Frontside?
        Frontside is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 4.6%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Frontside?
        Frontside has 278 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 27 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,080 ft to 7,336 ft.
        ▼ How long is Frontside?
        Frontside is 1.0 mile long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Frontside?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Frontside. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Frontside?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Frontside are:
        • July (17 activities)
        • April (17 activities)
        • June (13 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Frontside? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Frontside are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Frontside?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 12 minutes to ride Frontside. The trail is 1.0 mile long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Frontside?
        Frontside is a very popular trail. There have been 1,525 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 1,357 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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