more stats
2.3 miles
Distance
92 ft
Climb
-935 ft
Descent
00:21:19
Avg time
-842 ft
Altitude change
5,861 ft
Altitude min
6,707 ft
Altitude max
6,707 ft
Altitude start
5,866 ft
Altitude end
-7%
Grade
-38.1%
Grade max
18.9%
Grade min
1,430 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
942 ft
Distance flat
00:21:19
Avg time

Howard Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Lory State Park
    Fort Collins, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (2 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    55 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 35 in E-Biking
    • 35 in Trail Running
    • 35 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #123326 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #124237 in Trail Running
    • #118276 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary[+]
    • Both Directions for E-Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Double Black Diamond
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 2
  • Land Owner
    Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Howard is difficult to access, loaded with low-speed tech and tight switchbacks, and has next to zero flow; consequently, many riders will hate it. You’ve been warned. Strong riders who like a challenge will appreciate the relative solitude and the improbable, but entirely rideable nature of this trail. Howard is a gem under the right set of wheels.

Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 13 rides
  • 11 miles avg distance
All
  • 90 rides
  • Last: Sep 8, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Howard Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Sep 14, 2025 @ 9:24pm (America/Denver)
Sep 14, 2025
 Very narrow entry to big rocky sections throughout this trail.
Nov 10, 2023 @ 5:42am
Nov 10, 2023
 Clean and nice, but this is NOT a MTN bike trail.
Apr 23, 2022 @ 7:25am
Apr 23, 2022
Apr 9, 2022 @ 3:53pm
Apr 9, 2022
Apr 9, 2022 @ 2:31pm
Apr 9, 2022
more » 4 social media mentions
Status:
on Sep 14, 2025
Dry
Avg: 3.56 (10 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (775)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
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)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to howard trailhead (40.568830, -105.189430)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        2 more »
        mtb
        212 |
        May 28, 2021 @ 3:51pm
        May 28, 2021
        mtb
        267 |
        May 28, 2021 @ 3:51pm
        May 28, 2021

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Howard yet, add a video.

        Trail Products

        3.3 ★★★★★
        10 Ratings
        5 ★ 20%
        4 ★ 30%
        3 ★ 20%
        2 ★ 20%
        1 ★ 10%

        3 Reviews & Comments

        Tnbblue
        Call me crazy, but if there’s a sign that says, get ready to dismount because the switchbacks are so intense, I really think this should be a double black Trail! It was fun but very tough.
        Lonewolfrider
        Not impressed. Very tight switchbacks/hairpins that double back almost on the same trail. Nice views all along.

        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        Lory State Park

        • By toddTF Pro Trailforks & contributors
        • #13587 - 3,305 views

        Frequently Asked Questions

        ▼ Where is Howard located?
        Howard is located in Lory State Park, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Lory State Park trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 40.56883, -105.18943.
        ▼ How hard is Howard?
        Howard is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The average grade is 7%. The climb difficulty is rated Double Black Diamond.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Howard?
        Howard has 92 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 935 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,861 ft to 6,707 ft.
        ▼ Is Howard a point to point trail?
        Howard is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Howard?
        Howard is 2.3 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Howard?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Howard. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ How do I access Howard? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Howard are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Howard?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 22 minutes to ride Howard. The trail is 2.3 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Howard?
        Howard is a moderately popular trail. There have been 775 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 775 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.