more stats
4,826 ft
Distance
258 ft
Climb
00:13:03
Avg time
260 ft
Altitude change
5,167 ft
Altitude min
5,427 ft
Altitude max
5,167 ft
Altitude start
5,427 ft
Altitude end
5.4%
Grade
-0.5%
Grade max
17.8%
Grade min
4,764 ft
Distance climb
62 ft
Distance flat
00:13:03
Avg time

Michaud Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Reservoir Ridge
    Fort Collins, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    80 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 95 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #91411 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #59094 in Trail Running
    • #66085 in Hiking
  • State Ranking
    #1,782 in Mountain Biking · Colorado [+]
    • #1,827 in Trail Running
    • #2,110 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, DJ
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes

One of the tougher trails in the Fort Collins area, expect some technical challenges, expect lots of big rocks, expect some loose rocks, expect it's going to be tricky to keep your momentum going as the obstacles are just one after the next. Trying to connect back to town on your gravel bike? You'll likely be walking. That said, don't stay away, it's a great place to feel some accomplishment when you manage to ride something you've struggled on dozens of times.

This trail is notorious and is the only (?) one in town to have it's own fanpage on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KeepMichaudFlowy/

Tags
Loose

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 25 rides
  • 30.9 km avg distance
All
  • 199 rides
  • Last: Nov 6, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Oct 30, 2026
Avg: 3.32 (6 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to michaud trailhead (40.608720, -105.158810)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      7 more »
      mtb
      123 |
      May 14, 2023 @ 11:36am
      May 14, 2023
      mtb
      230 |
      Aug 3, 2020 @ 5:26am
      Aug 3, 2020
      mtb
      161 |
      Jun 15, 2020 @ 8:19am
      Jun 15, 2020
      mtb
      263 |
      Oct 18, 2019 @ 8:14pm
      Oct 18, 2019
      Views 3Lake 2Winter 1

      Videos

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      Trail Lists

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      7 Reviews & Comments

      Kinkade1 Kinkade1
      Made the mistake of taking me friend down this monster on a low travel cheaper bike. His bike got eaten up by the rocks. Head every review on this trail it's a rocky minefield. The ascend was complex and grueling. Great view. Then checking speed on decent to make sure you dont peg a rock and go over the edge. With small sections for loose rock slip n slide.
      bammo83 bammo83
      One big rock garden. No pay off for the climb. Bring people you dont want to start mountain biking on this trail.
      UncleBubba
      This should be broken into 3 sections. A geeen approach, a black mid section up to the saddle, and black to red down to Vine. A blue level rider will walk most of the saddle to Vine section.

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      Nearby Trails

      Reservoir Ridge

      • By toddTF Pro Trailforks & contributors
      • #13628 - 3,417 views

      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Michaud located?
      Michaud is located in Reservoir Ridge, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Reservoir Ridge trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 40.60872, -105.15881.
      ▼ How hard is Michaud?
      Michaud is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 5.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Michaud?
      Michaud has 258 ft of elevation gain. The elevation ranges from 5,167 ft to 5,427 ft.
      ▼ Is Michaud a point to point trail?
      Michaud is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Michaud?
      Michaud is 4,826 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Michaud?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Michaud. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Michaud?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Michaud are:
      • August (21 activities)
      • March (15 activities)
      • June (15 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Michaud? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Michaud are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Michaud?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 13 minutes to ride Michaud. The trail is 4,826 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Michaud?
      Michaud is a very popular trail. There have been 1,471 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 2,041 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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