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3.1 miles
Distance
307 ft
Climb
-330 ft
Descent
00:30:36
Avg time
-23 ft
Altitude change
7,572 ft
Altitude min
7,699 ft
Altitude max
7,617 ft
Altitude start
7,595 ft
Altitude end
-0.1%
Grade
-19.7%
Grade max
25.5%
Grade min
5,148 ft
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
5,105 ft
Distance flat
00:30:36
Avg time
North Backbone Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaArkansas Hills Trails
Salida, Colorado -
Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity80 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 85 in Trail Running
- 95 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
-
State Ranking
-
Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeAM, XC
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Climb DifficultyBlack Diamond
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Physical RatingHard
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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TTFs on TrailDrop, Rock Face
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Land OwnerBureau Of Land Management
North Backbone is one of the best technical XC trails in the area. It can be ridden from either direction or as an out and back. The stand-out features of North Backbone are its sections of rough rock slabs in the middle section. They will challenge the best of climbers. Scamper up what you can - many riders will be hiking short sections. The rest of the trail is a mix of swoopy hillside in pinions with lots of rocks in and around the trail to catch a pedal or rob you of momentum.
Access Info
The trailhead on the east side starts at the top of a steep, loose climb on CR 173. The west side trailhead is on CR 175 and has a parking lot and kiosk.
Trail Supporters
BLMLand Manager
Local Trail Association
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Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 2 rides
- 15 miles average
6 Months
- 46 rides
- 17 miles avg distance
All
- 272 rides
- Last: Oct 20, 2026
North Backbone Trail Reports
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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.
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
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- 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.
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- popular
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Activity Recordings
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Activity Recordings
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
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BC Backroad Status
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Slope Aspect
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Directions to north-backbone trailhead
(38.568420, -105.982990)
Photos
10 more »
Videos
2 more »
mtb
0:03 |
215 |
Jan 28, 2025 , Salida
mtb
14:48 |
546 |
May 8, 2019 , Salida
Routes with this trail
Cottonwood Tour Featured
★ 3.7 • 22 miles • 2,663 ft • 14 • Loop •
This route connects some of the best trails around Salida in the S mountain area. Some connectors are not...
★ 5.0 • 22 miles • 2,943 ft • 13 • Loop •
The Cottonwood Tour but with The Dude Abides detour joining up to North Backbone instead of the full North...
8 miles • 884 ft • 1 •
Kartd301
Some really interesting and challenging tech, bookended by too much flow. On one side, you get flow with exposure and on the other side, you get really nice flow to the parking lot. I wish this whole trail had the tech from the middle.
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Nearby Trails
- County Rd 175 20 ft
- County Rd 175 2,287 ft
- The Dude Arise 1 mile
- El Duderino 1 mile
- The Dude Abides 1 mile
Arkansas Hills Trails
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #13997 - 3,994 views
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