more stats
4,058 ft
Distance
-773 ft
Descent
2 miles
High Point
-773 ft
Altitude change
7,592 ft
Altitude min
8,365 ft
Altitude start
7,592 ft
Altitude end
-19.1%
Grade
-59.3%
Grade max
-4.3%
Grade min
4,058 ft
Distance down

Panic Switch Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
  • Riding Area
    Virginia Canyon Mountain Park
    Idaho Springs, Colorado
  • Difficulty Rating
    Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (1 vote)
  • Trail Exposure
    High Risk
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM
  • Direction
    Downhill Only[+]
    • Downhill Only for E-Biking
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Drop, Jump, Gap Jump, Ladder Bridge, Rock Garden
  • Year Opened
    2026
  • Land Owner
    City of Idaho Springs

Advanced bike-only downhill trail. This trail has everything: tech, drops, wood features, rock gardens, steeps. This hand-built trail starts at the Shimano Trail Born hub. Not recommended for intermediate riders. Pre-ride, Re-ride, Free-ride.

Trail Supporters
  • Renegade Trail Crew
    Builder
Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 30 rides
  • 15 miles avg distance
All
  • 30 rides
  • Last: Aug 16, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Panic Switch Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jun 8, 2026 @ 5:56pm (America/Denver)
Jun 8, 2026
 Wooden features can be slippery with all the dust on them
more »
Status:
on Jun 8, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 3.74 (4 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.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
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  • < 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
  • 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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Max Vehicle Width
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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.
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.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to panic-switch trailhead (39.747790, -105.504280)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        2 more »
        mtb
        109 |
        Jun 3, 2026 @ 10:01am
        Jun 3, 2026
        mtb
        73 |
        Jun 3, 2026 @ 10:01am
        Jun 3, 2026

        Videos

        1 more »
        Panic Switch
        mtb
        3:40 | 63 | Jun 20, 2026 , Idaho Springs

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        4.0 ★★★★★
        4 Ratings
        5 ★ 75%
        4 ★
        3 ★
        2 ★
        1 ★ 25%

        3 Reviews & Comments


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        Virginia Canyon Mountain Park

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        Frequently Asked Questions About Panic Switch

        ▼ Where is Panic Switch located?
        Panic Switch 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 39.74779, -105.50428.
        ▼ How hard is Panic Switch?
        Panic Switch is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The average grade is 19.1%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Panic Switch?
        The trail has 773 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 7,592 ft to 8,365 ft.
        ▼ Is Panic Switch a point to point trail?
        Yes, Panic Switch is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Panic Switch?
        Panic Switch is 4,058 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Panic Switch?
        There is no information about dogs being allowed on Panic Switch. Check with local trail managers or the trail page for the latest access rules.
        ▼ How do I access Panic Switch? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Panic Switch are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How busy is Panic Switch?
        Panic Switch has limited popularity data available. There have been 140 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 192 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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