more stats
2.4 miles
Distance
24 ft
Climb
-267 ft
Descent
00:16:43
Avg time
-243 ft
Altitude change
9,119 ft
Altitude min
9,367 ft
Altitude max
9,363 ft
Altitude start
9,121 ft
Altitude end
-1.9%
Grade
-10.9%
Grade max
9.4%
Grade min
1,457 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
1,552 ft
Distance flat
00:16:43
Avg time

Upper Loading Pen Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Dirtbike/Moto
  • Riding Area
    Rico
    , Colorado
  • Ref Number
    #738
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    5 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
    • 5 in Dirtbiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #178963 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #305328 in Trail Running
    • #331486 in Hiking
    • #15340 in Horseback
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM, XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions[+]
    • Both Directions for E-Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Sometimes hard to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 3

A mellow cruise on mainly singletrack and some doubletrack out to an amazing vista overlooking Stoner, the Dolores River Valley and CO 145. Expect to encounter some funky trail and livestock at times grazing in the many open meadows along your way through some amazing old growth Aspen groves.

Access Info

Access the Top of Loading Pen Trail via Taylor Creek Road and FS Access Road 201 (towards Spring Creek TH and Taylor Mesa Road).

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 1 rides
  • 23 miles avg distance
All
  • 1 rides
  • Last: Aug 9, 2026
update trails status or condition

Upper Loading Pen Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Oct 10, 2025 @ 3:38pm (America/Denver)
Oct 10, 2025
 reporter Per Forest Service: The Stoner Mesa Fire closure has been lifted. All roads, trails and areas previously closed due to the fire are now...
Aug 6, 2025 @ 9:54am
Aug 6, 2025
 Closed for the Stoner Mesa Fire https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjf-stoner-mesa-fire
Jun 29, 2024 @ 9:56pm
Jun 29, 2024
 Maybe some logging here since this trail was posted on Trailforks. I went about halfway down the route before out of control mud, but it remained...
more »
Status:
on Oct 10, 2025
Avg: 3.7 (1 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
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        Directions to upper-loading-pen trailhead (37.600670, -108.249840)
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        Trail Products

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        1 Ratings
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        Nearby Trails

        Rico

        • By thehypernaturalTF Pro & contributors
        • #329406 - 536 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Upper Loading Pen

        ▼ Where is Upper Loading Pen located?
        Upper Loading Pen is located in Rico, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Rico trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 37.60067, -108.24984.
        ▼ How hard is Upper Loading Pen?
        Upper Loading Pen is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Easy. The average grade is 1.9%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Upper Loading Pen?
        Upper Loading Pen has 24 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 267 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 9,119 ft to 9,367 ft.
        ▼ Is Upper Loading Pen a point to point trail?
        Upper Loading Pen is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Upper Loading Pen?
        Upper Loading Pen is 2.4 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Upper Loading Pen?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Upper Loading Pen. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Upper Loading Pen?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Upper Loading Pen are:
        • July (1 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Upper Loading Pen? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Upper Loading Pen are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Upper Loading Pen?
        The estimated time to ride Upper Loading Pen is approximately 17 minutes. The trail is 2.4 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace.
        ▼ How busy is Upper Loading Pen?
        Upper Loading Pen is a less popular trail with lighter traffic. There have been 10 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 12 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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