Windmill

This wonderful new, motorized singletrack trail (2020) parallels Windmill Road, but you will never see the road until you rejoin it, and the views are amazing. Instead of staying on the plain, it stays near the canyon edge, sometimes crossing the canyon. It's a beautiful, first-class new trail. It also connects up on the bottom to Butterknife, Art Cook's View, and all the rest of the trail systems off of Third Flats Road. This trail is a Moto trail and was built by the Moto community with OHV funding and some support by mountain bikers. The trail exists entirely within Recreation Management Zone 2 (RMZ-2) which is the motorized recreation area within the Bangs Canyon SRMA.

This is a remote desert trail that takes some work to get to and work to get out of. You can no drive a normal vehicle anywhere near the start or finish of this trail. Come prepared for a strenuous, challenging remote mountain biking day. With lots of water, nutrition, sunscreen, and preparations, you will be rewarded with an amazing adventure.

This trail is an EXCELLENT e-Bike trail and when combined with Butterknife, Second Thoughts, or Twist-n-Shout, you are in store for some of the best e-Bike riding on the planet. But don't take on this adventure casually. Just because you have a motor in your bike, doesn't mean it isn't going to be challenging and a big day.

Access Info

To ride it from the top, start at Bang's Canyon Trailhead and ride the Tabeguache trail south down and then up to near the top, where Windmill Road is clearly marked on the left. Go about 100 ft left on Windmill Road and you'll see the singletrack taking off on the left. At the bottom you rejoin Windmill Road and then ride along the Gunnison River back to Third Flats Road, where you can ride Butterknife and any of the adjoining trails.