TRAIL: MOFFAT ROAD (Rollins Pass)

Trailhead Location: Rollinsville

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Non-groomed Jeep road with light 4X4 and snowmobile/ski/snowshoe traffic. Best as an early winter or late spring season fatbike ride.

Notes: Avalanche risk exposure is low on Moffat Road up until Yankee Doodle Lake, and then it becomes higher as you climb around steeper slopes near treeline. The risk is typically high past Needle Eye Tunnel, a hard place to access on a fatbike since it’s not well traveled in winter.

TRAIL: SOUTH SOURDOUGH TRAIL

Trailhead Location: Nederland

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. Has less traffic than the core Brainard Lake trails. Also used by snowshoers and skiers and can get well packed, but may also be soft and loose, especially in the more open areas.

Notes: From the south trailhead, Sourdough climbs steadily for 3.5 miles and 1,300 feet of elevation gain. The next 2.5 miles to Brainard Lake are rolling downhill. Makes a great out-and-back from the south trailhead or a big shuttle ride all the way to Peaceful Valley. 

TRAIL: MUD LAKE

Trailhead Location: Nederland

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: High foot traffic area all season. Expect well packed snow.

Notes: Shorter trail with connection options to Caribou Rd up to 505 to Rainbow Lakes Road.

TRAIL: WEST MAGNOLIA

Trailhead Location: Nederland

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Some well packed short sections of trail by neighborhood dog walkers but most trails do not see much winter use. The area is permitted to have winter grooming on the roads but a significant snowfall and lots of volunteer time is needed to make this happen. The clear-cut sections make the area prone to drifting leaving either bare earth or deep, unpacked snow. Best place to start is the Peak to Peak and Magnolia Rd trailhead and the trails north of Haul Rd.

Notes: Hit or miss, mostly miss. Best in mid-winter when it’s been a few weeks since a significant snowfall.

TRAILS: BRAINARD LAKE ROAD and LEFTHAND PARK RESERVIOIR ROAD

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Very well packed, a great first fatbike experience choice!

Notes: Lots of good riding to connect in this area as it is heavily trafficked.

TRAILS: WALDROP

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. Waldrop is usually one of the first and best packed singletrack trails.

Notes: Lots of good riding to connect in this area as it is heavily trafficked. Ride out to Brainard Lake as an out-and-back or make a loop with Snowshoe or SSV/Sourdough.

TRAILS: SNOWSHOE

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. Has less traffic than Waldrop and more open spaces prone to drifting, especially by the campground.

Notes: Trail has some rolling hills, some quite steep.

TRAILS: SOURDOUGH (SOUTH)

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area or Sourdough Trailhead (Rainbow Lakes Road 298)

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. Has less traffic than the core Brainard Lake trails. Also used by snowshoers and skiers and can get well packed, but may also be soft and loose, especially in the more open areas.

Notes: From the south trailhead, Sourdough climbs steadily for 3.5 miles and 1,300 feet of elevation gain. The next 2.5 miles to Brainard Lake are rolling downhill. Makes a great out-and-back from the south trailhead or a big shuttle ride all the way to Peaceful Valley.

TRAILS: SOURDOUGH (NORTH)

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area (or Beaver Reservoir Road or Peaceful Valley)

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. From the Brainard trailhead it is usually well packed to the South St Vrain trail. Past that, it gets less traffic and conditions are more iffy. Can be ridden down to Beaver Reservoir Road or all the way to Peaceful Valley.

Notes: Awesome downhill to South St Vrail trail! Can be ridden down to Beaver Reservoir Road or all the way to Peaceful Valley. The total Sourdough trail is 13 miles, making it a great shuttle or a mega out-and-back ride. From Brainard Lake, the trail descends nearly 2,000 feet and climbs 600. The section between South St Vrain and Beaver Reservoir Road is the least traveled and the most open, trail is not always great in the winter.

TRAILS: SOUTH ST VRAIN

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area (or Beaver Reservoir Road)

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Heavy snow area. Needs heavy foot/snowshoe/ski traffic to get a good base. Best a few days after heavy snow. Snow can get very deep. One of the lesser trafficked trails in Brainard Lake but is a smoking downhill when it’s good. After the “staircase section” the trail is a road for a bit and can get very drifty in windy conditions.

Notes: Awesome shuttle ride from Brainard Lake! Nearly all downhill from Sourdough, or work a little taking Waldrop to the lake, then catch South St Vrain. The section from the lake to Waldrop is lightly trafficked and may not be packed enough for bikes.

TRAILS: LITTLE RAVEN EXTENSION

Trailhead Location: Brainard Lake Recreation Area

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Little Raven trail is ski only from Nov 15 – April 30 but the extension trail is open year round. One of the lesser trafficked trails in Brainard Lake but is a fun downhill when it’s good. Best ridden as a loop going up Lefthand Park Reservoir Road and down Little Raven Ext.

Notes: Because of lower traffic in general and the bottom end of the trail ending close to the parking lot off of Sourdough trail, Little Raven Extension seems more prone to deep post holing than other trails at Brainard.

General Notes: Little Raven and the CMC Ski trail are closed to bikes November 15 – April 30. See Trailforks for more route suggestions.

TRAIL: BUCHANAN PASS

Trailhead Location: Peaceful Valley

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Very high traffic from the trailhead. First ½ mile or so stays very well packed. From the intersection of Middle Saint Vrain heading west is one of the first trails in the area to get packed in. Frequently rideable up to Timberline Falls. Out and back is about 7.5 miles round trip. Beyond that can be hit or miss depending on traffic. Many fat bikers carry snowshoes to work on packing this area in so it can be looped with Coney Flats or Middle Saint Vrain.

Notes: Heavy moose activity.

TRAIL: NORTH SOURDOUGH TRAIL

Trailhead Location: Peaceful Valley

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Usually the 2nd trail from Peaceful Valley to get packed in. Usually requires 2-3 days after heavy snow to get packed in from foot/snowshoe/ski traffic. Once established it gets fast and fun. Later in the season after more traffic and deeper snow base, rideable trail may continue south of Beaver Res road (inconsistently).

Notes: Early in the season this trail is used to connect to Beaver Reservoir road up to Coney Flats and/or descend Cutoff Trail.

TRAIL: BEAVER RESERVOIR CUTOFF TRAIL

Trailhead Location: Peaceful Valley or Beaver Reservoir Road

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Usually the 3rd trail from Peaceful Valley to get packed in. Usually requires 2-3 days after heavy snow to get packed in from foot/snowshoe/ski traffic.

Notes: Great little trail to make a 5 mile loop with Sourdough – normally ridden up Sourdough, up Beaver Reservoir Road and down Cutoff. Warning, Beaver Reservoir Road is exposed and often very windy.

TRAIL: CONEY FLATS

Trailhead Location: Near Beaver Reservoir | Ward

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Popular ski and snowshoe area due to easy access and relatively mild elevation gain. Can get very well packed later into the season and the base stays well established. Snowmobilers occasionally access this trail making for great fat biking!

Notes: If conditions allow makes for a long loop when connected with Buchanan Pass. Best to start at Peaceful Valley → Beaver Reservoir Cuttoff → Coney Flats → Buchanan Pass (Coney Buchanan Loop).

TRAIL: MIDDLE SAINT VRAIN

Trailhead Location: Camp Dick (near Peaceful Valley)

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Snowmobilers occasionally access this trail making for great fat biking! Not very popular until snowmobiles pack it in. Can be very well packed.

Notes: If conditions allow makes for a long loop when connected with Buchanan Pass. Best to start at Peaceful Valley. Ride west towards Camp Dick. Descend down Buchanan Pass

General Notes: See Trailforks for more route suggestions.

TRAIL: CERAN ST. VRAIN

Trailhead Location: Jamestown

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Heavily trafficked and popular trail throughout the season. Expect well packed snow until hitting Miller Rock.

TRAIL: HERMIT PARK

Trailhead Location: Estes Park

Traffic/Trail Condition Expectations: Rideable by fat bike during light/moderate snow and only in the early season. Very light/minimal traffic. Best to ride after a few inches of snow. Mixed conditions possible (snow + dirt). Expect to break trail.

Notes: Hermit Park closes in the winter. Seasonal closure is weather dependent from around December through March. This is a fee area ($6 as of this writing).

TRAIL: ELK MEADOW OPEN SPACE

Trailhead Location: Evergreen

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season.

TRAIL: ALDERFER / THREE SISTERS / DEDISSE

Trailhead Location: Evergreen

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season.

TRAIL: CUB CREEK

Trailhead Location: Evergreen

Traffic/Trail Conditions: 1700 ft elevation gain in 4 mi. Most of the trail is tree covered with a north-facing-ish angle so it stays snow covered much longer than other trails. Lots of hiker traffic packs the trail down, but the trail itself doesn’t see much use at any one time. Usually rideable after a big snow in three days or so after the hikers have gone through and packed it down a bit. 

Notes: There’s a viewpoint to the north at 3/4 of the way up around 3 mi that a lot of hikers stop at, so that last mile often takes a lot longer to get packed. It’s rare that North Elk Creek trail is packed enough to ride the whole way, but there’s been accounts of people riding it in winter.

TRAIL: MEYERS RANCH

Trailhead Location: Conifer

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season.

TRAIL: FLYING J RANCH

Trailhead Location: Conifer

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season.

Notes: Less than 4 miles of trail, but very beginner friendly.

TRAIL: STAUNTON STATE PARK

Trailhead Location: Conifer

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season. 

Notes: Can be icy/muddy at bottom and deep at the top but winter grooming keeps the trails in good shape all-around.

TRAIL: STAUNTON STATE PARK

Trailhead Location: Conifer

Traffic/Trail Conditions: High foot/snowshoe/ski traffic all season.

Notes: Can be icy/muddy at bottom and deep at the top but winter grooming keeps the trails in good shape all-around.

TRAIL: BUFFALO CREEK

Trailhead Location: Pine

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Low traffic area and not consistently snow packed. This area is popular for fat bike riding year round. In the winter it will likely be mixed conditions (snow + dirt), but do not expect true snow packed trails. NOT rideable in heavy snow.

Notes: Not a true “fatbike” destination – although great riding and rideable in all but the heaviest of snow.

TRAIL: GENEVA CREEK

Trailhead Location: Geneva Park Campground

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Pretty flat for the most part with a few small climbs. Beautiful area and a lot of fun. Usually has plenty snow even if it hasn’t been seeming to snow closer to the metro area.

Notes: Park 7 miles north of Grant at the Guanella Pass winter road closure. Ride into the Geneva Park Campground – campsite 14 (sometimes 13). Should be able to follow the track from there. It’s about 3 miles out and ends at the shelf lake/trail 600 lot on road that the campground was accessed from. Out and back ~6miles total. 

TRAIL: CMC TRAILS and MINERAL BELT LOOP

Trailhead Location: Leadville

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Consistently groomed. Check in with Cycles of Life for conditions. They groom approximately 3 times a week, so it’s good to check in to know when they’re good to go

Notes: Ride Mineral CW with a little pop off for some fun in the trees at CMC. The east side mining roads and Turquoise Lake are groomed too. Leadville is a must do. 20-40+ miles of groomers!

AREA: FRENCH GULCH

Trails: Turks Trail, B&B, X10U8, Minnie Mine, V3, Sallie Barber Road, Trail of Tears, Side Door (lower connection, not downhill trail), Prospect

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Heavily trafficked, more packed by French Gulch Road. Expect more unpacked conditions the higher you go. Can connect over to Carter Park.

AREA: CARTER PARK

Trails: Carter Park, Moonstone, Barney Ford, Jack’s Cruel Joke, Hermit Placer, Nightmare on Baldy

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Heavily trafficked and shuttleable! Can also ride between Carter Park and French Gulch trails.

AREA: WELLINGTON

Trails: Liesel’s Luge, Wellington

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Heavily trafficked neighborhood trails.

AREA: GOLD RUN

Groomed Trails: Gold Run Road, Fall Classic, Hard Luck, Slalom, Dry Gulch, Upper Flume to Middle Flume, and Tom’s Baby.

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Free groomed trails. See the Town of Breckenridge website for a complete list of trail conditions and grooming schedules.

TRAIL: ILLINOIS CREEK

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Heavily packed.

Notes: Park at the ice arena and say hi to Isak Heartstone, Breckenridge’s resident troll.

GROOMED TRAIL: RECREATION PATH

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Groomed regularly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

AREA: GOLD RUN NORDIC CENTER

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Groomed nordic center. Day pass $25, Annual pass $150, punch passes also available.

Notes: Fatbike rentals are available by hour or half day.

General Notes: See the Town of Breckenridge website for a complete list of trail conditions and grooming schedules. Also, Summit County Trail Conditions facebook group.

AREA: ST LOUIS CREEK/ELK CREEK

Trails: Creekside, Chainsaw, Broken Spade, Iko, Northwest Passage, Givelo

Trailhead Location: Fraser

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Most heavily trafficked area all season long. Fatbiking not allowed on Flume or Deadhorse Loop.

AREA: IDLEWILD/RENDEZVOUS

Trails: Yankee Doodle, Meadow, Serendipity, Ditch, South Fork, Crosstrails and others.

Trailhead Location: Winter Park

Traffic/Trail Conditions:  Second most heavily trafficked area all season long.

AREA: VASQUEZ

Trails: Twin Bridges, Blue Sky (groomed), Little Vasquez Road, Chickadee, Tunnel Hill Road

Trailhead Location: Winter Park

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Little Vasquez Road and Blue Sky are consistently packed by snowmobiles (Little Vasquez & Tunnel Hill) and grooming (Blue Sky). Twin Bridges also good.

AREA: LELAND CREEK

Trails: Take D’ Leap, Sunset Pink, Sundog, Akima’s Way, Razzmatazz

Trailhead Location: Winter Park

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Can be good in low snow conditions, particularly early season. Much of area is clear cut and can be deep, drifty and unpacked mid-winter.

TRAIL: FRASER RIVER TRAIL

Trailhead Location: Winter Park/Fraser

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Groomed Rec path connecting Fraser and Winter Park.

TRAIL: GRAND PARK COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER

Trailhead Location: Fraser

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Free groomed trail.

AREA: SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH

Trailhead location: Winter Park

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Professionally groomed trails in nordic center. $25/day or included in $250 membership/year. Full and half day fatbike rentals available.

Notes: See the Winter Park Fatbiking facebook group for more conditions.

AREA: HAPPY JACK

Trails: Pole Creek, Middle Aspen, Aspen, Blackjack, Dilly Dally Alley, Snowshoe, Black Ice, Haunted Forest, Headquarters Trail, Express Trail, Crow Creek Loop

Trailhead Location: Laramie, WY

Traffic/Trail Conditions: Groomed and heavily trafficked all season long. Rideable all season.

Notes: 12 miles of groomed single track. Well worth the drive!