Dirt Trails - Southern Front Range of Colorado
Forests, Canyons and Wide Open Landscapes
Pictured: Mt. Herman Road
Dirt Trails of the Southern Front Range of Colorado
The Southern Front Range has a more varied landscape than the north. With the Continental Divide jutting west at I-70, the ragged spine of the Rockies isn’t the main attraction here. Instead, the area between the Divide and Pikes Peak provide your Dual Sport Day Trip’s adventure. Mountains, forests, canyons and, thanks to one of the largest wild-fires in the state’s history, some wide open spaces are your playground.
There are a few high-altitude mining roads close to I-70 in the north that provide stunning views to nearby fourteeners. The Saxon Mountain and Santiago Mine trails have awe-inspiring views at their high points. But one of these trails is much harder to ride than the other. Be sure to check their ratings and trail descriptions to see which one is the right choice for you.
Rampart Range’s red clay roads in the east could provide a lifetime of riding all by themselves. And for many riders they do. Rampart Range Road and Mt. Herman Road are great, but if you only ride in this area, you’re missing out on some other exceptional trails.
The Hayman Burn area, a byproduct from a 13,000+ acre wild-fire in 2002, provides a landscape that looks otherworldly. You might think you’re on Mars instead of in Colorado. But when you start cruising through Sheeprock Mountain’s soft sand trails, with wide open views of the surrounding topography, you’ll soon forget you’re on another planet.
And let’s not neglect the curvaceous canyons cutting through the south edge of the Pikes Peak Massif. A blow-your-mind day trip takes you down Shelf Road and back up Phantom Canyon. But you won’t know how long to plan for that day trip without reading our descriptions first.
So pick a trail or two off the list and plan your next ride. We’re sure you’ll find something you’ll like.
For Dual Sport Trails north of I-70 all the way to the Wyoming Border, take a look at the Dirt Trails North.
