Newman > Bicycling > Old Flowers Road
Old Flowers Road is a US Forest Service road that begins at Stove Prairie, northwest of Fort Collins, and goes roughly west to the Pingree Park road and beyond. It is usually closed in the winter, and may be closed in early spring or late fall. The first ride mapped and described here is an out-and-back from Stove Prairie to Monument Gulch Road and back. The second ride described here follows the same route as the outbound leg of the first route, but returns via a loop south to Box Prairie before returning to Old Flowers Road via the saddle between the East and West summits of White Pine Mountain. The third ride described here follows the route of the first ride, but extends the ride to the southwest with a trip to Pingree Park. A fourth route that one can take in this area is described by the Colorado Mountain Biking web site.
The trailhead is at Stove Prairie School, which is at the intersection of Larimer County Road 52E and Larimer County Road 27. (For a Google Map of the location, click here.) There are several ways to get to this intersection. My favorite is to go north on College Avenue (Overland Trail and Taft Hill Road will also work). Turn west on CO 14 toward LaPorte. Go through LaPorte and turn west on CR 52E just after Vern's place. Follow 52E up Rist Canyon, over the top, and down the back side to an intersection with CR 27. You will see the Stove Prairie School on the northwest corner. Park by the side of CR 52E, and Old Flowers Road is the dirt road heading west from the intersection.
This ride is not technical except in the sense that one needs some skill to climb very steep grades. It is a US Forest Service road, but the first couple of miles go through private property, and one must stay on the road. The road goes up a little climb, down past some nice stone barns, and then meanders through some meadows and over a small ridge before going down to the first of three gates near a ranch house and barn. I believe the ranch here is called the "Sky Corral Ranch." (On my last trip, it appeared that the first two gates had been dismantled; I'm not sure if they will be rebuilt or not.) Go through the gate, follow the road around a fenced pasture, and go through a second gate. Once you get into the trees, you will go through a third gate. Leave all three gates as you found them after you go through. Once you are through the third gate, you are into the National Forest.
The road includes lots of moderate climbing and a couple of steep climbs, one of which is so steep for so long that many riders will need to pause part way up for a breather. This steep climb is visible on the profile below. There are some stream crossings, and it can be quite muddy in some places if it has been raining recently, or if the spring runoff is still flowing. Follow the main road at every intersection, continuing mostly in a westerly direction. There are other roads that intersect Old Flowers road, but in every case, you want the more heavily-travelled road. There is a four way intersection about 6.5 miles out; continue straight through. The left road leads to the pack trail coming down from the saddle between East White Pine Mountain and West White Pine Mountain (see the second route described below). I don't know where the road to the right goes. As you approach the Monument Gulch Road, which is within a quarter mile of CR 63E (the Pingree Park Road), you will begin a loose, rocky descent. Some caution should be used in the descent, since the road is rough and loose. For the first route, turn around where the road intersects Monument Gulch road, just a few tens of yards from CR 63E. The return trip doesn't involve any leg-breaking climbs like those on the way out, but those climbs become steep descents, and one should control one's speed since the water bars on the road can be dangerous at speed.
You may encounter other road users, including off-road motorcycles and 4x4 vehicles. It's wise to be cautious on the steep downhills so as not to become the hood ornament on an SUV. I have also seen campers and picnickers at various places along the trail. There are no sources of water along the trail, so you will need to carry your own water. There is a campground at Jack's Gulch north of Old Flowers Road on Pingree Park Road, and water may be available there during the summer months. Another good thing to remember is that this ride is at elevations over 7,000 feet, and you should be prepared for inclement weather.
The second route continues with a left turn on Monument Gulch Road. From that intersection, go to CR 44H. This will involve a moderate climb and a nice, fairly smooth descent. If I remember correctly, there is one intersection before you reach CR44H at which you should turn left. If you find yourself in a neighborhood of mountain cabins, retrace your steps and take the other road, as you have made a wrong turn. Turn left again at CR 44H, and go to Box Prairie, where a jeep road goes up the hill to the north toward the saddle between West White Pine Mountain and East White Pine Mountain. This jeep trail is steep and long. It climbs about 1350 feet in two miles (about a 12% grade), and most riders will need to push up at least part of the climb. At the saddle, there is a singletrack to the north that can be hard to see. It's a rough, technical trail that is not heavily used. It descends back down to Old Flowers road, where you can turn to the east to return to Stove Prairie, and it's represented as a pack trail on some topo sheets. This alternate route is represented on the map below.
A further option for those who have climbed to the saddle between East and West White Pine Mountains is the short spur to the site of what I believe is an old fire lookout tower atop West White Pine Mountain (this spur is not marked in red on the map, though it is visible as a dashed black line). The climb to the site of the lookout tower is steep, though not as steep as the climb to the saddle. There's not much left of the tower, mainly some concrete footings and some old lumber. The view is nice, but not spectacular.
The third route described here continues from the intersection of Old Flowers Road and the Monument Gulch road with a right turn on Monument Gulch Road and then, within a quarter mile, a left turn on Pingree Park Road. Follow the Pingree Park road to Pingree Park, which is the mountain campus of Colorado State University. Turn around at Pingree Park after admiring the view and return the way you came. This adds about 18 miles to the first route. The map below shows an optional spur trip to the Twin Lake Reservoir.
Old Flowers Road is reportedly named after Jacob Flowers, a resident of Bellvue. Wikipedia includes a web page on Jacob Flowers, and the North Forty News provides a little history of Bellvue which mentions Jacob Flowers. I believe that the Flowers House on the North side of CR 52E in Bellvue was Jacob Flowers' home.
Newman > Bicycling > Old Flowers Road
Last Modified: 17 April 2009
By: David Newman