Newman > Bicycling > Coyote Ridge
The Coyote Ridge Natural Area is a Larimer County Park west of Taft Hill Road south of the Trilby Road intersection. Larimer County has a web page for Coyote Ridge, including a map similar to the one below that indicates boundaries of the area but does not include a profile of the trail. Another page discussing this trail is on the Colorado Mountain Biking site. To my knowledge, there is no potable water available on this trail.
The trail begins with a dirt road going due west. It climbs through a notch in a small ridge and then climbs to the top of a second small ridge and turns north for a short distance along the top of that ridge before decending the west side and going west to the foot of the first hogback. The trail turns to a singletrack at the foot of the first hogback, about one mile in. There's a pit toilet and a nature center at this point. The trail goes north and climbs through a gap in the first hogback, wraps around to the south on the west side of the hogback, and then turns north on the east side of the second hogback before making a switchback to the south for the final ramp to the top of the second hogback. There are some interpretive signs at the top, which is about two miles from the trailhead. The trail continues from there along the top of the ridge, and then into the Rim Rock open space, where it drops down into a valley, crosses it, and then climbs the west side of the valley through another notch and makes a loop in the hills on that side.
The first mile is not technical, and is suitable for beginning MTB riders. The second mile is more rocky and steep, but most riders with some experience should be able to ride all the way to the top of the second hogback. If the trail is wet, the second mile will be muddy. I think one should avoid this area if it is wet. Beginners will find the second mile challenging, but it's a good sort of challenge that will increase your skills. Along the top of the hogback, there are some tricky places that require some skill, but they are still within the abilities of most riders with some experience. As the trail drops from the top of the second hogback into the Rim Rock open space, there is a short section that is very technical involving large rock steps, wooden steps, and a sharp turn all fairly close together. There is a warning sign just before you reach this section suggesting that you should dismount. All but the most skilled riders will need to walk this section going down, and I believe that only a skilled trials rider will be able to ride back up. Crossing the valley in the Rim Rock open space, the trail is easy singletrack that crosses a small culvert. The part of the trail in the hills at the west end is more technical than the final climb to the top of the second hogback and the part of the trail along the top of the hogback, but not as technical as the section with the large steps. It's more technical in the clockwise direction than in the counter-clockwise direction. I think a skilled rider could ride the whole loop in both directions, but I'm not skilled enough to ride the whole thing in either direction.
The total distance for a trip from the trailhead to the farthest point and back, including one trip around the loop at the end, is a little under 7 miles. That trip includes either 1050 or 1200 feet of climbing, depending on whether you believe the figure computed by the TOPO software or the figure recorded by my GPS unit when I did the ride. The profile on the map below is for the complete ride, so the three main peaks on the profile are for the second hogback, the climb to the highest point out on the western loop, and another climb of the second hogback on the return trip.
At the westernmost point of the trail, out in the loop, there is a short connector that leads to the Blue Sky Trail. That trail connects Devil's Backbone to Horsetooth Mountain Park. The Blue Sky trail was completed in 2006, and it's very nice. A nice ride that is longer than the one described above is to start at the Coyote Ridge trailhead, ride in to the Blue Sky Trail, ride south on Blue Sky to the Indian Summer Loop, do the loop counter-clockwise, and then return to the Coyote Ridge trailhead. A map of that ride is below. The top of the connector is a set of stairs leading down and to the west. From the bottom of the stairs, the connector makes two switchbacks before intersecting the Blue Sky trail. At this point, turn south and go down to the bottom of the valley. The descent is fast and fairly smooth, but watch out for waterbars and a sharp turn near the bottom. Cross the creek by the stock tank, climb up to the intersection of the Blue Sky trail and the Indian Summer Loop. Take the Indian Summer Loop to the northwest. The trail climbs up the western side of the valley and into a gulch on the west side. There are a couple of short spots that beginners will find technical. After emerging from the gulch, the trail climbs further on the west side of the valley before descending into another gulch and then coming to an old road. The old road is very loose and rocky. It's possible to go fast, but the condition of the road road and the switchbacks, make it wise to be cautious. At the bottom, the trail intersects the Blue Sky trail again. Turn left (north), and follow the trail back to the first intersection with the Indian Summer Loop. A portion of the trail here is a dirt road rather than singletrack. Then climb back up to the connector with the Coyote Ridge trail, and follow the Coyote Ridge trail back to the trailhead.
Newman > Bicycling > Coyote Ridge
Last Modified: 17 April 2009
By: David Newman