Newman > Bicycling > Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone Open Space is a Larimer County Park west of Loveland on the north side of US 34 (aka Eisenhower). Larimer County has a web page for Devil's Backbone, including a map similar to the one below that indicates boundaries of the area but does not include a profile of the trail.
The trail begins at the west end of the parking area with a short section of crushed gravel, after which the trail is packed dirt or rocky. The trail is roughly linear, as you can see from the map below, but there are two loops on the trail. There is also a third loop closer to the beginning of the trail, but bicyclists are prohibited from using the western portion of that loop (since I could not ride it, I don't have it on the map). Bicyclists must also bypass two footbridges in the first quarter mile of the trail. The area is mostly grassy or chaparral.
The first mile and a half is not technical. This includes the portion of the trail up to the beginning of the first loop shown on the map below. This portion of the trail is suitable for beginning MTB riders. Just before reaching the south end of the two loops shown, the trail goes into a small gully where it is steep and loose. Soon after that, there are also some rocky outcroppings, and a portion of the trail is fairly narrow. The technical difficulty increases here. From here on, I followed the trail in a counter-clockwise direction. The eastern portion of the first loop begins fairly easy from a technical point of view, but as the trail becomes more rocky, it also becomes more technical. As you reach the northern end of the first loop, the rocks become larger and more numerous. The trail here is more technical, with an occasional larger obstacle thrown into the mix. The eastern part of the second loop is, I believe, the most technical section of the trail. There are several large obstacles where many riders will choose to walk their bikes. Returning on the western portion of the two loops, the trail is rocky but less technical than the eastern part of the second loop.
At the northern end of the loops on this map, there is a trail intersection with the Blue Sky Trail. It's possible to ride to Coyote Ridge from that intersection, and on to Horsetooth Mountain Park. Most of the Blue Sky trail is less technical than the Devil's Backbone trail, though the southern end of the Blue Sky Trail is more technical than the rest. I particularly enjoy riding the Blue Sky Trail from the Soderberg trailhead, and I have another page describing that ride.
Last year, I believe that the western portions of all three loops were closed to mountain bikes. That was unfortunate, in my opinion, since the eastern portion are too technical for me. I end up walking through many areas, and the trail is so rocky that I don't really enjoy the ride. As a result, I've not been on this trail in some time. However I've recently heard that these loops were reopened to mountain bikers. I've also heard of some trailwork being done in the area, and I don't yet know what the results are. I hope to revisit this trail someday soon to see what it's like now.
Newman > Bicycling > Coyote Ridge
Last Modified: April 28, 2007
By: David Newman