YOUR AD HERE »

Pitkin County bike trails: Hay Park, El Jebel

Getting there: From Carbondale, take CO-133 south and turn left on Prince Creek Road. After a few miles, the road turns to dirt. You’ll top out at an intersection; from there, turn right and proceed a few miles to the parking lot. From there, you’ll head across the road and begin climbing. (You should see a trail marker and kiosk.)

Trail talk: The scenery draws people to Hay Park, and it keeps them coming back. The rocky first mile of climbing makes for a difficult ride, but the views are worth it.

HAY PARK

Distance: 18.6 miles

Difficulty: Intermediate

The dirt: Grind up the trail. You’ll know you’ve hit the halfway point when you come to a left switchback. At a cattle gate, the rail will smooth out and the ride will become more enjoyable. There’s one intersection on the trail. Here, bear left toward Hay Park; the right path would take you toward Thomas Lake and Mount Sopris. You’ll come to a stream crossing and then ride along the river. Eventually, you’ll enter a lower meadow and cross a wooden bridge. A final climb will take you through another cattle gate. After about 4 miles, you’ll find yourself in the upper meadow, which offers captivating views of Capitol Peak. From here, you can turn around and enjoy a fast return trip or plow forward for 5 more miles of difficult singletrack on the way to Capitol Creek Road.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.