Trail Area: Prince Creek and Crown Trail System

Location: Carbondale, Colorado

Trail Overview: Welcome to the Crown Royale. I promise you that this trail will not disappoint for almost any level or style of rider and you will be left with that “I want to high five everyone” feeling after the descent. The trail offers a 2,464-foot vertical drop over 5.4 miles of directional machine built flow trail. Does this exist anywhere else in the state? I think not! The trail is packed full of features from start to finish. There are no shortage of jumps, berms, whoops, and smiles. There are many ways to access this trail via pedaling or shuttling but for this review we will focus on the climb from the Hooks Lane Trailhead in El Jebel. Check out your favorite trail app for more options.

To start the climb from the Hooks Lane Trailhead Parking you will head towards Carbondale on the Rio Grande Trail until you see a sign on your left for Glassier OS Access. This is the beginning of your 8.5 mile (estimated) climb here, so buckle down with some great music and grit, because you are going to be out there for a while. From the Glassier Trail you will take a left onto the Vasten Trail and then left onto the Imperial Gardens Trail which will take you to the start of Crown Royale. This is a meandering climb with very few steep sections. Bring plenty of water because it takes most locals between 1 hour and 30 minutes to  2 hours and 15 minutes to complete depending on level of fitness. Full disclosure: I love to shuttle this trail!

After you enjoy the amazing views of Sopris and getting your hydration on, it’s time to drop into the fun. The trail is broken down into three sections: top, lower, and middle which are all uniquely different. The top section is full of non stop action and has you ripping berms and jumps at almost every stage of the trail. The middle section has less features but is fast and has turns for days. The lower section gets a little spicy and that’s why this trail is rated as a black trail. If you are not up for black level riding then this is a good point to bail out and descend on one of the other great trails in the area. The lower section is built through a tight gully and sends you up and down the steep sides with a combination of loose rocks, roots, step ups, drops and whoopty-woos. The whoopty’s(best name I’ve got for them) are a very unique feature which send you up one side of the gully and have you loop back over the trail that you just rode. This means spacing is crucial for those riding in a group to prevent collisions. 

The trail drops you into the tail end of Buckhorn which will dump you out on the Rio Grande trail. Make sure you come to a full stop before entering the Rio Grande because there is often a lot of bike traffic on the path. The Rio Grande offers a perfect cool down ride back to your vehicle after a heart pounding descent. 

Checkout Sunlight Mountain Resorts YouTube page for the full video review.

Climb

• Elevation gain: 2,600ft (some up and down add to the climbing total)
• Distance: 8.5 miles
• Surface(s): Hardpack dirt with some looser sections
• Elevation gain per mile: 305 feet
• Technicality: Switchbacks and a few punchy sections but overall mellow
• Color rating: Blue

Descent

• Elevation drop: 2,464ft
• Distance: 5.4 miles
• Descent description
  • Upper Section
    • Surface: Pack to loose dirt
    • Technicality: Blue flow trail with jumps and berms (jumping is not mandatory)
  • Middle Section
    • Surface: Packed to loose dirt
    • Technicality: Blue flow trail with jumps and berms. Some tighter gully turns on this section
  • Lower Section
    • Surface: Packed to loose dirt, loose rocks, roots
    • Technicality: Black flow trail with steep gully walls, loose rocks, roots, step up jumps and drops
• Color rating:
  • Upper and Middle: Blue
  • Lower: Black 

Land Manager: BLM

RFMBA was involved in developing and is now part of maintaining these trails, with support from our membership, the City of Glenwood Springs, and local partners like Sunlight Mountain Resort.

Parking: There are many options to park for this trail, so you must research which one best fits your needs. We have listed a few of the main options here.

• Pedal Parking
  • Hooks Lane Trailhead, El Jebel
  • Rio Grande parking, Carbondale(where County Road 100 crosses the Roaring Fork River)
  • Lower Prince Creek Trailhead, Carbondale
• Shuttle Parking
  • Drop Car Parking
    • Drop 1 vehicle at any of the “pedal parking lots”
    • The Hooks Lane and Rio Grand parking are going to be the closest to the trail exit on the Rio Grande bike path
  • Shuttle Car Parking
    • Prince Creek South Parking.
      • This parking option is where Prince Creek Road and BLM 8320 meet high up on the mountain
      • You will be left with a 900ft climb to the top of Crown Royal on BLM 8320. This is a perfect climbing warm up before the big descent
      • Almost any vehicle can make it to this lot
    • Upper Lot BLM 8320
      • You can continue past the Prince Creek South Parking to the start of Crown Royal on BLM 8320.
      • The road on this stretch is rutted and loose so you will need a high clearance vehicle with 4WD to access this lot.
      • Please do not attempt this drive in wet conditions. The road becomes very slippery and major damage to the road will occur. 

Don’t forget to stop by Sunlight Ski and Bike in downtown Glenwood Springs for all your biking needs! Sunlight Bike and Ski is located at 309 Ninth St. in Glenwood Springs. Stop in or call 970-945-9425 for trail recommendations, ski and bike services and more.