Panorama on Walker Ranch Loop MTB trail near Boulder, Colorado
Panorama on Walker Ranch Loop MTB trail near Boulder, Colorado

Walker Ranch Loop Mountain Biking Trail

Boulder
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Walker Ranch Loop Mountain Biking Trail

Distance: 7.8mi
Elevation: 1,457ft
Time: 2.5-3.5h

Difficulty Rating:

User Ratings:
9.5 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
Physical Difficulty

Walker Ranch Loop is breathtaking… in both sense of the word! The trail runs through some amazing terrain with breathtaking views around every corner. But, there are also breathtaking hill climbs that leave you, well, breathless!

Walker Ranch Loop Mountain Biking Trail Map

Getting there

From Boulder, head west on Baseline until it turns into Flagstaff Rd. Take the extremely steep and twisty road up Flagstaff Mountain, until it levels out. Walker Ranch Trailhead parking is approximately 7.2mi down Flagstaff Rd.

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About

Route Signage

Good

Crowd Levels

Moderate

Route Type

Loop


Walker Ranch Loop
Elevation Graph


Route Description for Walker Ranch Loop

Walker Ranch Loop is breathtaking, in a good way and a bad. At times this will be your favorite trail and then, it changes, and you will wonder why you are here! It is this Jekyll and Hyde between love and hate that prevents Walker Ranch from being ranked higher on the list of top 10.

The loop is typically ridden in the counter-clockwise direction; however, it can be done in clockwise or in pieces. Locals continue to try and find the best way to make this trail ‘flow’. In our opinion, just accept the trail for what it is.

There is an unrideable hike-a-bike section and there are large rocks making some of the climbs near impossible for the novice biker. But all these things that can lead you to ‘hate’ the trail all occur in an absolutely spectacular setting. Thatis why we recommend riding Walker Ranch Loop when you can make a day out of it, not expecting to get in laps; but instead to appreciate the absolute, stunning beauty of the trail and have fun where you can.

Insider Hints

  • The trail can be broken into sections to avoid the steep hike-a-bike.

  • While you are in the area, cruise over to Gross Reservoir for a look-see!

  • You could avoid the hike - a -bike section by riding to it in one direction, then turning around and riding to it from the other. This also gives you a longer ride!

Comments

Tom Gregory 4 years ago

Not sure if there's a wrong or right direction to ride this But I did this trail counterclockwise which I think is probably the way to go

10.0 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
Physical Difficulty
Cykelly 5 years ago

Breathtaking indeed. I zigzagged the mountain for quite a bit, but there were some parts I just had to get off the bike. But it was a really great challenge for me to test my endurance.

9.0 Overall Rating
Technical Difficulty
Physical Difficulty
4h 00m Time Taken
2 Comments

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