Mountain Bike Riding in South Valley Park, CO

South Valley Park – Mountain Bike Ride

South Valley Park is a 909 acre Jefferson County Open Space park located just to the west of Denver. It is easily accessible by taking C-470 South to the Ken Caryl exit (westbound). Turn left onto South Valley Road to the park’s north parking area. The south parking area can be accessed by Deer Creek Canyon Road. There is plenty of parking available; however, the weekends are more crowded.  South Valley Park is a beautiful area for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and picnicking. There are approximately 6.8 miles of natural surface trails and 1.2 miles of hard surface trails.

Many of the trails in South Valley Park are multi-use trails, however, the park also includes a Hiker Only trail. Dogs are allowed on the trails but must remain on a leash and kept under control at all times. It is imperative to stay on maintained trails, as creating your own trail will only cause erosion and damage to the surrounding habitat. Use caution when passing and respect other trail users. Look for a future blog explaining trail etiquette and the right of way on multi-user trails.

I have been biking for most of my life. I remember riding my first bike with training wheels and the overwhelming excitement that took hold when I finally graduated to a 10-speed bike. Even with the seat positioned at its’ lowest height and wooden blocks taped to the pedals, it was a stretch to reach the pedals. Over the years I have become quite comfortable on a road bike, going out for long rides on the weekends and competing in several triathlons. After moving to Colorado last year and meeting my boyfriend, Travis, I was introduced to mountain biking. I had never been on a mountain bike, but figured it could not be much different. I was mistaken. Mountain biking over varied terrain is a far cry from the smooth pavement I have grown accustomed to on my road bike.

Travis is a teacher, his gift as an educator has never been more apparent to me than as I climb onto a mountain bike for the first time.  He is patient and kind, giving great advice when needed and keeping his thoughts to himself when I become frustrated.  I am anxious for my skills to develop so that we can enjoy more challenging rides together.

The trail that we rode would be considered extremely easy by most, but not to a novice like myself.  The trails throughout South Valley Park are well marked with few rocks and/or obstacles to dodge along the way.  The trails wind their way through stunning red rock formations.  It is difficult to believe that this park is situated outside the city of Denver. That is one of the things I love most about Colorado.  There are hundreds of outdoor adventures waiting to be discovered and most are located just minutes away from work or home.

As you can see in the picture above the trail is not very technical.  However, after a summer of rain storms and heavy foot/bike traffic the trail was slightly washed out in some areas.  I had to pay close attention to my front wheel at times as increased amounts of sand made the surface fairly unstable in some areas.  Because sandstone is easily eroded, climbing in South Valley Park is prohibited. Dogs are welcome in the park, but must remain on at leash at all times.

I hope you enjoyed my first blog about mountain biking.  I am already looking forward to my next adventure.  Thank you Travis for being my biggest cheerleader, helping to edit my blogs, and introducing me to the world of mountain biking.  No matter how many times I have fallen off my bike and will continue to do so in the future, you are always there to pick me up, brush me off and encourage me to get back in the saddle.

References/Resources:

http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/openspace

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