The Mt. Princeton Trail
Articles - BV Outdoors

Picture 1by: Keith Baker

Like a moderate-to-challenging mountain bike ride that will remind you you’re really in the mountains?  Try the Mount Princeton section of the Colorado Trail from South Cottonwood Creek south toward Frontier Ranch.

Local mountain bikers regard this as the best section of trail in the Buena Vista area.  This is why you took upPicture 2 mountain biking.  You’ll traverse the eastern flanks of majestic Mount Princeton and can reward yourself afterward with a soak at Cottonwood Hot Springs.

I’ll assume you’re visiting and don’t have the resources for a shuttle so we’ll discuss this as an out-and-back from South Cottonwood toward Frontier Ranch.  Access the trailhead by driving about 6.8 miles west from the intersection of US 24 and Chaffee County Road (CR) 306.  This is still the only traffic signal within the town limits.  CR 306 is also Main Street; West Main is also called CottonwoodPicture 5 Pass Road.

You’ll pass the Comanche Drive-In Theatre on the left and Cottonwood Hot Springs on the right.  Turn left on CR 344, toward Cottonwood Lake.  Drive about ¼ mile, look carefully, and park in the small parking area on the left.

The trail begins just southeast of thePicture 6 parking area and soon crosses South Cottonwood Creek on a good bridge.  Shortly thereafter the climb begins.  The climb’s reputation is worse than it’s reality if you are equipped with a latter-day soft tail or even a hard tail.  Solid intermediates should be able to ride most of this climb, but the combination of climb and turns adds to the challenge.  The climb is about 1.9 miles and remarkably rewarding.Picture 8

The reward is a five-mile stretch of tasty single track with a few rock gardens, roots, and technical transitions at the drainages.  Other than that, it’s a real uncrowded cruiser through Rocky Mountain forest!

You may wish to avoid climbing back up by turning around when you intersect the Mount Princeton jeep road, CR 322.  Turning around here makes your ride about 14.3 miles out and back.  Give your bike her head and cruise on!

Keith Baker is the Co-Owner of the Trailhead Cycle and Ski here in Buena Vista.


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