Nine thousand feet high.  Ten plus miles of singletrack.  Banked turns.  Rolling hills.  Beautiful mountain views.  If you’re in decent shape and can take the altitude, there is no reason not to ride the Rampart Reservoir Trail.

Rampart Reservoir was built back in the 1960s, with the intention of providing water to nearby urban areas.  And as a major side benefit, we now have a great public recreation area.  Hikers and mountain bikers can make full use of the lakeside areas, and the trails are some of the best in the region.

I have hiked around the reservoir, and most of this information can apply to hiking as well.  But the real fun is in taking your mountain bike along the flowing singletrack.

Trail Route

You can start your loop around the reservoir at the campground or from the north side of the dam.  But the best place to start is at the Rainbow Gulch Trailhead.  The trailhead is basically a wide spot in Rampart Range Road on the way to the reservoir, but there is plenty of parking even on the busiest days.  Hop on your bike and follow Rainbow Gulch straight downhill to the reservoir trail. 

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