Centennial Cone

Centennial Cone is an amazing cross-country tour through patches of wildflowers, tight singletrack, and beautifully expansive vistas. Long ago this land was settled by homesteaders who left their marks around the park in the form of skeletons of stone chimneys and farm machinery.

The ride begins with a blazing downhill from Travois Trail that is followed by some gentle ups and downs before the giant uphill to Mayhem Gulch. Take some time to admire the multitude of wildflowers on the trail; this is one of the best places in the Front Range to see such a wide variety. The last few miles of the ride are double track through the Elk Range Trail section of the park. This part of the park is closed in the spring for elk calving, making this an out-and-back in the spring instead of a full loop. Some of Elk Range Trail is on private land, so be sure to stick to the trail.

If you end up planning to ride Centennial Cone on the weekend, pay attention to what day it is; due to heavy use, even days are allocated for mountain biking and odd days for hiking. The fine is $50 and rangers frequent the trails on the weekends so best to follow the rules. For a longer route, consider leaving from the parking lot at Highway 6 West and riding up Mayhem Gulch into the park.