Information & Conditions: Lower Loop

Updated 6/20/10

Status: Good to Go!

Detailed Description:

A number of years ago, this trail was a regular after dinner route for a number of locals. Then, private landowners cut off the access, and this trail didn’t exist any more. The Lower Loop trail exists again today because of the passion, vision and hard work of our local Land Trust and CBMBA.

Begin from town to enjoy this special trail. From the start you have a number of options:

Your first options is to follow Butte Avenue out of town. you’ll see a trail on your left, just after the last house on Butte. Follow this single track, staying right at any intersections. Curve left past a large house, down through a bog, and up and over a hill. You’ll end up paralleling the road to Peanut Mine, up on the hillside in the wildflowers. Follow this to its end at Peanut Mine to join up with the "official" Lower Loop trail.

Another option is to ride up the end of Elk Avenue or Whiterock to join the Kebler Pass Road. Just after the first intersection (Treasury Hill Road) on the right, you’ll see a turnout and trailhead on the right. Take the path that forks left. This will lead you through the Woods Walk on some nice singletrack, and join the first variation near the big house.

The third option is to simply ride out the dirt road at the end of Butte to Peanut Mine. This is the "official" start of the Lower Loop, though it’s not as fun as the first two options. This variation is best for riders who aren’t ready for single track right away.

There’s a gate at the obvious entrace to Peanut Mine. Go throught the gate, and stay on the road through the mine. After you reach a second gate on the road look for two switchbacks and the trail on the right.

This is the Lower Loop trail. There is an ADA trail (a dirt road) that parallels the singletrack trail. The trail winds its way through the woods on a very easy grade. Great for one speed bikes and townies. Cross over the ADA trail that comes back in from the left and start to climb up to upper Lower Loop. The lower Lower Loop continues on the dirt road for a while before becoming singletrack.

Get this lower, upper thing? Good. Climb the upper Lower Loop trail for a short while and traverse above Slate River for a mile and a half. The trail passes through two small gates and connects with Gunsight Pass Road.

Here again, you have a number of options: you can ride back the way you came (the fun choice), you can turn left and climb up towards Gunsight Pass (the tough choice), or turn right, cross a rickety bridge over Slate River and take Slate River Road back to town (the easy choice).

You can also sample Boy Scout Trail (the local’s choice), which has views of Oh-Be-Joyful Creek. Turn left up Gunsight Pass Road for only about a hundred yards. You’ll see another dirt road and a "GB Loop" sign on the right. Follow a distinct doubletrack that descends to the right. It curves left, passes a large steel mining shed, and becomes singletrack. Ride through old rusting mining equipment, and follow the trail to the brink of Oh-Be-Joyful Creek. The trail continues with a hard right switchback, and then downhill to connect with the bottom of Gunsight Pass Road.

From here, you can head back on the "Lower Lower Loop". Just before Gunsight Pass Road meets the river, look for a dirt road on the right. Follow this road about 50 yards or so, and look CAREFULLY for a singletrack on your right. This trail follows the river back, and reconnects with the Lower Loop sections you just rode.