Kim Fuller
Elevation Outdoors

Mountain bike tires are ready to roll on the trails around Del Norte, a quiet town in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Spring and early summer present just the right daytime temps in this high-desert destination—a four-hour drive from Denver, set at 7,884 feet.

Del Norte’s trail systems revolve around D Mountain, and several others prime spots are scattered throughout the area. The rides take on mostly primitive terrain, ranging from rolling and semi-technical to rocky and steep.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas like Limekiln, Stone Quarry and Bishop’s Rock are just a short drive from town and prime in the early season. Head for the higher-altitude Rio Grande National Forest trails, like Middle Frisco Creek, when summertime heat makes the valley floor too hot to handle.

More is coming. This summer, an approved government grant and a contribution from Rio Grande County will fund a connection project, starting from the in-town D Mountain trails area, and eventually reaching Stone Quarry and beyond.

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