Having recently come back from 3 weeks in Boulder I wanted to share my favorite ride from the trip! The Gold Hill Loop has it all including great views, nice gradual climbs, hard packed gravel and a fun fast descent. The destination town of Gold Hill looks like something straight out of a western movie and features a great general store to stop and have a coke.
What is Gold Hill?
Gold Hill is a small old mining town in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado. The town was built over 150 years ago and most of the buildings haven’t changed since then! There are old broken down trucks scattered throughout town plus an old hotel & a general store on Main Street. The Gold Hill General Store & Pub is a favorite resting place for cyclists to stop for a coke and some snacks mid ride. There is a welcoming atmosphere and usually other cyclists hang out so be sure to stop by! (https://www.goldhillstore.com/)
The Gold Hill Loop
The traditional Gold Hill Loop leaves Boulder on a bike path going up along Boulder Canyon Road (CO 119). The bike path is smooth gravel and is shared with walkers so it's important to take it easy for the first few miles of the ride. Once you climb out of town the bike path intersects with 4 Mile Canyon Road.
Four Mile Canyon is a beautifully paved, winding and gradual road. If you're in good shape you can even put it in the big ring for some fun! The road is mostly lined with beautiful pine trees and loosely follows a creek. After passing through the small town of Salinas the road turns to dirt up to Gold Hill.
The final climb is 4 miles of steep dirt before you reach the town of Gold Hill. Be sure to ride around a bit in Gold Hill and stop by the Gold Hill General Store & Pub for a snack.
The final part of the ride blasts down to Boulder on Sunshine Canyon Road. This fun descent is gravel for the first few miles so be sure to be careful on the switch backs. Keeping your speed down will let you enjoy the sweeping views below as well!
What kind of bike do you need?
The Gold Hill loop features about 8 miles of smooth gravel road and could be done on a road bike by a seasoned rider. However, you will have a lot more fun on a gravel bike as the bigger tires will be more comfortable and confidence inspiring on the dirt roads. Additionally, the smaller gears will be useful on the steeper parts of 4 Mile Canyon Road. A bike like the 3T Exploro Racemax is a perfect ride for this loop. The stiff, racy feel lets you power up the climbs while feeling confident on the downhill and it allows you to run 40cc tires which are about the ideal size for the varied road conditions you encounter.
The Switzerland Trail
If the main Gold Hill Loop isn’t providing enough challenge for you I recommend incorporating parts of the Switzerland Trail which is further up in the mountains behind Gold Hill. This single lane road was originally built as a railroad and now serves as a playground for gravel bikes. There are 4 different sections of the Switzerland Trail to incorporate into the ride which all feature great riding and even better views. Check out the link for more information https://bit.ly/3SFlSjT.
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