Review: This is a really nice ride for being in my backyard. I work from home and ride it several times a week at lunch or after work. It's great for training and keeping your skills up. Also not to difficult to take a beginner along and show them the ropes. It's the high test point around in Denver and has some great views. Also, if you're lucky you might see 1 or both of a pair of Golden Eagles nesting in the cliffs facing Monarch.

Review: It's a private trail for residents of highlands ranch. I went just after a big rain. It was wet and muddy. A good easy ride with good views but not much more.

Review: This is a perfect trail for residents of Highlands Ranch, really fun singletrack with lots of wildlife and views that make you feel like you are out in the wilderness instead of in the middle of the suburbs. Not difficult but a few rock sections and a creek crossing keep it interesting. Great beginner and after work ride!

Similar Trail: Ridgeline Open Space

Review: This is a fun ride for those who live in the area. Smooth, narrow singletrack with a few short sections with rocks, etc. to mix it up. I like to ride all 3 trails in a counterclockwise loop (ponderosa, watering hole, then wildcat). For a longer ride park at RCMS and ride up the East/West trail to the Monarch Backcountry trails. When you have looped all three trails there, continue on the East/West trail (heading West) until it connects with the HR Backcountry trails. Complete these trails and then backtrack on East/West all the way back to RCMS. Ends up being ~15 miles all on singletrack and dirt path (East/West trail).

Similar Trail: HR Backcountry

Review: This is a great trail for beginners. I started at RHMS, rode up the public East/West trail, entered the gate at Waterin' Hole Loop, went left/clockwise, rode out/back on Wildcat Mountain (nice views!), then left again on Waterin' Hole, over the rocks/slickrock, entered Ponderosa rode that CCW, then finally back on Waterin' Hole and back to RHMS via East/West Trail. These trails are better IMO than the Highlands Point Trail System. Yes you do need to be part of HRCA. Great beginner trails, nice quick ride for Intermediates, but Experts will be bored. Note that the Wildcat Mountain trail itself closes in the Spring due to nesting raptors.

* Review edited 8/25/2011

Similar Trail: Highlands Point Trail System and Douglas County East/West Trail

Review: awesome trail, but sucks that you have to have a rec.... such crap. i got hunted down while i was riding and kicked out

Review: This trail has been behind my house for over 2 years and I didn't even know it! Rode it and fell in love. Great mix of man made jumps and tight winding trails that have some good uphill rants and some really fast downhill as well. There is even a section that has you slowly navigating your way through some rock gardens! I've seen lots of wildlife; elk, deer, chipmunks, lizards, and had to bunnyhop over a 6 foot bull snake after seeing a rattlesnake 5 min earlier. So nice that it's over 15 miles (round trip) and right in my backyard!

Review: This little network was a real surprise. The trails, while not technical or difficult, are interesting and entertaining. There is good flow throughout and most of the singletrack is nice and narrow. It's surprisingly narrow as it winds through some bushes with blind corners, far moreso than I would have thought the safety Nazis would allow. In any case, this trail is a great asset for HR residents (which I am not, but I know someone who is). If you've got a buddy in HR, have him/her give you the escort in and have a ball.

Similar Trail: For a similar, bur non-restricted experience, head to Hidden Mesa NE of Castle Rock.

Review: Great meadow terrain with rolling hills. Never too steep to keep the speed up.

Review: I can confirm that this is for Highlands Ranch residents only, there's even a dude at the gate checking ID's. :(

Similar Trail: Something the public has access to.

Review: To make this ride a little more challenging (Read: Fun)...Park in the High School parking lot at the intersection of Monarch and McArthur Ranch. Bike thru the parking lot heading SE and you'll see the trail head. A fun little uphill stands between you and the (actual) trail head for this system. Be sure to explore every outlet of this trail as one section takes you to the top of Wildcat Ridge for an incredible view of just about everything! Can't wait for this trail system to connect with the Bluffs Regional Park trail and the Highlands Ranch Backcountry trails...For right now I guess we'll have to connect the dots via surface streets. Blah. All in all...Fun!

Similar Trail: Bluffs Regional Park in Lone Tree Highlands Ranch Backcountry

Review: I ride this trail several times a week. It's a great little singletrack that has something for everyone. Not too difficult, but enough variety to keep your interest. Not a bad spot to tune up for the epic ride.

Review: Nice area. A couple of little technical sections, stream crossing. No tough climbs.

* Review edited 5/20/2008

Similar Trail: Hidden Mesa Trail

Review: This is a little better than the Mountain Vsta Backcountry trail but it is still not that amzing. It is nice that it is longer and a little skinnier. There are a few tricky spots, but they are still beginer to intermediate skill level. The views are nice because you are up on a platue. The cool thing is that they are extending on of the trails and it will connect to the other backcountry trail, and then to another little trail a block from my house. Yeah!! It will be nice to be able to ride a trail for 30+ miles on almost all dirt and be able to strat right at my house.

* Review edited 6/20/2007

Similar Trail: Mountain Vista Backcountry

Review: its a great trail for an entry level rider

Similar Trail: Other highlands ranch Backcountry