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MTB TRAIL STATS

Avg Rating:	22 trail reviews
Status: Open updated 1/29/11 by maddslacker	Difficulty: Advanced
Length: 18 miles	Global Rank: #670
Tread: Singletrack	Configuration: Network
Ridden: 57	Wishlist: 20
Avg. Speed: 7.34 mph	Avg. Time: 3hr 51min
Elevation Gain/Loss: +7,176/-5,240 ft (based on partial GPS data)
1 trail check-ins

 

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reviewed by rcraft6826 on November 4, 2011

Id have to say that the south shore trail network has something for every type of rider. If you like just straightforward flat cross country riding there plenty of that. But on the flipside if your a little crazier and like the huge drops, log bridges, and epic singletrack with amazing views of the resevior its got that too. Very unique terrain ive never seen another trail with as much shale as well as technical rock sections. You can easily spend an entire day here exploring the entire network. Great trail in my book ill definitely be back soon!

Similar Trail: none

  
reviewed by noshift on September 21, 2011

I spent most of my summer riding this trail system. It was amazing. I am still working my way up to lower dog though.

  
reviewed by davefourtwenty on August 30, 2011

This area offers something for all riders but I really love the technical sections that Keyhole and Skull have to offer. I've ridden all over the state and some of the great rides in Moab and I would say the technical here rivals Dakota Ridge and Porcupine Rim. If you don't like technical riding you can still have fun out here as there are some easy rides as well.

Similar Trail: Dakota Ridge, Porcupine Rim, Hartman Rocks

  
reviewed by pdinsurance on July 27, 2011

This place offers a very wide variety of singletrack for all levels of riders.

  
reviewed by maddslacker on March 15, 2011

This trail is a network with a little bit of everything, for every type of rider. It is also far enough south to be snow-free most of the time. Plan on spending 3 hours or so exploring, and ride the short sections of trail both ways for a totally new perspective.

  
reviewed by RoadWarrior on February 27, 2011

Awesome, A lot of everything. Just about every canyon, and draw between Rt 96 and the lake has been made "rideable" Bring your pads and long travel bike for these or XC bike for the other trails. Map shows over 40 miles of trails. Should add; bring your do everything trail bike and enjoy it all.

* Review edited 3/1/2011

Similar Trail: Palmer Park

  
reviewed by bigdrop46 on September 30, 2010

A great variety of trails here when you discover which ones are fun ups, which fun downs. It's worth the trip for a day or two of riding. A couple longer loops, and a lot of extremely short options up and down ravines.

Similar Trail: Phil's World Cortez, CO

  
reviewed by COGator00 on April 15, 2010

Variety is the name of the game here. Stay near 96 and loop the DH trails all day long or follow the Pronghorn trail over to Voodoo for some awesome rolling XC. Not all of the trails are Technically difficult, but the loose shale can make handling tougher for novices. Can camp near Arkansas Point and spend 2 days there to cover all of the terrain fully!

Similar Trail: Loma area, G.J.

  
reviewed by Beaker on April 13, 2010

These trails offer a great winter getaway from a snowy front range. There are advanced technical (Hooter's Canyon, Skull Canyon, etc), intermediate technical (Rock canyon...) and a nice XC loop (Voodoo). The shale (which sounds like you're riding on broken plates) can be a little tough on your tires - especially your sidewalls. Bring a spare TIRE if you have one.

  
reviewed by bonkedagain on April 12, 2010

Upate: the current web site for the area is http://www.lakepueblotrails.org/

  
reviewed by RideorDie on April 11, 2010

What a great trail system! This is totally worth the trip down from the Springs. The technical runs are short but power packed with tons of natural and man made obstacle fun! The elevation gain/loss is enough to have fun going down over some technical stuff, but not too much to do numerous runs back up the hill. The non-technical stuff is much longer than the technical runs, but it is still fun flowy single track. If you are looking for a workout, then you need to spend at least a few hours or all day. If there is an ability gap in your group - then this place is perfect. The newbies can tag along and then walk short sections that challenge expert riders. This is a great early or late season ride before the temps get too hot. Also, while many other trails at higher elevations are wet, this system is bone dry. Take extra tubes as there are tons of cactus plants!

Similar Trail: Fruita, Palmer Park

  
reviewed by jneuff on February 13, 2010

I am a South Carolina transplant, living in Canon City for the month. This was my first Colorado ride in quite some time. The ride lives up to its reviews. It is a great mix of XC and very technical singletrack going down gullies and whatnot. I ended up riding a bit of the rollercoaster, South Shore trail, and the Voodoo loop. Great views throughout the ride of surrounding mountains. I also rode up on a bald eagle. The mud can get a bit intense on the trail, so try to ride during a dry spell. This is definitely a place I will revisit.

  
reviewed by Beaker on January 15, 2010

A nice variety of technical to rolling XC trails. Trail spurs such as Skull Canyon, Hooters Canyon, and Watertower should not be missed. DO NOT park at the red gate however. There have been lots of vehicle break-ins at the red gate. Go into the Lake Pueblo State Park and pay your $6. Park at the campground parking lot. South shore trail and duke start from there.

  
reviewed by Curtis_C on December 12, 2009

I started at the Arkasas point parking area. Rode clockwise starting with couduit access - duke-rodeo-rodeo ridge- rock canyon-south shore- pedros point- pronghorn trail-outer limits-pedros point- waterfall- south shore up and back out skull canyon- more on south shore- up and back out water tower- south shore again back to the parking area.

This is a great trail system on the south shores of Lake Pueblo. There are great veiws of the lake, and the distant mountains including the south side of Pikes Peak. Keeping a sharp eye one can easily spot lots of wildlife in the area.This route is 95% single track flowy riding with a little technical thrown in for good measure. Ride these trails in any direction, they wont disappoint

This trail system is ridable pretty much all year since it dries out quickly and the temps are generally a little warmer than COS and Denver areas. While everthing else may be snowed in these trails are ready for some tread.

  
reviewed by Dom_C on November 19, 2008

Great diversity of trail difficulties. Easy to get to after work. Fun aspects added by local bike shops and communities.

  
reviewed by Boots! on June 10, 2008

I loved this trail. We were camping in Pueblo Reservoir state park and rode the paved paths from within the park to the South Shore trails---about 7 miles to get there. Next time we will definitely drive to the parking lot so that we can spend more time on the single track rather than wasting time out and back on the pavement. This wasn't a technical ride at all (from what I did) -- just great single track with beautiful views of the lake and Pikes Peak. This is one I'll definitely visit in the winter and fall when the mountain trails are covered in snow.

  
reviewed by Grizzattack on April 9, 2008

Check the Southern Colorado Trail Builders website for the latest news, maps and events: http://www.sctb02.org/

Similar Trail: Deer Haven Ranch

  
reviewed by Grizzattack on November 20, 2007

Singletrack stash: Pueblo becoming mountain bike hotbed Dave Phillips The Colorado Springs Gazette March 21, 2007 PUEBLO — In the warm desert sun, a pack of mountain bikers skips over shale ledges, pedals across narrow wood ramps and shoots down rocky gullies, finally skidding to a stop at a sunny overlook where a sandstone cliff drops 100 feet to the water. Vance Hubersberger, the lead rider, wipes the sweat from his brow. “Welcome to Fruita,” he says. “I mean welcome to Moab, I mean ...” He means welcome to Pueblo, Colo. Yes, that Pueblo, south of Colorado Springs. The Steel City, long known for blue collars and green chilies, is poised to become one of Colorado’s mountain bike hot spots. In the past several years, without fanfare, local bikers have built almost 50 miles of singletrack on a dry, sunny plateau west of town. The 27,000 acres of sandstone cliffs and juniper-studded arroyos, nicknamed the South Shore because the area sits south of Pueblo Reservoir, feel more like the Utah desert than the edge of the plains. The weather has a desert feel, too. Pueblo is, on average, 4 degrees warmer than Colorado Springs and the sunny, arid landscape keeps the trails dry when most of the state is still locked in ice. But the mild climate is only part of the pull for riders traveling from as far as Boulder to hit what many are calling “the Fruita of the Front Range.” Pueblo also has a top-notch trail system with everything from smooth cruisers to rock drops that make riders check their insurance coverage. Miles of easy trails weave along the crest of sandstone cliffs along the lake shore. Signs made by volunteers direct riders down side trails with names such as Bones and Pin Ball that follow fast, jarring lines to the canyon floor. “There are definitely some really tough sections,” Hubersberger said on a recent ride, “but we try to have something for everyone.” Hubersberger grew up in Pueblo and owns Vance’s Bicycle World, a short ride from the trails. He always loved bikes. In the early 1980s, he held the world record for bunny hopping 941.5 inches. When he got into mountain biking in the late 1980s, the pickings were slim. Pueblo’s small tribe of mountain bikers made do with local motorcycle trails for years. Finally they found an almost blank canvas at the South Shore. “At first we’d go riding out there by just linking up old cow paths,” said Austin Clark who, like Hubersberger and a cadre of other local bikers, discovered the area about 17 years ago. Do-it-yourself trail building From there the South Shore evolved much like its more famous Western Slope kin, Fruita. Ambitious bikers used spare time and shovels to make bigger and better trails on essentially overlooked scraps of public land. In Fruita’s case, the land was a barren shale valley on Bureau of Land Management acreage west of Grand Junction, near the Utah border. In Pueblo’s case, it was rough, little-used prairie owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and managed by Colorado State Parks. In both cases, volunteers quietly devised lavish systems that would have taken years of red tape to construct on more heavily regulated land. For Fruita, the honeymoon of lax regulation ended when a flood of notoriety brought increased scrutiny by land managers in the late 1990s. A few locals were able to build dozens of trails in the early years. In the years that followed, the place has become an international biking destination, and the BLM has only allowed a few new trails. Pueblo seems less far along on the same path. A tiny group of volunteers called the Southern Colorado Trail Builders Association constructed 48 miles of trail under what one volunteer called a “don’t ask, don’t tell” relationship with managers at the state park. In the past few years, though, managers of Lake Pueblo State Park have brought the group into the official fold. Lake Pueblo is putting together a trails master plan that will officially recognize the existing system and identify new trail opportunities. “We’ve kind of done it backwards. Usually you have the plan before the trails, but that’s OK,” said park manager Mike Dowd. He said the park views bike volunteers as “a valuable asset.” Legitimacy for the South Shore trails has its price “Working with all the government agencies is really slowing things down,” Clark said. Every proposed trail is required to be designed by a professional and inspected for archaeological sites. The waiting list for inspection by the state is more than a year long. The kinds of trails that can be built are changing, too. Land managers presented with daring drops or bridges often bring up liability, Clark said. Even so, the group has another 12-mile loop planned. Construction may begin this year. “It’s a lot like Fruita,” said Hubersberger. “We got a lot done at first and now it’s slowed down. But what we got done is pretty awesome. I mean, it’s a gas, man.” The word is out Word of the South Shore is starting to spread. Many in Pueblo still don’t know about it, but tales of trails rideable all winter have reached a growing number of avid riders in Colorado Springs and points north. “I first heard about it last year and went down to check it out,” said Jim Schwerin, a member of the Colorado Springs-based bike advocacy group Medicine Wheel. “It was described to me as a little Fruita, and that’s exactly what it is,” said Schwerin. It lacks Fruita’s superlatives. The view isn’t quite as good. The trails aren’t quite as long. The steeps aren’t quite as rad. But the short drive makes it possible to make the trip once or twice a week, not once or twice a year. And people are making the trip. “Everyone I meet on the trail is from Colorado Springs. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone from Pueblo,” said Teresa Ingram, who drives down regularly to ride during winter. In April, locals are holding the South Shore’s first race, as a sort of coming-out party for the longtime local secret. “I hope someday we have 50 cars a weekend heading down here instead of to Fruita,” Clark said. Until then, he carries photos of the trails with him when he visits other towns. “Otherwise, I’ve found people don’t believe me when I say Pueblo has great biking.” Also see: http://www.imagespueblo.com/recreation/Nonprofit_Positions_Pueblo_to_be_Mountain_Biking_Mecca.php* Review edited 11/20/2007

* Review edited 11/20/2007

Similar Trail: Deer Haven Ranch

  
reviewed by skibum on October 29, 2007

Not pretty. No sustained climbs. However, the trail designers got the most out of what they had to work with. There are little technical treats scattered everywhere. Stonehenge is aptly named. Most of the downhills are fun and the uphills seem too easy for the amount of downhill you get. You can cruise CC style or do some mild freeriding or anything in between. Best of all, it's as relatively low elevation in Colorado's "banana belt," so it's rideable most of the year.

  
reviewed by bonkedagain on November 19, 2006

The trails here have grown on me over time. This isn't a huge network so it is hard to justify traveling for hours to get there, but it does have a lot to offer, especially in the winter when the rest of the higher trails in Colorado are getting snowed in. There are a bunch of bluffs and shallow canyons on the southside of the lake that provide lots of opportunities for fun rides down rocky gulches, or easy cruises weaving along the top of the bluffline. Someone has obviously spent a lot of time moving rock slabs around to make rideable lines down many of the gulches that drop down off the bluff. Most can be ridden with reasonable technical skills and some offer some really challenging obstacles, but nothing that should make you fear for your life or anything. For example Lower Dog is just a kick-butt fun ride with a ladder at the top and some cool rocky slabs to work your way down. I still haven't gathered enough testerone to go down the steep section near the top of Hooters Canyon, but I know it can be done with enough cojones and daring. There isn't much altitude here, so you get your adrenaline in short, fast doses, but the trails are really fun, especially if you like riding down rock slab chutes. Definitely worth a trip if you are snowed in at the higher altitudes.

* Review edited 11/20/2006

Similar Trail: Palmer Park, Fruita area

  
reviewed by c3667 on February 13, 2006

there are three new trails !!!!! Come and check them out!!

  
reviewed by c3667 on July 31, 2005

This is a great after work ride if you live in Pueblo . lots of different terain . the dirt is pretty poor (lots of shale) but it is great for training innefficency. I ride here at least once a week and really enjoy it! If anyone ever need a tour guide email me!

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