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Spruce Mountain Trail Upper Loop Mountain Bike Trail
Palmer Lake, Colorado
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
7 trail reviews |
|
Status: updated 9/12/07 by wjacobsen |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 4 miles | Global Rank: #1698 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 24 | Wishlist: 14 |
| Avg. Speed: 7.7 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 10min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +1,179/-1,290 ft |
Directions:
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Description: It goes green to black within the first half mile and then mellows on top of spruce mountain. It loops for 2.5 miles and then heads back down the one mile track you came up.
Description: It goes green to black within the first half mile and then mellows on top of spruce mountain. It loops for 2.5 miles and then heads back down the one mile track you came up.
added on July 3, 2006 by 
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by maddslacker on March 15, 2011
There is a bit of a climb going in and a couple of rocky spots, but overall this trail isn't too technical. I take my daughter on it and I have taken complete beginners as well. Watch for deer, I have seen one almost every time I've been. On the backside, for extra cardio, drop down the fireroad and climb back up.
reviewed by skibum on October 1, 2010
Boy, was this a surprise! Given it's prairie location, I expected it to be totally lame, but it turned out to be a great ride. Spruce Mountain is a beautifully forested bluff that rises abruptly from the prairie below (although I had a hard time finding any spruce as the bluff seems to be covered with ponderosa). There are two paths from the parking lot to the top. The right fork will cross some prairie at the base of the bluff before a relatively gentle climb to the top. The left fork is steep, switchbacking it's way right up to the top. After the two paths meet, there's more climbing before hitting the loop. Whatever direction you take, it's a great climb through a wonderful forest. Although there are a few rocks, there's nothing overly technical and most of the trail is wide enough to offer an easy line around the obstacles. This is a great place to bring a reasobly fit newbie. The last part of the lollipop handle has fantastic views of the valley below, the foothills behind, and Pikes Peak rising above all. Once on the loop, the trail loses much of its character as it turns into a service road wide path. There are some great overlooks along the way and rock formations to play on. When you complete the loop, that climb up becomes a super fun downhill. If only the interesting part was longer . . .
Similar Trail: Nothing in this area. Head to Monument for Limbaugh Canyon or C Springs for the great rides there.
reviewed by stnd4something on April 29, 2010
I really loved this ride! The switchbacks going up the mountain are great, the single track was great, the entire route is beautiful and the view from the top is about as good as you can find. Switchbacks are a little tight coming down, so have to pay attention. And when coming out at the bottom there are some jumps to finish off with some great air. If you haven't ridden this sweet route your are missing out.
reviewed by rmart28 on July 21, 2009
I rode this looking to get in shape after two months of foot surgery rehab. If you want to evaluate your shape, keep right. This will lead you ALL the way around Spruce Mt. It gets a little more challenging after roughly 2.5 miles (once again, keep right!) You will encounter the "service road". An ungraded, semi-steep, losely graveled road. After that, the ride gets very scenic as you approach the top of Spruce Mt. Enjoy!
Similar Trail: Mt Herman
reviewed by BarDev on May 19, 2008
I rode this trail for the first time on Saturday, May 17, 2008. This was my first ride of the year for me, so I wasn’t pushing it too hard. I started the ride at the Spruce Meadow trail head and head south for 2 miles. This part of the ride is fairly flat and a good warm up. At the end of the 2 miles, I crossed highway 105, heading west and then north. At this point, I’m now on the Spruce Mountain trail. I’m not sure how many miles I rode total, but probably somewhere around 9 miles total. The Spruce Mountain trail had a few climbs, but nothing too difficult. None of the climbs are long and most should be able to do these climbs. For an average rider there’s nothing too technical. But, for the beginner rider there are 2 spots less than 10 yards long that some may identify as technical, but most wouldn’t. I did the upper loop Clockwise and there were a few switchbacks (about 4) going up, but I believe they were not too bad. These switchbacks seems simpler than most switchbacks on other trails. I’m not great at switchbacks, but was able to navigate these. The Spruce Mountain trail connects with Spruce Meadow trail. The complete Spruce Meadow trail is 8.5 miles. The Greenland Trail is less than 2 miles away and is 8.25 miles long and connect with Sante Fe trail. This is by no means an epic ride, but a good ride that have beautiful views. The Spruce Mountain trail is very, very well maintained.
* Review edited 5/19/2008
Similar Trail: Alfred 3 Sister in Evergreen, Green Mountain
reviewed by wjacobsen on September 12, 2007
Trail has been widen considerably! Clean ride with several sharp switch backs on the way to the top.
reviewed by jasonvelocity on June 3, 2007
Good trail if you live in the area. Here is the map of the area: http://www.douglas.co.us/openspace/documents/SpruceMtnPamphlet.pdf After the land was donated, I believe a boyscout troop built the "black" section of the trail that connects the meadow to the top of the mountain. The ascent is steep with narrow switchbacks. In the afternoon, this trail can be plagued with horses that come over from Spruce Meadows Trail. If you are looking for a longer ride, this connects to Spruce Meadow, and sorta connects to Greenland Open space and Kipp's Loop.* Review edited 6/3/2007
* Review edited 6/3/2007
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