Salida has a long tradition as a mountain biking town. There have always been Salida-Crested Butte connections and Crested Butte was one of the first places that mountain biking caught on.
The mountain biking culture here has traditionally been a bit more underground than it is in many of the other mountain towns in Colorado. The riders here have tended to do what they do, not drawing attention to the places they ride, forming clubs, or putting on festivals. But times are changing.
In the last few years a road riding culture has begun to grow. The South Central Racing Amicas Cycling Club and the events they have created (the Salida Omnium and the Going Green 100 century ride) have established the basis for a road cycling community in Salida and Chaffee County. The presence of that community makes it easy for visitors and new residents to connect with other cyclists.
The mountain biking community has been less accessible, largely because the local riding opportunities tend to be pretty advanced in their difficulty. We have some classic high-country trails such as the Colorado Trail, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail including the Monarch Crest Trail, and the Rainbow passing through our area. But these trails are only snow-free for a certain portion of the year. Lower trails available for most of the year close to Salida tend to be very difficult to ride.
An organization was formed a few years ago to work towards the creation of a trails system local to the City of Salida. The new trails will be much more varied in their level of difficulty. Salida Mountain Trails, a 501(c)3 Chapter of the Arkansas River Trust, is working with the Bureau of Land Management to improve existing trails and create new ones.
BLM has completed a Travel Management Planning process, which helps define the trails policy in this area. Their new travel plan includes support for the Salida Mountain Trails agenda, and trails are being constructed on Tenderfoot Mountain north of Salida. Your support, as volunteer or contributor, would be most helpful.
The future of cycling in Chaffee County is bright. New things are happening, and community support is building every year.
- Tom Purvis
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