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Colorado Trail: Molas Pass to Hermosa Park Road (Molas Pass COT Molass Pass)
Mountain Biking Trail
Hard
20.18 mi
3,584 ft
The inaugural segment of the famous Silverton to Durango stretch of the Colorado Trail.
The Colorado Trail (COT) is widely regarded as one of the very best long-distance mountain bike trails in the world. Running for 535 miles between Denver and Durango, the trail crosses high alpine mountain passes and drops into beautiful valleys as it traverses the most beautiful portions of the state of Colorado. The COT forms one-third of the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, along with the Arizona Trail and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
Out of the entire Colorado Trail, arguably the most highly-acclaimed portion is the long stretch running from the town of Silverton to the southern terminus of the trail in Durango. While not technically the highest-elevation portion of the trail, nevertheless this section stays very high in the San Juan Mountain Range.
All along this stretch, the views of the surrounding jagged mountains are incredible, the singletrack is narrow and sinuous, and there’s nary a sign of civilization. Indeed, between departing the town of Silverton and entering the town of Durango, the only sign of human life is the occasional dirt road crossing. Plan accordingly and pack all the gear you’ll need.
The first segment of the Silverton to Durango stretch runs from Molas Pass to Engineer Mountain. The summit of Engineer Mountain towers over this entire region, rising to an elevation of 13,218 feet. While that might not sound like a lot compared to Colorado’s numerous 14ers, this mountain is still impressive!
This segment is renowned for high alpine tundra and fields filled with wildflowers in the early summer. In the fall, whispering aspen groves turn a brilliant gold, providing some of the best leaf peeping in the state. Written by Greg Heil
The Colorado Trail (COT) is widely regarded as one of the very best long-distance mountain bike trails in the world. Running for 535 miles between Denver and Durango, the trail crosses high alpine mountain passes and drops into beautiful valleys as it traverses the most beautiful portions of the state of Colorado. The COT forms one-third of the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, along with the Arizona Trail and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.
Out of the entire Colorado Trail, arguably the most highly-acclaimed portion is the long stretch running from the town of Silverton to the southern terminus of the trail in Durango. While not technically the highest-elevation portion of the trail, nevertheless this section stays very high in the San Juan Mountain Range.
All along this stretch, the views of the surrounding jagged mountains are incredible, the singletrack is narrow and sinuous, and there’s nary a sign of civilization. Indeed, between departing the town of Silverton and entering the town of Durango, the only sign of human life is the occasional dirt road crossing. Plan accordingly and pack all the gear you’ll need.
The first segment of the Silverton to Durango stretch runs from Molas Pass to Engineer Mountain. The summit of Engineer Mountain towers over this entire region, rising to an elevation of 13,218 feet. While that might not sound like a lot compared to Colorado’s numerous 14ers, this mountain is still impressive!
This segment is renowned for high alpine tundra and fields filled with wildflowers in the early summer. In the fall, whispering aspen groves turn a brilliant gold, providing some of the best leaf peeping in the state. Written by Greg Heil
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