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Little Rainbow Loop (Methodist Mountain)

Mountain Biking Trail

Hard
13.1 mi
1,103 ft
One of the least technical rides in Salida, the singletrack is still flowy and fun.

The Little Rainbow is one of the least-technical singletrack trails in the Salida area. While riders won't experience significant technical challenges on this ride, the loop described here can still prove to be physically strenuous for even beginner riders. The town of Salida lies at 7,000 feet in elevation, and the Little Rainbow Trail is close to 8,000 feet. Even once on the trail itself, the climbs are manageable, but are still steep by beginner standards.

If you're up to the physical requirements, the swoop and flow of the Little Rainbow is a pure joy to experience! With big berms on the inside of the turns, advanced riders can fly down the trail at high speeds. The trail undulates, dips, and turns, rarely running in a straight line. The machine-cut bench is very evident on this trail.

The Racetrack Trail is a fast, non-technical descent that swoops down the mountain side, offering gorgeous views into the Castle Gardens area along the way.

Lost Trail is a great alternative descent option off the Little Rainbow that provides more challenge with steeper grades, bigger berms, and jump options. Dead Bird also runs parallel with these two trails but isn't as entertaining.
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

Segments

NameDistanceElev. Diff.Avg. Grade
CR110 - Spartan East1.77 mi528 ft5.5%
CR110 Climb1.43 mi479 ft6.3%
Skull from Spartan0.43 mi138 ft6.1%
LR Skull>East2.10 mi-184 ft-1.6%
Little Rainbow Stage 12.43 mi151 ft0.0%
LittleRainBFR0.38 mi30 ft0.6%
Little Rainbow Stage 22.21 mi-240 ft-1.3%
Little RB to LT1.00 mi69 ft0.2%
Racier Track1.40 mi-476 ft-6.4%
RT top-camps1.18 mi-410 ft-6.6%
Race Track Downhill1.25 mi-436 ft-6.6%
Lower Race Track DH0.75 mi-279 ft-7.0%