Sheep Creek Trail (Twelvemile Creek Sheep Creek)
Mountain Biking Trail
Hard
16.34 mi
2,489 ft
A secluded trail through massive aspen groves that flies way below the Colorado radar.
In the grand scope of Colorado mountain bike trails, Sheep Creek, located outside of the town of Fairplay, flies way below the radar. Fairplay, in general, is most often seen as a drive-through town, a quick gas stop on the way to somewhere else. But for those mountain bikers who choose to explore the South Park valley, gems like Sheep Creek will reward them.
Sheep Creek is an old school singletrack trail of the finest order. Serpentine singletrack consisting of dark black dirt snakes through dense groves of aspen trees, breaking out into wide-open meadows at intervals, which afford views of the surrounding mountains and the beautiful groves. During the fall, the aspen leaves turn a beautiful golden color, with the entire grove turning simultaneously thanks to its interconnected root system.
Overall the singletrack here is relatively non-technical, although roots and rocks do punctuate the trail tread. The Twelvemile Trail that follows the stream downhill is significantly rougher than the Sheep Creek trail, and the singletrack itself isn't of as high caliber... rather, it seems like more of a route than a trail. Regardless, it's a great way to form a lariat loop instead of riding Sheep Creek as a mere out-and-back.
From the upper reaches of the lariat, an option to ride out-and-back to Twelvemile Lake is available. This portion of trail is much rougher and more natural than the other stretches of singletrack in this ride, with some hike-a-bike and wading through beaver ponds required to reach the lake. But once up to the lake, the jaw-dropping view is an apt reward! Written by Greg Heil
In the grand scope of Colorado mountain bike trails, Sheep Creek, located outside of the town of Fairplay, flies way below the radar. Fairplay, in general, is most often seen as a drive-through town, a quick gas stop on the way to somewhere else. But for those mountain bikers who choose to explore the South Park valley, gems like Sheep Creek will reward them.
Sheep Creek is an old school singletrack trail of the finest order. Serpentine singletrack consisting of dark black dirt snakes through dense groves of aspen trees, breaking out into wide-open meadows at intervals, which afford views of the surrounding mountains and the beautiful groves. During the fall, the aspen leaves turn a beautiful golden color, with the entire grove turning simultaneously thanks to its interconnected root system.
Overall the singletrack here is relatively non-technical, although roots and rocks do punctuate the trail tread. The Twelvemile Trail that follows the stream downhill is significantly rougher than the Sheep Creek trail, and the singletrack itself isn't of as high caliber... rather, it seems like more of a route than a trail. Regardless, it's a great way to form a lariat loop instead of riding Sheep Creek as a mere out-and-back.
From the upper reaches of the lariat, an option to ride out-and-back to Twelvemile Lake is available. This portion of trail is much rougher and more natural than the other stretches of singletrack in this ride, with some hike-a-bike and wading through beaver ponds required to reach the lake. But once up to the lake, the jaw-dropping view is an apt reward! Written by Greg Heil
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Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Dr Climb | 0.48 mi | 282 ft | 11.1% |
| Cave Creek Rd Climb | 1.03 mi | 338 ft | 6.2% |
| Twelve Mile Creek Climb | 2.83 mi | 705 ft | 4.7% |
| Fsr-175 Climb | 1.02 mi | 308 ft | 5.7% |
| Sheep Creek southbound, all fun | 2.37 mi | -643 ft | -5.1% |
| Sheep Creek Southbound | 5.11 mi | -627 ft | -0.9% |
| Cave Creek Rd Climb | 0.79 mi | 266 ft | 6.4% |
| Cave Creek HomeRun | 1.69 mi | 236 ft | 2.7% |