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Colorado Trail Segment 26: Blackhawk Pass (COT Colorado Trail Silverton to Durango)
Mountain Biking Trail
Hard
11.12 mi
1,785 ft
A stunningly beautiful section of the Colorado Trail running through the rugged San Juan Mountains.
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 Blackhawk Pass segment climbs steeply up to the top of the pass on narrow, mostly smooth singletrack with the characteristic jaw-dropping views. But once on top, it’s time to rip down! "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is,” writes John Robinette on "It is EPIC!”
Sources:
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 Blackhawk Pass segment climbs steeply up to the top of the pass on narrow, mostly smooth singletrack with the characteristic jaw-dropping views. But once on top, it’s time to rip down! "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is,” writes John Robinette on "It is EPIC!”
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| blackhawk pass | 10.87 mi | -1,496 ft | -0.9% |
| County Road 578 Climb | 0.94 mi | 413 ft | 8.3% |
| Celebration Lake to Top of Blackhawk Pass | 6.87 mi | 778 ft | 2.1% |
| CT: Celebration Lake to Section Point | 3.89 mi | 666 ft | 3.2% |
| CT: Section Point to BlackHawk Pass | 3.08 mi | 463 ft | 1.0% |
| Blackhawk Pass: The Final Push | 0.97 mi | 449 ft | 8.8% |
| Creek to Blackhawk Pass | 0.54 mi | 328 ft | 11.4% |
| Mogadishu | 0.96 mi | -614 ft | -12.1% |
| blackhawk pass decent | 3.89 mi | -1,358 ft | -6.6% |
| Blackhawk SPEED Section | 1.54 mi | -833 ft | -9.9% |
| Creek2Creek | 0.61 mi | -302 ft | -9.3% |