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+ 177

Molas Pass -> Engineer Mountain Trail

Mountain Biking Trail

Hard
19.89 mi
2,894 ft
World-class alpine scenery capped with a 4,000-foot descent!

Combine one of the most scenic stretches of the renowned Colorado Trail with an epic downhill rip on this world-class shuttle run from Molas Pass down the Engineer Mountain Trail.

The Molas Pass portion of the Colorado Trail is regarded as one of the most pristine sections of the entire 535-mile trail. Both the remote location with jaw-dropping high alpine views and the narrow, sinuous singletrack provide the trail experience that mountain bikers crave.

This segment is known for its 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. On this ride, you'll pedal for miles through the very best portion of the Molas Pass segment before taking a left on the Engineer Mountain Trail.

Engineer Mountain is one of the Durango locals' favorite descents—and with as many trails as they have to choose from, that's saying something! You'll drop over 4,000 vertical feet down fast, wide-open singletrack. As you descend into the trees, the track gets a bit twistier and more rugged, with root webs and rock gardens amplifying the difficulty of the high-speed descent. Most sources give Engineer Mountain a strong black diamond rating.

If you don't have enough vehicles or time to set up a self-shuttle, reach out to [Hermosa Tours]( for a commercial shuttle option on this route. Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

Segments

NameDistanceElev. Diff.Avg. Grade
Molas to emt intersection(start at trailhead)10.39 mi1,247 ft2.3%
CT molas to PL0.87 mi79 ft0.1%
CT . Molas PL to water8.15 mi702 ft1.4%
Colorado Trail / Engineer MT (from lake)19.64 mi-3,127 ft-1.8%
Colo. Trl - Molas to EMT Jct9.57 mi1,227 ft2.4%
U.S. 550 Climb0.87 mi266 ft5.7%
Snack Rock (~1hr from 550 @ Molas)6.54 mi679 ft1.5%
First climb Colo. Trail from Molas TH2.23 mi709 ft6.0%
CT car to high pt11.86 mi614 ft6.2%
U.S. 550 Climb1.24 mi440 ft6.7%
Watts to the Top0.68 mi292 ft8.1%
Thru the trees (E to W)4.61 mi-249 ft-0.5%
Last Climb to EMT3.67 mi810 ft4.2%
climb above the tree line to EMT Jct2.15 mi594 ft5.2%
Unnamed Rd Climb0.74 mi361 ft9.2%
Cascade Divide Climb1.07 mi315 ft5.5%
Jura Steeps0.35 mi-354 ft-18.8%
Colorado Trail Climb0.60 mi295 ft9.2%
Jura Knob Climb (NS)1.25 mi295 ft4.4%
Last Climb to EMT Descent (NS)0.93 mi187 ft3.8%
Engineer Mountain (descent)5.65 mi-2,671 ft-8.9%
EMT Top 2 Lookout1.59 mi-495 ft-5.7%
Upper Engineer dh1.35 mi-440 ft-6.2%
Engineer Mountain Trail Descent (minus ruts)5.27 mi-2,579 ft-9.3%
Down2/34.71 mi-2,244 ft-9.0%
Window to pond 2.51 mi-1,424 ft-10.7%
EMT Lookout 2 Plot4.20 mi-2,169 ft-9.8%
Chain Lightning3.68 mi-2,011 ft-10.2%
Lower EMT Descent (last two miles)2.20 mi-1,129 ft-9.7%
speed to the pond0.46 mi-348 ft-14.3%
ASPEN SPEED TUNNEL OF DOOM0.38 mi-138 ft-6.7%