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+ 42

Turret Ghost Town Out-and-Back

Gravel Riding Trail

Hard
26.07 mi
3,383 ft
A scenic out-and-back ride to a little-visited ghost town.

Unlike some of the gravel road rides in the region, this route leads to a rewarding destination: the ghost town of Turret!

Gold was discovered in Turret in 1897, leading to a small gold rush and a booming mining town. The mines were massively productive for several years, but the post office in Turret eventually closed in 1939, signaling the end of the town’s significance.

These days, you can pedal around the town of Turret and check out the old ruins of cabins and town buildings. The property is all privately owned, so please stay on the main streets. Some of the buildings have been renovated and are still lived in, and some of the cabins are newer construction.

To reach Turret, pedal out of Salida on the stiff climb up CR 175. Follow the route mapped here, along with the signs for Turret, to turn left and left again to head toward the ghost town. At one point, there is a split in the road where either direction will bring you to Turret, but as shown in the route here, one of the roads is better for climbing, and one makes for a rocky descent.

As you pedal along the side of the ridge while traversing toward Turret, views of the Sawatch mountain range open up before you. The vistas from a couple thousand feet above the valley floor are absolutely breathtaking! Be sure to pause and savor the spectacular views at the high point before the descent into Turret.

The descent to Turret is fast and flowy, but realize that you’ll have to pedal back the way you came to return to Salida. All of the other roads leaving Turret eventually dead-end, and even if you think you can make a connection to a different road… it’s ultimately not possible. This ride is a mandatory out-and-back, so just be sure to plan accordingly.

For additional mileage, consider connecting a visit to Turret with [Aspen Ridge](

Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

Segments

NameDistanceElev. Diff.Avg. Grade
1000 foot stair3.44 mi1,004 ft5.4%
Ain't Nobody Got Time For Turret9.41 mi2,005 ft4.0%
CR 175 Cottonwood Climb5.96 mi1,706 ft5.4%
cottonwood climb6.03 mi1,660 ft5.2%
Up Ute trail to N. Backbone2.04 mi525 ft4.8%
Piñon push1.86 mi548 ft5.6%
Ute Trail First Dirt to Second Cattle Guard5.01 mi1,490 ft5.6%
earn your turns3.92 mi1,152 ft5.6%
County Road 175 Climb - Long 3.90 mi1,109 ft5.4%
case of the steepies0.75 mi279 ft7.0%
County Road 175 Climb1.21 mi269 ft4.2%
County Road 175 Climb1.69 mi348 ft3.9%
County Road 184 Climb0.79 mi361 ft8.6%
The Twisty Wall of 1840.51 mi230 ft8.4%
County Road 184 Climb1.31 mi387 ft5.6%
184 to Ute Trail Climb1.25 mi282 ft4.3%
Ute Trail Descent1.55 mi-371 ft-4.4%
Fun-ass turn0.14 mi-23 ft-3.0%