Bicycling In Keystone Colorado
Do The Loop Around Lake Dillon!
Okay, for those of you who aren’t quite ready to tackle the off road biking trails in Keystone Colorado, here is a great, intermediate ride starting just outside your door on a paved trail. Try doing the loop from Keystone, around Lake Dillon and up over Swan Mountain Pass and back to Keystone.
From 12 Appaloosa Court, take a left onto Soda Ridge Road. Less than 100 yards ahead on the right you can pick up the paved bike trail that crosses the Snake River. Once you cross the Snake River, turning right takes you to Keystone Village Lake and then onto River Run. Going to the left takes you toward Lake Dillon and a very scenic two hour ride!
Just follow the trail and you will come to a stop light and Swan Mountain Road. Remember this road because it is where you will meet back up with the paved Keystone biking trail as you finish your loop around Lake Dillon.
The trail follows Lake Dillon all the way around to Frisco. It is a beautiful ride, especially when the boats are out on Lake Dillon. The trek over the dam is just as spectacular, but don’t worry, the paved bike trail is totally separate from the dam road.
As you come over the dam, the paved bike trail kisses up against the road. Keep an eye out for the turn to the left where your paved bike trail leaves the road behind. I think it is about half a mile after the end of the dam.
The trail takes you through the forest (and what was forest before the pine beetle), around the local middle school and into the Frisco marina area. Follow the signs for Breckenridge. As you wind through the marina area, keep an eye out for the county commons building on the other side of Highway 9 — that is where you want to cross highway. There is a stop light, and I always seem to blow right by it and then have to turn around to pick up the trail.
Across Highway 9, you will intersect with the paved bike trail leading to Breckenridge. Going left will take you toward Breckenridge and home. Going right will take you through the town of Frisco, on to Copper Mountain and then Vail Pass. Uh, let’s save that one for another day!
You will pass by the Summit County Hospital, through more forest and you will see the Summit County High School. Just before the High School, take the trail to the left toward Highway 9 and the stoplight you can see in the distance. That is Swan Mountain Road … more appropriately called Swan Mountain Pass.
Now, this is the toughest part of your ride. Swan Mountain Pass is one of the “smaller” passes. Yet, it is still a climb, especially for those not used to altitude. When you see the sign for Sapphire Point, you have reached the top! The rest is all downhill! Well, almost all.
The only part I do not like about this ride is the part over Swan Mountain Pass. It is not a separate bike trail. You are on the road. There is no berm. Drivers in Summit County are very courteous to bicyclists and pay attention on the pass, but I just don’t like being that close to the cars. For that reason, I try to make this ride in the morning as early as possible. There are fewer cars in the morning, especially before 10:00 a.m.