Try This Leisurely Bike Trail if You’re Ever In Aspen, CO

Aspan, Colorado
Photo by Evan Wise on Unsplash

If you’ve ever spent time in Colorado, then you know that opportunities for strenuous hiking, biking, skiing, and more abound. But even if you are a lover of athletics, sometimes it’s best to take things slow. A leisurely walk or bike ride can help you slow down, enjoy the beautiful Colorado sites, and even still give you some exercise. For this, the Rio Grande Trail in the Roaring Fork Valley is perfect.

The Rio Grande trail is built on the site of the former Aspen branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Once the trains stopped running on this track around 40 years ago, the land was converted to a long bike trail between Aspen and Glenwood springs.

Because it is built on former railroad tracks, the trail isn’t hilly despite the mountainous region. Leaving from Aspen, it is a gentle downslope for most of the way, making for a fairly comfortable and easy ride. Of course, the region is beautiful, with the Roaring Fork River on one side and nature on the other.

The trail is about 42 miles, with several towns along the way at which you can stop. You can return to Aspen on a bus from one of these towns so that you never have to worry about biking uphill or in the dark. If you are planning a day trip, the ride from Aspen to the small town of Basalt is about 20 miles and the perfect length for leaving in the morning and returning on the bus. Just be sure to leave early enough that you’ll get to Basalt in time because buses don’t run late.