Rainbow Trail

[Jacket]

I'm staring at NatGeo map last night and see this long, pink dashed trail that goes on for miles and miles. Not something you see a lot of these days.... It's marked Rainbow Trail, and given the pink line, it's a motorcycle (and mtb and hiking) trail. Oddly enough, this is the first I've heard of it - or at least paid attention to what I'm seeing/hearing.

Based on my search here on the forum, I can see a few of you already know about this trail and have spent time on it - runs from Medano Pass area up and around the Sangre to Cristo's, and then down to Westcliffe. Around 100 miles as best I can tell. Anyone ever run it on a moto bike?

 

[subzali]

I did the section from Marshall pass down and just across to the east side of 285 last year. It’s fabulous. A lot of sidehill but so smooth. Bruce and I also rode it on our mountain bikes years ago when we did the monarch crest. This section is full of mountain bikers in the afternoon coming off the crest. Best to go eastbound with traffic. I don’t think we saw a single person on it Sunday morning last year.

Have been dreaming of sending the family down to the sand dunes to set up camp, drop me off in Salida with the bike, and ride rainbow and over medano to the dunes to meet up with them.

I expect the southern section to be rocky.

Mt Ouray

 

[J Kimmel]

I rode one section coming off the crest on my MTB bike last summer...it sucked. Rocky moto trail, I told myself I’ll never go back unless I’m on my 300!

 

[subzali]

I rode one section coming off the crest on my MTB bike last summer...it sucked. Rocky moto trail, I told myself I’ll never go back unless I’m on my 300!

I wonder which section you were on. Was it above the part that allows moto? I remember that was pretty rocky. Monarch crest trail is pretty rocky but still pretty fun. Way more fun that on a mtb. Greens creek is super slick and rocky, don’t really need to do that again. Agate creek was a great challenge but don’t want to do it on a 530 again.

 

[J Kimmel]

I don’t remember completely but it was much lower, near the end and it was moto

I just remember after such a long ride already it was like torture

I would’ve loved it on a moto but on my bike not so much

 

[subzali]

All I know is the raised cattle guards near the end make great jumps

 

[J Kimmel]

All I know is the raised cattle guards near the end make great jumps

And they suck on your mountain bike when you’re completely spent

 

[subzali]

I was so tired when we did that on our mtb.

 

[J Kimmel]

I was so tired when we did that on our mtb.

I got to the parking lot at the end and literally laid down in the dirt for 15 minutes.

 

[MDH33]

I maintained some of the Rainbow when I was working down in the Sangres and Spanish Peaks with the Forest Service. Neat trail, but can get busy.

 

[LARGEONE]

The section I rode near Westclif was really rocky and not much fun on a MTB. I’m not 100% sure if the entire thing is moot friendly though (motorized allowed?). You’d have to confirm.

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

Looks like a great trail. Ever see any bigger bikes on it?

 

[subzali]

I don’t know if I’d recommend anything bigger than a 500, maybe a 650 enduro. I don’t think I would dual sport it. Low gearing recommended for some sections and definite possibility of falling on rock gardens or falling off edge on some steep side hill sections.