Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
traffic. It's about 18 miles from the Yampah Vapor Caves to Dotsero at the other end of
the canyon, but a good midway destination is the Hanging Lake trailhead, roughly 10
miles up the canyon. Another popular ride is along the 42-mile rail-to-trail Rio Grande
(
Click here
)
, which follows the Roaring Fork River all the way to Aspen.
Sunlight Ski & Bike Shop
( 970-945-9425;
www.sunlightmtn.com
;
309 9th St; adult bicycles per hr/day $7/22; 9am-7pm)
In summer,
this downtown shop rents standard bikes, tandems, mountain bikes and a selection of chil-
dren's bikes. It also runs a shuttle ($34) to Bair Ranch and Hanging Lake to let you pedal
back. In winter, it has all the snow gear you need.
SPORTS RENTALS
Canyon Bikes
( 800-439-3043;
www.canyonbikes.com
;
319 6th St; half-day rental per adult/child $19/15; 8am-8pm Jun-Aug)
The paved 16-mile biking, hiking and in-line skating trail through Glenwood Canyon
starts one block from this downtown bike shop. It's a great option for families too, as it
operates a shuttle (adult/child $39/28, includes bike) to save you the work of pedaling up-
hill.
BICYCLE RENTAL
Hiking
The relatively low elevations around Glenwood Springs means that there are no alpine
trails above treeline, but many are very scenic and easily accessible. Numerous trails head
north from Glenwood Canyon, including the 1.2-mile
Hanging Lake Trail
, which leads to a
breathtaking waterfall-fed pond perched in a rock bowl on the canyon wall. It's a strenu-
ous 1½- to three-hour round-trip with a 1020ft elevation gain, but well worth the huffing
and puffing. Keep a sharp lookout for bighorn sheep in Glenwood Canyon. If coming
from Glenwood, take exit 125 off I-70 8 miles east of town. If coming from the east
(Vail), you'll need to get off at exit 121 and turn around, as access is only on the east-
bound side. The parking lot often fills up after 10am in summer, so arrive early or con-
sider biking Canyon Trail up to the trailhead (10 miles) instead.
The 3.5-mile
Grizzly Creek Trail
is another popular hike that gets out of the main canyon,
though it's a tougher hike than Hanging Lake. It's about 4 miles up the canyon from Glen-
wood Springs (exit 121).
Other Activities
Roaring Fork Anglers
FISHING
