Tree-lined rides in the Rockies are great adventures, but the Denver metro area also has plenty of parks for kids looking to build skills on their mountain bikes. Best practices at these recreation areas include parent supervision for riders under 12, wearing face coverings, keeping groups below 10 people, not sharing equipment, and staying home if you’re sick. Grab some safety gear and get out there!
Valmont Bike Park
Boulder
This free park is a fam favorite just off Foothills Parkway east of central Boulder. With 42 acres, the park includes flatter trail routes and slope and jump features—there’s a riding style for everybody. Families often post up with snacks between runs, and dogs are welcome in the nearby dog park. Follow the park’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, which are regularly updated with trail conditions and weather.
Golden Bike Park
Golden
Located in Tony Grampsas Park, this downhill flow trail includes widened jumps, small and large jumps, and “rollable options” for each feature providing riders opportunities to bail if they feel uncomfortable. The trail also splits around the midway point into separate beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails. Riders meet back at the climbing trail to give it all another go. Join the Golden Bike Park Group on Facebook for more information.
Ruby Hill Bike Park
Denver
Open daily from sunrise to sunset, this 7.5-acre park is complete with two slopestyle courses, dirt jumps, skills course, small jump track, pump track, and a loop track encompassing the lot. Beginners can ride slopestyle and dirt jumps of varying difficulties, and pro-level riders can take advantage of expert slopestyle lines. Pump tracks provide opportunities for tots with pedal-less bicycles to seasoned adults. Follow @DenverBikeParks on Twitter for current information.
Barnum Bike Park
Denver
At the intersection of West Sixth Avenue and Federal Boulevard sits the Trestle Bike Skills Course, designed by pro rider John Cowan and Gravity Logic (the Canadian company that also constructed the award-winning Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park). It offers multiple slope lines for different skill levels and a pump track. Riders will feel like they’re racing right over the cars on the highways. Follow @DenverBikeParks on Twitter for current information.
