January 10, 2024 | Overland

Singletrack in Fort Collins and NoCO are mountain bike-able year round, making mountain biking in Northern Colorado this winter possible.  Thank our rocky trails, high desert climate, and 300 days of sunshine for the ability to put tires to dirt all winter long.  When it snows you won’t have to wait long for it to melt and trails to dry out again. 

mountain biker wearing winter clothing riding singletrack in northern colorado
Mountain Biking Bobcat Ridge in Winter Temps this January

Here’s how you can find the best places to mountain bike in NoCo this winter.

  1. Download the CO-TREX app on your phone.  This Colorado Trail Explorer app allows you to view trails by allowed uses, browse featured routes, and learn trail status of open or closed.  It is the most comprehensive trail map available for the state and collects data from 230 trails managers.  Word of caution: if you are an early riser, trail statuses might not be updated until 8am for the day. 
  2. Check trailhead webcams. For current conditions and parking information, log in to check trailhead webcams.  Horsetooth Mountain and Devil’s Backbone can be found at Larimer County Natural Resources website.  Fort Collins Natural Areas’ page has trail-cams for parking at Coyote Ridge, Bobcat Ridge, and Reservoir Ridge off Michaud Ln.
  3. Crowd-source information on social media. Facebook group pages like NoCo Trail Conditions can be useful for user reports on conditions and recent photos.  

Still unsure where you want to ride? How about a cheat sheet? 

If you are looking to mountain bike around Fort Collins or Loveland this winter, here are the trails we’d recommend.  Check to make sure the trail system is open to riding, then go shred!

Rangers and land managers check trail conditions often with CO-TREX being the gold standard for all land agencies to report open status.  Thank you for being a responsible trail user and respecting trail closures.  No one likes riding muddy trails.   

Our sun-driven climate allows trails to dry quickly for mountain biking in Winter in NoCO

We’ll talk about places to fat bike when trails are covered in snow and how to dress for winter riding in the next few blogs.  Thanks for visiting Overland Mountain Bike Association.  Please consider supporting our mission of new and improved trails in Northern Colorado, and we’ll see you on the trail!