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The Clear Creek Trail runs 24 miles from metro Denver, through Wheat Ridge, to Golden along a picturesque creek with views of the North and South Table Mountains.
About the Route
A highlight of the trail is the legendary Coors Brewing Company on the path's western end; factory tours are available. In Golden, the trail runs right along the river and travelers will see families tubing down the river and fly fishermen along its banks. The trail is paved downtown, but becomes crushed stone and more tree-lined as it heads west out of town. Numerous pedestrian bridges dot the route, allowing trail users easy access to both sides of Clear Creek, and interpretative panels along the way share the region's history.
Connections
To travel farther afield, there are convenient connections to the Platte River Trail, Little Dry Creek Trail, Ralston Creek Trail and 6th Avenue Trail.
The Clear Creek Trail runs between US 6/Clear Creek Canyon Rd (Golden) and the Platte River Trail (Welby).
Parking is available at:
Visit the TrailLink map for all options and detailed directions.
We started in Golden and rode to the South Platte and into Downtown Denver The water is high enough to force a few underpass closures but it was beautiful the entire way. The trail passes through several municipalities and has really been improving over the years. It’s challenging to retrofit a trail around private property and buildings that have been in place for so long but they are doing a great job giving everyone a beautiful place to enjoy
This trail has a lot of great potential, but it’s implementation and maintenance is lacking. There are multiple areas that add to the length and completely unnecessary, such as around Kippling Street. That section is just terrible. It takes you through a parking lot and doesn’t even give you priority and is very dangerous when there’s cars parked around you and people are pulling in and out of the recreation center. Hopefully a bridge is constructed soon. The trail was also littered with debris and construction material. I was afraid I was going to pop my tired. No signage either so good luck if you’ve never used the trail before, I had to stop multiple times to check directions.
Started in Golden, went all the way to the South Platte River, and back. As of today there are no problems nor detours, excepting some artists working on painting cool stuff on the actual concrete trail towards the South Platte end, and that's just 2 very short sections just to the side of the concrete part of the trail. Not a problem. I have enjoyed this trail for the better part of 20 years, and there are no longer any more partially-finished sections. If you don't live in Golden, I recommend starting at the South Platte and working your way up the "hill" to Golden ... then you are more or less going downhill on the second half of the ride. Just a teensy bit easier.
Enjoy!
Oh, 5 stars because it is a nice long trail in the city that, with the exception of a small section, is all trail, and no streets.
Great ride on a great Colorado day. Was a bit crowded as we approached Kipling, with many walkers. Will be doing more segments during this summer.
My wife and I rode from Golden on 5/16/2020, it was our first time on this trail. We started in downtown Golden and it took us some time to find the trail along hwy 53. The trail is paved and in good condition. The first few miles along Clear Creek we rode by Coors and their recycling facility, some interesting smells. The experience overall was very good, lots people out, some opportunity for higher speeds but lots of parks with people, be careful. N
We had a fun day exploring the Clear Creek Trail in Golden and some of the city's numerous attractions. We began at Parfet Park, where there was ample parking along Jackson Street. The trail begins paved, but becomes crushed stone as you head west out of town. The path can get a bit bumpy here, but we were fine on our hybrid bikes. The pathway closely parallels the river and we saw lots of families tubing down the river and a couple of people with fly fishing gear. There was a great playground right along the trail, too, which my daughter loved. Nearby, we also visited the American Mountaineering Museum and took a tour of the Coors brewery.
I was wondering if I was gonna make it the whole way and I did. I started at 88th & Colorado in Thornton and made it all the way to Golden. The gradual incline is awesome, I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow. Wasn't thrilled by the "wall" when I got to Golden, that was a tough climb for a rider like me, but I made it.
Didn't hit any construction as mentioned in other reviews, the only un-fun part was the Kipling crossover, Safety First I know, but I really wanted to jump across the 4 lanes in order to save time, but really it wasn't that big of a deal to double back to the trail on the other side of the street.
If I had to do it again I would most likely start in Wheatridge, the trail was way prettier at this point heading West. I wasn't too fond of the I-25 underpass (totally Dateline murder material!) and the other underpasses but I did want the extra miles which is why I started in Thornton.
Thank you!
This is a great way to get to the mountains while avoiding traffic. A lovely scenic route catering for riders of all abilities.
Thoroughly recommended.
I just went yesterday 6-9-16 and there was no construction and no riding in 4 lane traffic. As a matter of fact, going along a major highway, the trail was paved off to the side and was quite pleasant to ride. Seems like all the issues are fixed so happy riding. The Clear Creek is beautiful, and the trail was great! I
Too much construction. Bike path is torn up for miles between Lowell and Ward. No signage telling you how to get around it. Path disappears suddenly where construction has taken out the path leaving 6 foot drop offs.
I am from Ohio but visit Denver frequently and have ridden this trail several times. First, it is GREAT to have a way to get from Denver to Golden via a paved bike trail and the municipalities all deserve a big THANK YOU for that. The basic trail runs along the Clear Creek and avoids most (but not all) road crossings by going under overpasses and bridges. This is great when the weather cooperates, more problematic when there is a lot of rain (like this year-2015) when the creek floods the trail. When the water recedes, it leaves several inches of sandy silt on the trail surface which can be dangerous. The trail condition when I rode today reflected this (3 weeks ago, it was under fast moving water when I tried to ride it). The concrete is cracking and sinking/rising in a number of places making dangerous splits that can be an inch or two in height. BE CAREFUL and watchful, especially for sand at the bottom of the decent under bridges or you may end up in the creek (which is more like a river with the current water levels). It is paved most of the way except for a short section (maybe a quarter of a mile) that is gravel. There is also the large detour when you hit Pecos St (going west from the Platte River Trail or Lowell if you are headed east from Golden). Part of this is along busy roads--definitely not for children or inexperienced riders. If you are comfortable riding on 4 lane roads at Interstate connections, this will be no problem. (I've done it a number of times at non-rush hour times, and it was fine. Note that there is a bit of a climb with traffic which would be a problem for young families). On the plus side, the views can be very nice, especially when you get closer to Golden. Even nearer the intersection with the Platte River Trail near I-76, you will scarcely know there are busy roads nearby. It passes through a few parks, so rest rooms are not a problem. There are a couple times where the trail goes through residential areas, but they are not bad. Hopefully the detour will be eliminated soon (it's been this way for at least 6 months now), they will repair the surface and get the sand cleaned off. Still, it is worth riding; just not ideal. Exercise caution.
I rode this trail on a road bike for the first time yesterday. I do NOT recommend riding the trail NE beyond Lowell Blvd & W 55th Place in Berkley because there's a detour that takes you across a very busy four lane road, and there's no sidewalk to ride to a crosswalk. I turned around at this point and said nope. Anyway, I didn't get very lost like other people have mentioned (the number of signs must have been recently increased). I checked my GPS twice because of a lack of signs, but that's not bad to me. I found this much easier to navigate than the trail around the Cherry Creek Reservoir. The people on the Clear Creek Trail seemed friendly and the view was beautiful towards Golden. It gets pretty hilly near Golden, so I suggest starting on the northeast end of the trail (Berkley) so you have some energy for the hills (as opposed to leaving the uphills for the second leg of your ride). It was hard to maintain a lower speed on the way back to Berkley because it was pretty downhill! I didn't notice water spickets/fountains anywhere, so come with extra water. Overall, I recommend this trail and I will probably become a regular on it!
Needs better signs indicating the trail. Especially in cherry creek resivoir
Trail is worth riding but like others who have posted....know where you are going. Signs are not posted well but are posted. (use a GPS for your first ride)
Can be very busy and does have a speed limit so not good for fast riders.
Most of the trail offers good scenery and is very easy to ride.
This is a great trail for families or simple leisurely riding.
If you're not from the area, the trail is extremely difficult to follow and poorly marked. Additionally, the trail is mostly concrete.
danno48's review is spot on!!! We took our 1yr old in a bike trailer and thought it was wonderful. Made it to shortly passed the McIntyre exit (6 miles from where we parked) without a powerboat or banana. I would recommend packing light snacks and staying hydrated. A 2 liter camelbak kept both of us hydrated (even our little one). We hope you enjoy this amazing gem in Golden
Great trail to do any day of the week from dirt to asphalt. Goes all the way to Golden following the creek.
This has to be one of Colorado's best kept secrets. Lived here for 12 years and did not know this great well maintained trail existed and I live less than 1 mile from 70th Ave entrance. Really beats the tread mill.
This has become one of our favorite rides this summer. So many places to start along the way. Lowell ponds was our last entry point. 26 miles roundtrip to Golden. The trail is concrete or asphalt all the way. Watch out for the road bikers, they're traveling fast. There are wooded areas and open biking next to highway 6. It's a soft uphill climb to Golden. Once you get past the brewery the first hill is quite steep but after 3 trips this summer it seems to be quite easy now. There are several places in Golden to treat yourself for a ride well done. Two very good restaurants offer a Sunday brunch. I like the mediterranean cafe next to clear creek and eat on the balcony. Light fare for the easy all downhill ride back. If you're into ice cream as your treat, there's a great ice cream shop and a new self help frozen yogurt shop a few blocks away. I would have given this route 5 stars but the gnats on the way back at high speeds is like being sandblasted by a million bugs. Enjoy!
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