By Ted Crawford
Special to the News

The Jeffco Open Space Foundation was created to acquire and manage open space parks with revenue from a 0.5 percent sales tax. These beautiful parks in the foothills west of metro Denver are home to some of the best trails in the state.

Adding to the network, the town of Bergen Park has recently opened a concrete and dirt trail that allows access to the popular Elm Meadow Trail. The connector is 1.3 miles long and joins Elk Meadow Park at the northern most end at Painters Pause Trail.

The mile-long descent leads to more rolling terrain with only a few mild technical sections.

IF YOU GO

Bicycle: Mountain bike

Location: Northwest of Evergreen

Surface: Wide concrete path, packed gravel, mostly smooth dirt singletrack with some embedded rock

Distance: Connector and loop as described is 7.5 miles

Difficulty: Easy to moderate with some tight or rocky switchbacks

Ride Time: One to two hours

To reach Bergen Park Trail: From Interstate 25, take exit 252 toward Evergreen. Go 2.6 miles and turn left at a light onto Route 65. Enter the Park and Ride lot on the immediate right.

OTHER RIDES

-Bergen Peak/ Too Long Trail: This more advanced option will add about 5 miles to the described route. Pick up the Bergen Peak Trail at 4.1 miles and begin climbing more steeply over several more switchbacks. The surface can be loose and slippery. After 2.7 miles, a steep out-and-back leg leads to the peak, where you'll find great views of Mount Evans, Pike's Peak and the Continental Divide. This climb gains more than 1,700 feet in 3.7 miles. Return down the leg to continue on the Top Long Trail as it descends to join the lower loop. Several more tight and technical switchbacks are available along the way.

-Evergreen Mountain/Alderfer Three Sisters: These two parks feature many miles of ridable singletrack. Both parks are heavily wooded with dense pine trees, but trail markers make navigation easy. These two parks straddle Buffalo Park Road north and south. The northern park is dominated by the Three Sisters rock formation and contains a mix of easy to moderate trails with only a few advanced sections. Evergreen Mountain on the south side of the road is longer and slightly more moderate with scenic views at the top of a high loop. From Evergreen, take Highway 73 south to Buffalo Creek Road. Continue about 1 mile past a lower lot to park on the high western lot.

E-mail Ted Crawford at tcrawford@dslbroadband.com.