By Ted Crawfor
Special to the News

During the early 1900s, John Brisben Walker built a magnificent stone house surrounded by 4,000 acres that is now Mount Falcon Park. The house burned in 1918, but the ruins and terrific views still remain.

Riding the trails here is like a roller coaster — up and down, but ending with a smooth, flat runout to catch your breath. The descent down Parmalee gets more gnarly and then abruptly climbs a steep pitch with waterbar obstacles.

A gradual climbing traverse leads to two loops best ridden in a figure-eight fashion. With less elevation gain or loss, these loops consist of similar ups and downs with rocks and waterbar obstacles. Return along Meadow and Castle trails on wide and easy paths.

IF YOU GO

Bicycle: Mountain Bike

Location: Southwest of Denver

Distance: Loop is 5.1 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate with numerous advanced, steep pitches and waterbars.

Ride Time: One to two hours.

To reach Mount Falcon: From U.S. 285, take Parmalee Gulch Road 2.7 miles to go right on Picutus Road. Follow the signs for another 1.8 miles to the parking areas. Maps are available at the trailhead.

OTHER RIDES

-More Mount Falcon: Other riding choices are available for both easier or more difficult routes. Easier options involve staying on Meadow and Castle trails on the high, level plateau out to the ruins. A more advanced option includes riding into the park from the lower entrance at Colorado 8 between Bear Creek Canyon Road and Colorado 285. This is a long and steady climb for about 2.5 miles and requires good stamina. Good technical skills are required coming down as the trail is rocky at times.

-Bear Creek: Just down the road from 285 and Colorado 8, the Bear Creek Trail can be accessed at the east end of the town of Morrison. The concrete path goes under C-470 to enter Bear Creek Lake State Park. The route continues past Soda Lakes, then up and over the dam, past a golf course and then parallels the creek all the way to the Platte River Greenway. You can make the loop by going south to Chatfield Reservoir, west and north along C-470 on the Centennial Trail across Quincy to Turkey Creek and back on to Colorado 8. This loop is 37.6 miles but most of it is on paved surfaces.

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