Sunken Bridges | Upper Elk Creek | Zoom Loop

This ride has some climbing, a variety of terrain, and is suited for the rider looking for a challenge for physical exertion and skill.

Begin ride at the St. Louis Creek Campground. The trailhead for Creekside is on the west side of the parking area. Creekside begins as a two track that is moderately rocky. A slight uphill with little terrain change at the beginning. The two track will turn into a single track as the trail approaches the creek. This is the most scenic part of the trail. Large beaver ponds may harbor the occasional moose so take some time to enjoy your surroundings. This section of the trail is not steep, but the rocks and roots make the terrain challenging. A good place to practice your technique. Creekside will end on FS 159. Turn left. Go over St. Louis Creek and look for Flume Trail slightly uphill and on your left.   Enter Flume and be prepared for an extremely fun ride. Slightly downhill, lots of turns yet never too hard. If the trail is muddy, please do not ride around the mud; walk through it. Flume has portions that are thick with aspen and pine. Visibility in some stretches is limited. Be alert to avoid oncoming riders. Just past the overlook bench you will come upon a trail intersection. Veer right onto Chainsaw. Chainsaw will start as an easy two track. Don’t let this fool you. It will begin to climb very steeply just after the first of two small ponds. The top of the first hill will let you catch your breath as you reach the second pond. Cross a dip and you begin the last and longer part of the climb. The climb continues to be fairly steep but will let up as you get closer to the top. The last part is fairly flat before you begin the fast downhill. Be sure to watch for riders ascending as your speed can get quite fast. Chainsaw will exit onto Elk Creek Road.

Turn right on Elk Creek Road. Continue just over one mile until you see the sign for Sunken Bridges on your right. Turn right onto the two track. This is a prime place to see moose. Sunken Bridges gets its name from an old bridge over a wetland. The bridge has been rebuilt. Continue through the meadow over the bridge and begin a two-track climb. At the top of the climb you will intersect FS 159, a gravel road.   Turn left on FS 159. Continue on FS 159 to Elk Creek Road. Stay right until you reach Upper Elk Creek. (Go to the second Upper Elk Creek, not the one across from Sunken Bridges.)          

If you want to bypass Upper Elk Creek and “The Hump”, turn right onto FS 159 and follow until you see Zoom on the right. Turn right onto Upper Elk Creek. This will begin as a good two track, with a short climb at first then nearly level. You will reach an intersection. Continue to the right, up a short steep climb that is usually wet from a spring. At the top of this short climb, a road will intersect from the right. Turn right here. This is sometimes not marked as the sign is regularly stolen. This begins the hard part of the ride. Continue uphill. The view of the Continental Divide, ski area and valley is spectacular. You will reach a Y intersection. Take a right. Continue to climb past the next intersection and through a rocky area. At the top of the rocky area, take a sharp right. One more very small uphill and you are ready to descend. Your descent will be a combination of single track and two track. The single track is the type dreams are made of. Be alert on the two track as water bars, large rocks and loose gravel are common. Continue to the bottom where you intersect FS 159 immediately across from the top of Sunken Bridges. Turn left on FS 159. FS 159 will continue to climb. At the top you will see Zoom on your right and a gate for the Experimental Forest on the road itself. Turn right on Zoom. Zoom gets its name for a reason. This single track is a blast to ride, dashing and diving through pine and aspen. At the bottom of Zoom you will enter Chainsaw. Hit the brakes and make a sharp left turn onto Chainsaw. (It’s not uncommon to go flying past this intersection. Avoid skidding.) You will now retrace your route on Chainsaw. When you reach Flume, stay right at the intersection. The trail will take you to a bridge over St. Louis Creek. Turn left and follow the old road to reach your vehicle at the parking area.