Gilsonite and Wolverine

An incredible mountain bike adventure on pristine single tracks that weave through high alpine meadows, dense forests and above tree line. The 1.2-mile hike-a-bike section gives a sense of remoteness. Route-finding skills help. A strong fitness base required, as parts of the trails are over 11,000ft. High-altitude preparation strongly recommended. This is truly an epic ride!

Driving directions to trailhead

From the Visitor Center in the town of Winter Park, drive 17 miles northwest to the town of Granby on Hwy 40. Drive through Granby. One mile past the town is the junction to Hwy 34 and Rocky Mountain National Park. Turn right onto Hwy 34 and follow this road for 9.5 miles. Turn left onto CR4 across from the Dillie Docks marina. Stay on CR4 until it turns to dirt. Stay left at the junction toward Stillwater Pass. The road becomes FDR 123. Follow this road for about 5.5 miles and stay right at the junction of FDR 190. Continue on FDR 123 for less than a mile and look for a sign on the right for Gilsonite Trail and FDR 123-2B. Turn right on FDR123-2B for 1/10 mile to the trailhead.

 The trail begins by following the edge of a vast alpine meadow. At .09 miles it intersects a fire service dirt road. Turn right and follow this road to a fork at 1.1 miles. Stay right and find the trail again at 1.4 miles at the end of this road. It then alternates between meadow and forest (watch for wild critters!) until reaching the junction with Wolverine Trail at 3.4 miles. This first part of the trail is open to motorcycles and horses as well as hikers. Although it is lightly used, do not be surprised to run into other users. Please stop and ask before passing horses. Remember, we share these trails with everyone. Be an ambassador of our sport.

Continue straight on Gilsonite Trail. Take a brief rest before enjoying some great roller-coaster single track through the woods and down a forested canyon. What a blast!

Turn left and follow FDR 123 back to the parking lot. At 5.4 miles, the trail meets FDR 123. Turn right onto road and follow the road about 1/4 mile. You’ll see the trail again on the right. At 6.4 miles, you’ll come to a small meadow at the bottom of Gilsonite Trail. Look for an overgrown double track and follow it, looking for signs for Wolverine Trail. At 6.9 miles, you’ll come across an overgrown fire-service road. Turn right, go about 100 yards and look for the trail on your left. Take a deep breath; the hike-a-bike starts here. It used to be more rugged, but this area was recently maintained by a group of volunteers. Thank you! At 8.1 miles, the agony is behind you. Some of the mountain’s finest pristine single track is ahead. Go right on Wolverine Trail and follow along the top of this ridge. Pause to look at incredible views to the east over Lake Granby. At 8.9 miles, another trail will appear, but stay right on Wolverine. Descend from above 11,000ft through stunning alpine meadows behind the Porphyry Peaks. This is what mountain biking is all about! At 11.6 miles, you’ll meet Gilsonite Trail again where you passed it earlier in your ride. Hang a left and follow the trail back to your starting point at 15 miles, again enjoying some great single track.