Denver's Bike Paths: APRIL 2008 Sand Creek Trail update

One of my favorite rides is The Sand Creek Trail.

I usually catch it where it meets the Platte River Trail. To get there go North on the Platte River Trail 5.7 miles from Confluence Park in Denver.

The Platte River Trail winds along the Platte through the fantastic city of Denver.

At first there are trails on either side of the Platte.

You might see a train downtown.

Futuristic suspension bridges soon give way to bucolic Platte River scenery. It's mid April and everything's turning green. Yay!

Like I said, 5.7 miles later you hit Sand Creek. Here's the Sand Creek confluence.

Take the bridge over the Platte to head up Sand Creek.

There are a couple of signs depicting the area's features and some history...

This dirt trail gives way to a modern concrete trail right after you pass the Burlington Ditch.

The Burlington Ditch goes beneath Sand Creek and bubbles up on the other side. You can see it in the foreground and in the distance in this photo.

The Sand Creek Trail goes through some heavily industrialized areas but the bike route is quite beautiful.

There are a couple of dams...

This is a man made waterfall, the new concrete path means you don't have to ride on the highway through this section like when it first opened.

Sand Creek Trail has really improved in the last two years.

Thank you Sierra Club.

The trail leads to a wetland preserve with birds and stuff. Then there's a new section of trail that takes you past Sapp Brothers Food & Fuel Truck Stop. Sometimes I stop there for chocolate.

I used to be you followed a single track path to a bakery truck parking lot and you had to wind through local streets to the Sapp Brothers Truck Stop then ride through the truck lot, behind some building, then cross a street to catch the Sand Creek Trail again.

You lost the trail for a mile or so. Not any more.

Now it's a sweet ride my friends.

Notice the bakery trucks parked on the right. That's the old way, this is the new.

Here you can see Sapp Brothers Truck Stop "coffeepot" sign. They're off I-270 at the Quebec Exit.

I've never been there by car. Sometimes I'll be driving and see landmarks I know from biking trails. Someday I'll see that Sapp Brothers sign and say, hey I know exactly where I am, I'm near the most excellent Sand Creek Trail.

This part of the trail is new. Now the trail goes under the road. Thank you Adams County!

Once through the underpass you enter Denver, back to mostly unimproved trails.

It's a nice trail if you like dirt trails. I like dirt trails.

Peaceful Sand Creek.

The Sand Creek Trail goes through the former Stapleton Airport. Because of this you can see the an airplane wrecking yard with various hulks over across the creek.

There's a spot where a bunch of gravel was deposited a couple of months ago. The reason is unclear. Even a mountain bike has a tough time in gravel so take the single track path on the left pictured here.

The Sand Creek Trail still has one spot where you ride on a road, under this railroad bridge. I think this route is the one the RTD Light Rail to Denver International Airport will take. One day soon you could be riding along and see harried travelers whooshing by.

The road portion is only 200 feet or so then it back to a bike path.

But first you go through these gates which are closed at night.

In the Summer I like to do full moon rides and Sand Creek is my favorite. The gates do not prevent entry to the determined night rider.

So far in 2008 I haven't ridden Sand Creek at night so I'm not sure they're even closed at night anymore. I think they locked them because there was construction equipment nearby being used to dismantle the runway. That equipment is no longer there.

Here's the path again.

When the Sand Creek Trail first opened the trail went beneath a former runway at Denver's Stapleton Airport.

Today you can see a concrete wall along the creek. That used to support a runway. There's a wall on the other side of the creek too but you can't see it in this photo.

I saw a snake on the path.

Then I found a Beaver dam. My second one this year, I found one on Bear Creek too.

Here's some pictures of the Sand Creek Beaver dam.

Under the bridge next to the beaver dam are a bunch of bird nests. I think they're Swallows.

When the Sand Creek Trail first opened this bridge crossed the Sand Creek and there was a concrete path all the way to Havana Street.

Then a subdivision went in and the concrete path was destroyed. Now the bridge leads to nowhere. Instead of crossing the bridge here the trail goes single track with some dirt road action too.

It's all dirt to Havana. On the way you'll see an observetory.

At Havana there's a detention center. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Turn right on Havana and go uphill on gravel for the next mile.

Ride your bike, do not hitchhike.

Follow this for about a mile.

Turn left at this sign, you'll see the trail.

I was riding along this section on a night ride once and I saw a large buck sillouetted by the moon. I was about 50 feet away when he noticed me and ran away.

Here's a picture looking West towards the Rockies.

Today is May 13th and it's snowing in Denver. It's not sticking because it was 82 degrees yesterday and the ground is warm. 15 miles West in the town of Evergreen and they've gotten 10 inches as of 8 AM.

Springtime in the Rockies. Uneven weather. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Welcome to Aurora.
Here's a tree friend on the Aurora portion of the trail.

Have you hugged a tree today?