Sand Creek Investigation March 2009

I was going to the airport last month and I noticed the Sand Creek Trail had been improved further upstream than I'd been lately. I saw a section off Airport Road in Aurora that was paved so I decided I better check it out.

I took a 15L RTD bus East on Colfax just past I-225. The bus turns at Sable Road, I got off there. Then I rode East about a mile & turned left on Laredo. About a block later I turned left onto the High Line Canal Trail pictured here.
The trail winds along through open space paid for by the lottery.

Here's a trail map. Just past here on the HLC we're going to turn left on Colfax and go 1/4 mile to the Sand Creek Trail Head.I used to live out this way and I used to ride upper Sand Creek and would regularly get flat tires despite Mr. Tuffy tire lines and slime in my inner tubes. In those days it was primitive single track with spiny cactus hazards.

Here's the trail along Colfax from the HLC to SCT.

There's Sand Creek. The trail is visible in the back ground.

This is the beginning of the trail next to Colfax.

This is Colfax from below. Sand Creek Trail goes in either direction, North of Colfax is improved, South of Colfax is dirt single track.

Here's a shot of the dirt single track heading South, I'll have to ride that one soon and check it out.

Here's the trail heading North, that's where we're going.

Along the trail there are several storm culverts. I also saw empty boxcars being stored. The three largest rail roads in the USA have sidelined 17% of their fleet, roughly 107,000 freight cars due to the great recession.

This is the trail I saw from Airport Road a while back. It led me to believe the whole section of trail was concrete. It isn't, just near underpasses.

That's ok, I like dirt too.


Here's a sign the details the route.

There's a wetland preserve. No bikes allowed.

X marks the spot.

The trail surface varies from gravel to concrete to dirt.











I rode some of the single track too.

There are some pedestrian bridges over Sand Creek that are kinda cool.

Here's another one.

Here's where Toll Gate Creek meets Sand Creek.



Over the double bridge...


Good ol' Sand Creek.

OK, now we're on the section of the SCT I'm familiar with. Now we're headed into a more natural setting.
In the summer water flows here into the reservoir that is currently dry. This is a new feature, I bet it looks pretty cool. I'll be back.

I hung out with these trees for a while.

Leaving Aurora, entering Denver.

Not a great shot of the trail but you can see the Rocky Mountains.
If you look closely you can see a new bike path on the other side. New cement covered by white plastic sheeting.

You go by another nature center. No bikes allowed. This is on the section of the trail that goes along Havana.

Sand Creek from above.

Leaving Havana, entering former Stapleton Airport.

Some single track. Better suited for horses though because some sections are sandy.


There are some interesting water features along Sand Creek.

In the distance you can see a concrete wall along ther far side of the creek. There's a wall on each side. That is where a runway crossed Sand Creek at old Stapleton Airport. When I first started riding Sand Creek the runway was still there. It's been gone for a couple years now.

Here we are where the runway used to be.
A year ago this was a beaver dam. I see trees felled by beavers all along here but I don't know where they live. I suspect the dam was destroyed for whatever reason. The same thing happened with the beaver dam I found on Bear Creek a year ago.

I saw a coal train on the UP line. Most electricity in these parts is generated with coal.


Now we're past the old airport.

This gravel zone has mellowed out. I think they're adding a spur trail along here. Time will tell.

Beaver damage.


The airport is gone but the junked aircraft remain.



I found a campsite along the way.




The graffitti mural I mentioned on my last Sand Creek ride is gone now.


Here's where the trail goes by the Sapp Bros truck stop.
Here's the end of the SCT. The Platte River Trail is ahead.

On the left you can see Sand Creek entering the Platte River.
Now it's a few miles back to Denver.
Here's an old bridge.
There's a transfer station for livestock along the Platte River Trail. It was full on this day.
I wasn't that impressed with the section of the Sand Creek Trail East of I-225. I'm going to stick with the Toll Gate Creek cut off for now.
Overall the Sand Creek Trail is 4 stars out of 4.