In 2016, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper identified the Ring the Peak Trail, a network of trails and roads that circumnavigate Pikes Peak, as one of the 16 major gaps in trails around Colorado to complete for Colorado’s 16. An 8-mile gap in Teller County between Pancake Rocks and Mason Reservoir, on the south slope of Pikes Peak, remains unfinished.
Earlier this year, The Trails and Opens Spaces Coalition (TOSC) and the Friends of the Peak (FOTP) were awarded a $100,000 grant by GOCO (Great Outdoors Colorado) to develop a RTP Master Plan. According to Susan Davies, Trails and Open Space Coalition executive director, NES, Inc., the land planning firm chosen to lead the effort, is expected to spend the a year researching and developing the plan and then turn it over to the stakeholders, to implement it.
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Ring the Peak Discovery Tour
Kick off Fall in the Rockies by joining us on the Ring the Peak Discovery Tour, on Friday, September 8, for a 6:35 a.m. Sunrise Hike.
The Discovery Tour Kick off hike takes us to the top of Iron Mountain in Manitou Springs. We’ll continue to explore different modes of transportation with biking on center stage September 16 in Teller County. Horse lovers will ride on September 23 and we’ll wrap up the Discovery TourSeptember 30 with a Fall color hike through the Catamount Ranch Open Space.
Events are free and a great way to become familiar with the Ring the Peak Trail system.
Ring the Peak Trail signage is color-coded to indicate the direction you’re heading. Brown signs indicate a clockwise direction while Green signs indicate a counter-clockwise direction around the Peak.
Trail Advice: One of the most important things to do before going out for any activity in the backcountry, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, etc., is to tell someone where you are going. This is especially important if you’re going alone or with a group, as entire groups have been known to get lost together. Give someone information on the trailhead you intend to start from, your planned route and the time you expect to return.
NES Inc., a land planning firm hired to lead the Ring the Peak Trail Master Plan process is working with its team of specialists to bridge the final 8-mile gap in the trail.
Pictured is Friends of the Peak member, Carol Beckman with Bob Falcone.
Discovery Tour Bike Ride
Biking is one of the most popular outdoor sports in the Pikes Peak region. Our Discovery Tour Bike Ride, September 16 takes us over some fun and challenging trails.
The trailhead for this section of Ring the Peak starts in Teller County’s Catamount Ranch Open Space at Edlowe Road and quickly enters the North Slope Recreation Area on the Limber Pine Trail. The route is a dirt road on the North Slope, then follows an old logging road, taking some turns, until it reaches the Crags Road. From there, we’ll hit Putney Gulch. This segment of the Ring the Peak trail goes steeply up an old jeep road connecting to Horsethief Park.
The group will turn around and bike back the way they came. Once returning to North Slope, the group has opportunities to bike on some other North Slope trails, and return back to the Edlowe Road trailhead.
This Ride is rated Moderate to difficult, 5.3 miles one way from Edlowe Road trailhead to Raspberry trailhead, gaining 1100 feet of elevation along the way. Continuing on the Ring from the Raspberry trailhead is 4.7 miles traveling to Horsethief Park. One way distance from Edlowe Road to Horsethief Park is 10.0 miles. Elevations from Putney Gulch to Horsethief Park reach 10,500 feet. Get more information
Outdoor Recreation Forum in Cripple Creek
The community is invited to attend the Outdoor Recreation Forum and to inform the Ring the Peak Trail Master Plan. The Forum, which also serves as the first in a series of Public Meetings, is scheduled for: November 18th from 1 – 4 p. m. in Cripple Creek at the Heritage Center.
An 8-mile gap located on the southwest side of Pikes Peak near Cripple Creek is the final piece in completing the 63-mile network of trails and roads that make up the Ring the Peak Trail.
The 1999 Pikes Peak Multi-Use Plan envisioned to circumnavigate Pikes Peak providing scenic multiuser, non-motorized recreation opportunities for the local population of the Pikes Peak region as well as being a destination for outdoor enthusiasts across the region and beyond.
Ring the Peak Trail Master Plan seeks to engage trail users and communities in determining the best path for the future of the popular trail network.The Forum brings audiences together to collaborate and it encourages public discussion to inform the plan.
**NOTE: To receive future eNewsletters from Ring the Peak, send an email indicating you would like to be added to the list to: Gigi@Bachmanpr.com
