Three Perfect Days · Steamboat Springs

Three networks, and a gondola.

Steamboat is Ski Town USA for four months and Bike Town USA for the rest: more than 500 miles of singletrack, a lift-served park with nearly 2,200 feet of vertical, and three separate trail networks - Emerald, the resort, and Buffalo Pass - that each deserve their own day. Escape Chalet is a ten-minute walk from the gondola, so the park day needs no car at all, and the bikes go in the heated garage overnight.

Day One

Emerald Mountain, two blocks from downtown.

Morning

Climb Blackmere, descend NPR

Emerald holds close to 30 miles of singletrack starting from behind the horse stables by the rodeo grounds. Grind up the Blackmere Drive doubletrack, then drop into NPR - No Pedaling Required - a mile and a half of one-way flow with tabletops and bermed switchbacks that you can genuinely coast start to finish once you have it wired.

~30 mi networkIntermediatePark at the stables or Olympian Hall
ActivityRide Emerald MountainšŸ¾ ~30 mi singletrackSee it in the guide →
Midday

Beall to Ridge, for the view

From the Cow Creek trailhead, a gentle climb to Emeraldā€™s summit and the best picnic view in the valley. Eight miles from town, and the one loop on this page that a mixed-ability group can all do together.

Intermediate8 miles from town
Evening

Rooftop, tacos, margaritas

A rooftop patio on Lincoln Avenue, which after a first day at altitude is about the right amount of effort.

Eat & DrinkSalt & LimeMexican Ā· rooftop patio Ā· Lincoln Ave Ā· 9 min drive Ā· šŸ¾ Dog-friendly patioSee it in the guide →
Day Two

The park, a ten-minute walk away.

All day

Lift-served, 2,200 vertical feet

Over 50 miles of downhill and freeride terrain off the Steamboat and Wild Blue gondolas, running 9:30 to 4. Warm up on EZ Rider and Rustlerā€™s Ridge, move to Tenderfoot and Wrangler Gulch, and save Buckinā€™ Bronc and Rawhide for when the legs are being honest. A bike access waiver is required, and the uplift ticket is separate from anything else.

~2,200 vert50+ miles9:30amā€“4pm
ActivityRide the Steamboat Bike ParkLift-served DHSee it in the guide →
Season

When it actually runs

Daily from early June to the end of August, then Friday to Sunday into early October, plus Labor Day. Late September is the week to want: the aspens turn and the queues have gone.

Daily Junā€“AugFriā€“Sun Sepā€“Oct
Gear

Downhill bikes and armour

The shop by the gondola rents downhill bikes with a full-face, shin and elbow pads included, by the half or full day. Ski Haus on Pine Grove Road, four minutes from the door, has the broadest fleet in town if you would rather sort it the night before.

ActivityRent a Bike at Ski HausRent & repairSee it in the guide →
Apres

Big plates, slope views

Burgers, ribs and pizza in a rustic room with a busy bar, five minutes from the base.

Eat & DrinkSlope SideAmerican Ā· burgers & pizza Ā· Ski Time Square Ā· 5 min drive Ā· šŸ¾ Dog-friendly patioSee it in the guide →
Day Three

Buffalo Pass, the reason people come back.

Getting up there

Spring Creek, or fifteen minutes in the car

Spring Creek Trail leaves from town and climbs about five miles to Dry Lake Campground, which is the honest way to do it. Or drive up CR 38 and skip the climb entirely - nobody will judge you, and the descent is the point.

~5 miles to the topIntermediateDry Lake Campground
ActivitySpring Creek TrailšŸ¾ In-town climbSee it in the guide →
All day

Flash of Gold

Eleven miles of intermediate singletrack through waist-high ferns, dense aspen groves and wildflower meadows, and in late September it earns its name completely. Around mile 4.5 BTR drops off it - black, with drops, rock gardens and jumps. G.E.M. adds three more with Rabbit Ears in view. Push all the way to Grouse Ridge and it becomes a 21-mile expert day with real cliffside exposure.

11 milesIntermediateGrouse Ridge extension: 21 mi, expert
ActivityBuffalo Pass and Flash of GoldIntermediate to expertSee it in the guide →
The way home

Spring Roll back into town

Downhill-only, blue into black, berms and flowy rollers and rock gardens, running parallel to Spring Creek and finishing close enough to the chalet that the car can stay where it is.

Downhill onlyBlue into black

What the locals know.

  • Check Routt County Riders before you drive up Buff Pass. The network holds snow into June and the conditions page is more current than any app.
  • The Divide Trail is the shuttle day. Start at Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass at 10,400 feet and descend 4,400 feet on the Continental Divide / Wyoming Trail #1101. Twenty-two miles from town and the biggest single descent in the county.
  • Panorama and Fiddlehead are the easy option six miles out, with views over the Yampa Valley, the Flat Tops and the Divide. This is where the group’s least confident rider has a good day.
  • Mad Creek into Red Dirt is short, advanced, and tight through the aspens - a good last spin before a drive home.
  • Emerald and the park are rideable from the door. Buff Pass, Rabbit Ears and Mad Creek want the car, and the garage fits two.
ActivityGo Mad at Mad CreekšŸ¾ Hike & bikeSee it in the guide →

Your base for all of it.

Escape Chalet sits in the mountain district at the base of Mount Werner, a flat ten-minute walk from the gondola, with the free Green Line bus stopping 50 feet from the door.

  • Four ensuite bedrooms, sleeps 10, so nobody shares a bathroom after a long day out
  • A 10-person hot tub, open year round and held at 102F
  • Chef's kitchen with a 36-inch Wolf range, and a dining table that seats 8 with 3 more at the bar
  • Heated garage for two cars, with an EV charger and boot dryers - the bikes sleep inside
  • Up to two dogs, free when you book direct, with the Pup Package included
Book direct

Ten minutes' walk to the gondola.

Four ensuite bedrooms, sleeps 10, ten minutes' walk from the gondola. Two dogs stay free when you book direct, and the Pup Package is included.

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