Summer · Steamboat Springs

Road Riding the Yampa Valley

Paved · 11–112 mi

Paved county roads with ranch traffic instead of commuter traffic. Catamount out and back is 10.9 easy miles. The Stagecoach loop is 42 miles and 2,095 feet over Yellow Jacket Pass. Rabbit Ears Pass is 28 miles and 2,790 feet, the biggest sustained climb in the valley. Elk River Road runs north on CR 129 with turnarounds at 36, 49, 62 and 73.5 miles.

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Local tip

Start early: afternoon thunderstorms in July and August are the rule, not the exception. US 40 has a shoulder the whole way up Rabbit Ears; CR 129 and CR 14 mostly do not, so ride single file. Tour de Steamboat every July runs 25, 46 and 66-mile paved routes from downtown.

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
  • Up to two dogs, free when you book direct, with the Pup Package included
Book direct

Stay ten minutes from here.

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.

Summer activityGravel the SBT GRVL RoadsSummer activityRent a Bike at Ski HausSummer activityTour the Moots FactoryBack toThe Local Guide