Bear Creek to Methodist Mountain

The Bear Creek-Rainbow Trail-Methodist Mountain Ride is for those with the gumption to climb more than 2,000 feet of elevation on a tough ride.

In spite of its difficulty, it is a favorite of local riders who jump on bikes in Salida for an invigorating ride up a beautiful drainage, taking in six miles of sensational single-track before bounding back into the valley.

This route forms much of the trail used for the Banana Belt Loop race.

Advanced 3-5 Hours     20 Miles

Rating: Intermediate to advanced.
Distance: 20 miles.
Time: Two to four hours.
Elevation: Low point — 6,950 feet; high point — 9,100 feet.
Trails: Six miles excellent single track; five miles four-wheel drive road; nine miles graded or paved road.
Maps: USGS Topo maps — 15 minute: Cameron Mountain, Bonanza and Howard. San Isabel National Forest Map.
The topos do not show the trail, but give an idea of the terrain. The trail is indicated on the Forest Service map.
Access: This route can be a loop that starts and finishes in Salida. Others prefer to ride this section by setting shuttles as high as is comfortable driving vehicles up CR 108 or CR 101.

Most cars can make it much of the way up the four-wheel drive portion of CR 108 if roads are dry. Riders can then do an out-and-back on the Rainbow’s single-track.

Another popular option is to start as high on CR 101 as is comfortable to drive, and ride from that point to the trailhead on the side of Simmons Peak.

Riders can then either ride the single-track Rainbow Trail to Methodist Mountain and return, or continue down Methodist to Salida and shuttle back up to their vehicle on Bear Creek Road.

Ride Description: Approximately two miles east of the Salida city limits on U.S. 50, turn right or south onto CR 101.

From U.S. 50 up Bear Creek to the Rainbow Trail, note the change in vegetation. The low point of the ride next to the Arkansas River is semi-arid.

During the next five miles, the landscape changes from near desert to a lush, narrow high mountain valley with beaver ponds, aspen and mountain wildflowers.

Riders also get great views of Simmons and Hunts peaks, coming through the trees and around the bends heading up Bear Creek.

After one mile, cross the Chaffee/Fremont County line. Continue another 2.4 miles on Fremont CR 49 to the cattle guard, the national forest boundary.

At this point, the road becomes a single lane four-wheel drive road, FR 101.3. Slightly more than 2.5 miles up the four-wheel drive road, ford Bear Creek. The road is closed just beyond the creek crossing. Look for a single-track trail, FST 1336, on your right and continue generally west.

The next six miles are excellent single track, almost all of which can be ridden by riders with intermediate-advanced trail riding experience. Expect a few short pitches of uphill. Some other obstacles to watch for are stumps and rocks jutting out into the trail, and a few places where the trail travels along fairly steep mountainside.

If anything, the single-track provides varied terrain. It drops into and climbs out of several drainages.

The trail crosses two four-wheel drive roads at 0.3 and three miles after starting single track. The single track ends after passing a trail register on the left (south) side of the trail. Continue on the four-wheel drive road (CR 108), which becomes rough after making a sharp hairpin turn to the right. This rough section lasts two miles until CR 108 becomes a graded, two-lane road. Take it easy heading down Methodist. The four-wheel drive road is steep and rocky. The next two miles of screaming descent returns you to U.S. 50 in Salida.