Hello, Welcome to:
Trinidad, Colorado
The roads of Trinidad take in the expanse of the eastern plains and the western mountains. Part of Las Animas County, Colorado they have 1600+ miles of gravel roads.
Introduction
Welcome to adventure cycling in southeastern Colorado. In a few short years, Trinidad/Las Animas County has emerged as a gravel bike destination that offers a unique old-west inspired, rural cycling experience. With a county road network of 1,600+ miles, cyclists can enjoy a number of rides that see more cattle guards than cars, all while taking in the culture, history, and scenery that make this region distinctly different than the rest of Colorado.
We strive to inspire cyclists to ride in small groups to create their own personal gravel experience. All of the routes highlighted in this Gravel Adventure Field Guide start and end in downtown Trinidad. Come see why the relatively undiscovered dirt of rural Las Animas County is some of the best gravel bike terrain in the state. Explore what we have to offer. We are confident you’ll come back for more.
Welcome
We would like to welcome everyone to Trinidad, Colorado, to experience the area’s gravel road opportunities. We are part of Las Animas County, the largest county in Colorado, consisting of 4,775 square miles with 1600+ miles of gravel roads.
These roads take in the expanse of the eastern plains and the western mountains for the enjoyment of area citizens and visiting cyclists.
The City Council of Trinidad is encouraged by the potential of becoming the next big adventure hub for gravel bike enthusiasts in the state. Make your next stop Trinidad, Colorado. Enjoy our deep history. Ride our soil. See remnants of our past, and help us build a new future.
Explore Colorado
GPS Routes / Photos / More
We are please to offer our Trinidad, CO collection of Ride With GPS routes with more photos and beta with the support of Visit Colorado.
{ Click logo to visit our RidewGPS Route Collection Page }
The Purgatoire
“Ute coming down from the mountains to hunt buffalo on the plains used to camp here. This spot (Trinidad) on the Purgatoire River where we now live was long a favorite camping ground, first for the Indian and then the White. The fur trapper knew the Purgatoire as a beaver stream and set their traps up and down its winding banks. Before wheeled vehicles were put to use, great caravans of pack mules, numbering as many as 75 to 200 animals in a pack train passed by here and along the trail later to be known as the Santa Fe Trail.”
— Arthur Roy Mitchell
Western Artist & Colorado Historian
Overlooking the river west of Trinidad. The Purgatoire River was also known locally as the Picketwire. French trappers named the river after Spanish explorers killed by Native Americans. Purgatoire means Purgatory in French. Photo Courtesy: A. R. Mitchel Museum
Fishers Peak State Park
Fishers Peak is a natural landmark that helped guide travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and cemented Trinidad’s identity as an early old west trail town. In 2019, the former privately-owned Crazy French Ranch (19,200 acres) was acquired by the state of Colorado and declared the 42nd state park. It was the result of a partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the city of Trinidad, and Great Outdoors Colorado. While the property is currently off limits to bikes, a master plan is in development that will only improve the off-road cycling experience of Trinidad/Las Animas County, and eventually expand the experience with connections to the city of Raton and Sugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico. Expect the gravel adventures from downtown Trinidad to only get better in the years ahead.
Scan & Ride Interactive GPS Maps
ridewithgps.com/app
Start navigating and recording your ride on the Ride with GPS app with just a single tap, or get spoken turn-by-turn directions for your routes using the signature voice navigation feature. No data? No problem! You can download routes to navigate while offline and record rides without a data connection. The GPX file is also available for your cycling computer/head-unit.
On the following gravel route pages, scan the QR code with your smart phone to land on our digital route page, making it easy, safe, and fun for cyclists to go on great rides.
We encourage people to get outside, reconnect with nature, and embark on two-wheeled adventures. The Ride with GPS mission is to build a global community of riders who create and share routes, discover new adventures, and go on better rides, more often.
A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art
Famed Trinidad western artist Arthur Roy Mitchell was a man ahead of his time. After Mitchel: 1975 at the age of 86 moving to New York City to study at the Grand Central School of Art, Mitchell established himself as a commercial artist and painter. Cowboys were his main subject, but he also painted scenes of rural life and western landscape. Once Mitchell returned to Trinidad, he took on the role of historian and preservationist by establishing the Trinidad Historic District. His admiration for fine art, adventure, and western culture endures. His sister, Ethel “Tot” Erickson, laid the groundwork for opening the museum in his honor. Today it is home to over 350 paintings and illustrations by Mitchell and his contemporaries, and also a collection of early Hispanic traditional and religious art, along with Native American pottery, blankets, rugs, clothing and artifacts he collected. 2021
armitchellmuseum.com
MORE COOL STUFF
Healthy River Cycles
For more great stories on Trinidad and Las Animas County, please grab a copy of the field guide.