Summary: Short Rides:  Garden of the Gods Ride

Rating:  Route:  From Sedalia, through Pike Forest and down to Garden of The Gods Features:  City and mountain roads, rock formations, two-lane highways & interstate  Distance:  69 miles, one-way Ride Time:  Approximately 1 hour & 48 minutes Season:  June through September Maximum Grade:  10% Change in Elevation:  3,300 feet

Overview:

This motorcycle ride takes highway 67 south out of Sedalia, Colorado, rides thorough Pike National Forest into Deckers, Colorado, and ends with a tour of the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Directions:

Beginning in Sedalia, Colorado, take US Highway 67 South to Woodland Park, Colorado.  At Woodland Park, turn left (east) onto US Highway 24.  Continue east on US 24.  US 24 will become Midland Expressway.  Take the Manitou Avenue exit and turn right (north) onto Manitou Ave.  Continue on Manitou Ave for 0.3 miles and turn left onto Beckers Ln.  Continue on Beckers Ln for 0.4 miles and turn right onto Garden Dr.  You are now be in the Garden of the Gods park.  Continue throughout the park and enjoy the scenery and rock formations.

Maps:

Elevation Profile:

This ride begins at 6,600' in elevation and peaks at 8,500 feet before descending back to 6,500 feet at Garden of the Gods.  The maximum slope change is 11% climb and 10% descent  Click on the "Detailed Profile" button above to see a full-screen profile.

Photos:

Breakfast at Starbucks (Santa Fe Dr and Highlands Ranch Pkwy), south of Denver:

Just west of Sedalia, Colorado, before entering Pike National Forest:

After entering Pike National Forest:

Welcome sign/Leaving sign for Pike National Forest:

Gravel portion of the ride:

South Platte river (back on US 67 South after the gravel road), north of Deckers, Colorado:

Inside Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado:

Our Reviews:

I rode this ride solo on a Friday morning in early June.  What an awesome ride.  It begins at Sedalia which is about 20 minutes south of Denver and flows right into Pike National Forest.  The roads from Sedalia and through the forest are in fair shape and there is a bustle of outdoor activities along the roadway (fisherman, ATV's, hunters, campers, etc) so take this one in Touring mode.  I found potholes, wash outs, gravel and even large boulders on the roadway.  Let me reiterate that:  Take it easy through the Pike Forest section of this ride. About 15 minutes after you enter Pike National Forest, the road will fork and become gravel.  Take the right side of the fork to follow Pine Creek Road.  Pine Creek Road is a gravel road and is about 4 miles long.  This portion is packed dirt and is heavily graveled with a 15% down-slope.  Be prepared for this before taking this ride.  I'd recommend against taking your favorite sportbike on this ride.  Once you get over the gravel road, the ride dumps out onto the Platte River.  Follow the river south to Deckers.  This portion is beautiful but the roads are littered with small rocks and washout debris so proceed with caution.  When you reach Deckers, take a left and stay on US 67 toward Woodland Park.  At Deckers, the road improves and the ride becomes quite brisk.  I followed a couple on a BMW K75 and had a blast.  The curves are predictable. Midway between Deckers and Manitou Springs you will encounter a sign which reads "use extreme caution".  At this point, the county began patching the roadway with tar and you get those slippery tar snakes.  Slow down a bit and enjoy.  Lastly, the ride around Garden of the Gods is positively gorgeous.  The road has a 20 mph speed limit and tourists are abound on every corner so take this one easy.  I'd recommend this ride for a lazy Sunday morning when it's too hot to ride in the metro area.

Points of Interest:

The Garden of the Gods features some unique red rock formations, rock climbing and trail hiking.