Road Biking - Chatfield State Park

Activity type: Road Biking
Date of activity: 2/15/2015
Distance traveled: 10.561 miles
Total Elevation Climbed: 1,114 ft.
Location: Chatfield State Park, CO, USA

Did a quick shake-down ride on the road bike just before the arrival of our next snow storm.  For my first ride of the season, I chose a relatively close ride to the summit of the Chatfield Reservoir located in southwest Denver.  This route uses both the Platte River and C-470 bike paths and allows you to circumnavigate the reservoir if you are up for a nice long ride (not this time for me, though).  Along the way, you'll ride through a nice, forested area in the area of the South Platte River which is where there are several dog parks located.  Just before you get to the top of the reservoir, the route's got a relatively steep climb which is always a good season opener to wake up your legs and lungs.

As a final note, this particular route is great for accessing either the C-470 bike trail which extends all the way to Golden, the Platte River trail which can take you to downtown Denver and Invesco Field at Mile High (i.e. Bronco's Stadium), or puts you in a very good place to attempt the Deer Creek Canyon route which is one of the more strenuous climbs in the Denver area.

Headwaters of the South Platte River

Summit above the Chatfield Reservoir