Gorgeous Alpine Ride | Mountain Biking Monarch Crest Trail, Salida, CO

Monarch Crest is an epic high-country ride in Colorado. The trail travels along the Continental Divide, mostly between about 11,000 ft/3,300 m and 12,000 ft/3,700 m in elevation. It is also part of the famous Continental Divide Trail (CDT), a long-distance hiking route that stretches from the Mexico border to the Canada border for about 3,100 miles/5,000 km. The panoramic alpine views along Monarch Crest are incredible, with big mountain scenery almost the entire way. It is also one of the easiest high-elevation MTB rides in the U.S. to access, thanks to regular shuttle service from nearby Poncha Springs and Salida. What makes this ride even better is the variety of descent options off the ridge, ranging from easier forest roads to intermediate downhill trails and more technical routes. The ride in this video shows highlights from Monarch Pass on US-50 to the CDT / Silver Creek junction.