Denver to the South Park Basin Loop

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Colorado

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 2 visitors

State: Colorado
Date Submitted: July 1, 2009
Submitted by: TimmyM
Motorcycle Road Length: 265 Miles

Written Directions

Leave Denver via southbound Hwy #85 thru Sedalia; pick up Hwy #105 in Sedalia and head southbound to Palmer Lake-Monument. Pick up I-25 slab for a few miles as you head south into Colorado Springs and then exit southwest from I-25 onto Hwy #115 headed southwest past Fort Carson toward Canon City. Pick up Hwy #50 westbound into Canon City and 3 miles west of the Canon City head northwest on Hwy #9 across South Park. Hwy #9 meets Hwy #285 in Fairplay where want to take a right on to 285 and head northeast over Kenosha Pass back thru Bailey & Conifer and end back in Denver.

Scenery

A little bit of everything with a lot of scenery. Start with rolling foothills along the Palmer divide; a little bit of slab; then go SW of Colorado Springs past Fort Carson watching the landscape become more arid and full of bluffs. On the way back you tour the South Park basin which is one of Colorado's three most prominent & beautiful Rocky Mountain valley areas. During this ride you'll pass by the Buffalo Mountain range and return along wonderfully scenic road over Kenosha Pass.

Road Quality

Virtually great roads all the way around the Loop. It's two-laners through back country about 80% of the Loop. Blacktop all the way w/county maintenance crews keeping Hwy #115, Hwy #9 very well maintained for all internal towns.Hwy #285 is a two-lane (w/occasional passing lanes) State Hwy and is maintained maticulously due to it being one of the primary thru-ways internal in Colorado. I-25 is an Interstate and is well maintained but constantly under varied types of highway maintenance at varied portions.

Roadside Amenities

Plenty of food stops between stretches of open range. Throughout almost the entire loop, you're never more than 30 miles from a gas/convenient store stop. However, once you turn northbound from Hwy #50 onto Hwy #9 and begin crossing "South Park"...you're out in open range. Although you're still only 40 miles /- from a given small country store or small town at any given time, it's always good to keep your tank above 1/4 tank. As you drivetheentire Loop, there are always many and varied side road picnic areas; thru South Park you have varied reservoirs, mountain ranges and state sponsored "vistas views" to stop at along with a handful of official "state reststops" etc.

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) TimmyM

Add a Photo Add a Video


Reviewed by Guest on April 5, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Jeff
motorcycle_year: 2004
motorcycle_make: Yamaha
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Yes, South Park can be a bit windy. Just get through it. It can't be rainbows and unicorns all the time. Get through South Park and the plains and it gets gorgeous again.,,and then kinda boring, and then gorgeous again. a lot like life.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on September 21, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: MelloYello
motorcycle_year: 2005
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Touring
Comment: The previous rating is a good one, except for the fact that if you are riding South off of Kenosha pass you can't wait to get through South Park (it's nothing more than a big, wide open, flat, high country valley) great for grazing cows, not much for scenery. And then there's the wind..! Lot's of it most of the time..! I got blown around on my 05' Wing and it's BIG.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No