Parker Gravel Race

As we begin to loose our restrictions, it's important that we support our local businesses. This race is designed for the fun competition for cyclist who have lost these things during the summer. Being a small competition. I advise you to follow all rules of the road and to make each of the turn arounds designed into the segment map. You will need either a GPS or perfect visual memory. A few of the gravel segments of this route are on small trails carved by the deer of the area and thus are not easily marked. On this note, please consider your choice of equipment. Don't plan on trying to take a bike with anything less than 30 cm tires unless you have one of the following interests: running through sand for long distances, changing numerous flats, or the general desire to put ones-self in danger of crashing. Please use caution on all of these sections. On any section of trail, be courteous to all other trail users as well as traffic on the road. This being said, have fun, ride fast.

This route starts in the parking lot of Sierra Middle School and ascends into the Ponderosa Hills on the North east side of town. Be courteous to all neighbors. It joins a new trail that tends to have a few obstacles on it so be aware of fallen logs and the like. It then joins the Inspiration rd and heads further east. Eventually the route turns off the road and heads into the Ponderosa East neighborhood. After a small loop, it leads to Delbert Rd on the border between Douglas and Elbert Counties. Delbert will gradually roll up past the Elbert airstrip and to the top of the Smoky Hill neighborhood. The roads then winds to Coal Creek rd where the route will take you on a small loop on a few more rolling gravel roads befor turning back the way you came towards parker. In the Ponderosa East neighborhood, you'll take a different route to end up on some narrower, tighter roads. Eventually, the route joins East Parker rd and then turns down Tomahawk rd. This turns into Buffalo Berry rd when entering Spirit Ridge. In Spirit ridge you'll make a turn that will take you down a gravel excersize path that can get fairly technical with speed. After a good bit of winding, the route dives off onto a trail carved by dear and commuting school kids before dropping back onto an exercise path and into Canterberry. You'll climb through Canterberry and descend down the Parkway. At the bottom of the hill, the rout turns 180° back up the hill to reach a double track access road across the hills into Parker. Please be careful at the street crossing and follow each of the marked 180° turns that guarantees everyone a fair shot at crossing the roadways on their way into Parker. After a few turns on and off larger trails, and stream crossings, the route takes you behind the Pace center and around to the front where the last effort can be made to finish on time.

While none of the climbs on this route are longer than 4 miles or higher then 400 ft, know that you will be climbing 3,600. Also, be sure to pick a day where the weather is fair as the roads are built with clay and can become impassable in spots. Be sure to keep your eyes out for some of the spectacular views of Denver, Parker, the Front Range and the Metropolitan area.

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