The International Mountain Bicycling Association has designated the Roaring Fork Valley, including Glenwood Springs, as Colorado's first Gold-Level Ride Center. There are only five IMBA Gold-Level Ride Center designations in the United States.
With more than 300 miles of high quality singletrack to explore, the Roaring Fork Valley provides an incredible breadth of experiences for both local and visiting riders seeking beauty and exhilaration. The IMBA Gold-Level evaluation criteria is comprised of key aspects that make for an amazing mountain bike destination and include: variety of trail types, overall trail mileage, quality of trail experiences, destination best practices, and local services. The Roaring Fork Valley’s system of trails scored high marks in each of these categories, contributing to the IMBA Gold-Level designation.
With the growth of mountain biking and its evolution into a broadly appealing sport, the communities of the Roaring Fork Valley have developed singletrack trails to satisfy user demands while increasing sustainability. The Roaring Fork Valley’s public and private land managers, including the White River National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, Pitkin County’s Open Space & Trails, Snowmass Village’s Parks & Trails, Aspen’s Parks, Open Space & Trails, Glenwood Springs Parks, Trails & Open Space, and Aspen Skiing Company’s Snowmass Bike Park, have each studied, approved, and built additional mileage and made countless improvements to the Valley’s singletrack trail system in order to achieve this award-winning distinguishment. Each of these trail approvals was carefully considered in the context of their particular location.
“Ride Center designations are as much about the process as the award. IMBA’s Trail Solutions team partners with the community to guide and educate on creating and enhancing amazing places to ride mountain bikes. For the Aspen Snowmass / Roaring Fork Ride Center to grow from Bronze-Level to Gold-Level is a remarkable achievement, and a testament to the community’s dedication to mountain biking,” says Dave Wiens, IMBA Executive Director.
“As the entrance to the Roaring Fork Valley, Glenwood Springs offers year-round trail access with stunning views of the valley in a laid-back atmosphere,” says Lisa Langer, Director of Tourism, Visit Glenwood Springs. “This new designation will elevate our area in the eyes of serious mountain biking enthusiasts, and it will encourage riders to experience all that the Roaring Fork Valley has to offer. Of course, after a day on the trails, we recommend restoring those weary muscles at one of our famous hot springs attractions.”
More information and the full press release.
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