Great Sand Dunes Adventure Ride
JULY 22-24 2022 Friday to Sunday
From Colorado Springs, CO
From Colorado Springs, ride your Adventure motorcycle around Pikes Peak on spectacular old railroad lines to Silvercliffe and over Medano Pass to the Great Sand Dunes Hot Springs. Day 2 Ride over 4 passes in the dirt to the old Railroad town of Salida. Day 3 Ride to the South Platte River and back through the Garden of the Gods.
On Day 1 you could ride ride an Alternate easier loop from Silvercliffe and avoid Medano Pass. Ride over Pass Creek and La Veta Passes and avoid the sand entirely.
Day 2 ride an easier longer loop over Marshall and Old Monarch Passes to Salida. Day 3 you have option of riding to the Garden of the Gods or riding up Pikes Peak.
These are Epic route’s you would not do on your own.
3 Day Adventure Ride to the Great Sand Dunes. Overnight at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs and in Salida. Camp both nights or stay in a Glamping Cabin at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs. Stay in a hotel Saturday nigh in Salida or camp on the Arkansas River. ( Limited space)
- The Great Sand Dunes Loop is a spectacular 3 Day 500+ mile Adventure loop, that doesn’t just take you down the Highway to get there.
- Day 1 the loop visits old mining towns, railroad stops and takes little used dirt roads on a adventurous route from Colorado Springs.
- The route goes around PIkes Peak towards Canon City, then into Silvercliffe and the Wet Mountain Valley and the back way into the Great Sand Dunes National Monument over Medano Pass.
- If you don’t like Sand, there is an alternate route. Over Pass Creek and La Veta Passes.
After riding over Medano Pass or La Veta Pass, spend the night camping at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs.
Eat, relax and soak in the Hot Springs Pool at the end of Day 1.
- Camping and soaking at the Hot Springs is included.
- The Club will portage your gear so that you may ride unencumbered.
- 3 Glamping Cabins are available for rent at the Sand Dunes Pool
Day 2 ride to Salida on a creative route over 4 mountain passes, all in the dirt.
- Ride old toll-roads and old rail lines.
- Dinner is included on Saturday Night and we’ll spend the night in Salida.
- Lodging is on you.
- Day 2 there are 2 options. Challenging or Easier and longer
Day 3 ride in the dirt from Salida the back way into 11 Mile Canyon on the South Platte River.
- Then ride down Rampart Range road from Woodland Park to Garden of the Gods.
- Ride up Pikes Peak if your game, or return to where our trucks have been securely parked at the Colorado Springs Airport.
- Your choice of 2 loops on Sunday that are both fun Adventure bike suitable dirt roads and pavement.
WHAT IS INCLUDED ON THIS RIDE TO THE GREAT SAND DUNES ?
- GPS Tracks
- Ride with GPS Club membership
- Exit Tours MC Club Membership
- Camping & soaking at the Sand Dines Hot Springs Pool Friday night
- Campfires
- Camping on the Arkansas River Saturday Night
- Browns Canyon Inn in Salida has been asked to hold rooms
- Camaraderie of Like-minded individuals
- Luggage portage so you may ride unencumbered
- Chase truck
- Local support
- Dinner Saturday night in Salida
- Breakfast Sunday Morning.
- T-shirt
- Stickers
From Colorado Springs a Loop to the Great Sand Dunes entails:
Day 1
- Staging in long term parking at the secure Colorado Springs Airport
- Stagecoach road to the old Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek & Victor old railroad right-of-way.
- Gold Camp Road to the Cripple Creek & Victor gold mine.
- Victor Pass
- Victor
- Phantom Canyon old railroad right-of-way
- Canon City
- Oak Creek Grade
- Westcliffe & Fuel
- Wet Mountain Valley
- Medano Pass
- The Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Or On the Easier Loop that avoids the Sand:
- Pass Creek Pass
- La Veta Pass
- The Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Sand Dunes Hot Springs
Day 2
- Town of Center & fuel
- La Garita
- Canero Pass
- Sanderson Stagecoach road
- Saguache & fuel
- Ute Pass
- Bonanza
- Otto Mears Toll-road
- Silvercreek
- Salida
- Or, On the longer, easier loop:
- Marshall Pass old railroad right-of-way
- Sargents
- Old Monarch Pass
- Monarch Summit
- Salida
Day 3
- Ute Trial from Salida
- Hwy 9
- Dirt roads west of Pikes Peak
- 11 Mile Canyon old railroad right-of-way
- South Platte River
- Florissant
- Hwy 24 old railroad right-of-way
- Divide
- Woodland Park old railroad right-of-way
- Rampart Range Road
- Garden of the Gods
- Cheyenne Canyon old railroad right-of-way
Additional Loop Descriptions
Day 1 ride over scenic and a virtually unknown area from behind Pikes Peak on utterly spectacular old Railroad Right-of-ways towards Canon City and Westcliffe.
- To 10,000 foot Medano Pass through the Sangre de Cristo wilderness from the east side into the back of the Great Sand Dunes.
- There are 9 creek crossing on Medano Pass before you get to the back of the Sand Dunes. The road out is a sandy jeep road few people traverse.
- On the Easier loop, avoid Medano Pass and ride up Pass Creek Pass to La Veta Pass, around Mt. Blanca on the pavemnet to the Great Sand Dunes National Park (Toll required on the easier route tho the GSD)
- You could have the option to glamp in a cabin at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs or pitch your tent for the night.
- Ride unencumbered by camping gear on this 500+ total miles route.The club will portage your gear.
- On Day 2 Enjoy a fun lightly traveled mainly off-road loop through the Rio Grande river headwaters.
- Over Canero Pass, a short jaunt on an old Barlow & Sanderson Stagecoach route, past the Hoagland Stage Stop at Old Cowtown to the old town of Saguache in the northern San Luis Valley.
- Then climb up little known old Ute Pass, through the Bonanza mining district and over the built in the 1870’s Otto Mears Toll-road to Sivercreek and down to Salida.
- On the Easier route, avoid the Otto Mears Tollroad, and rode over paved Poncha Pass to the old railroad grade which is Marshall Pass.
- Stop in the old railroad town of Sargents
- Ride old Monarch pass to over 11,000 foot Monarch Pass and spend the night at a hotel in the old railroad town of Salida.
- Or you have the option to Camp on the Arkansas River Saturday Night (Limited Space)
- Day 3 on the way back to Colorado Springs from Salida, we’ll take a very creative route with as many dirt roads as possible around the backside of Pikes Peak.
- Ride out of 11 Mile Canyon on the old rail line and head towards Woodland Park, again the back way in the dirt.
- Ride down dirt Rampart Range to Garden of the Gods, where you can decide if your game to ride up Pikes Peak or call it a day and head to the trucks ?
- Fuel and snack stops are available about every 80 miles each day.
- The club has reserved the 3 glamping cabins at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs, where lodging is on you.
- See the Sign-Up page to rent a Glamping Cabin.
- The Club will also provide space for tent camping at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool included with the ride.
- Soaking in the Hot Springs Pool is also included.
Ride through a little known National Park on your Motorcycle and enjoy:
- No Crowds
- No hassle
- Hot springs
- Glamping cabin, or tent camping
- Good food and High Adventure with like-minded enthusiast’s.
- Gear Portage
- Secure Truck parking at the Colorado Springs Airport ($7/day)
Alternate route description that avoids the Sand Dunes road.
Off-Road tires are required to ride over Medano Pass and into the back of the Sand Dunes.
- This route is suitable for a large Adventure bike with off-road tires and some skills.
- If you dont show up with off-road tires, or are concerned with your sand riding skills, there is an alternate route.
- You can skip Medano Pass, and ride towards the town of Gardener. Where you’ll turn right and head in the dirt over Pass Creek Pass to paved La Veta Pass.
- Then ride down La Veta Pass and around Mt. Blanca on the pavement and approach the Great Sand Dunes from the south vs the east as the Medano Pass section of the route does.
- From the Great Sand Dunes it all pavement to the Sand Dunes Hot Springs to end Day 1
- Day 2 there is an Alternate route that avoids semi difficult sections on Ute Pass and the Otto Mears Toll road.
These Alternate easier routes make this ride suitable for Novice riders or Riders of Pan American Harley’s.
More Info on the Sand Dunes here, and a way around them on this Link:
advtours.com/great-sand-dunes-info/
E Ticket Ride
