Great Sand Dunes Hot Springs Adventure Ride
July 26-28 ’24 – Great Sand Dunes Adventure
A 3 Day 500+ mile Adventure Ride
At the completion 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 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 on the Arkansas River.
- Camping and dinner is Included at the Drift-In on the Arkansas River.
- 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.
- Or 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 all 3 days.
- These are all fun Adventure bike suitable dirt roads and pavement.
WHAT IS INCLUDED ON THIS ADVENTURE RIDE TO THE GREAT SAND DUNES HOT SPRINGS ?
- GPS Tracks of a spectacular route you would not typically do on your own.
- Ride with GPS Club membership
- Exit Tours MC Club Membership
- Camping Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool Friday night included
- Soaking at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool Friday night included
- Camping on the Arkansas River Saturday Night is Included.
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CAMP SATURDAY NIGHT:
Option on Day 2 to Lodge at the Poncha Lodge in Poncha Springs
At the Crossroads of the Rockies, Hwy’s 50 & 285.
< 4 miles from Campground HQ
Call to Confirm and pay with your CC.
Saturday July 27th
- Phone:
- (719) 539-6085
10520 Hwy 50 West, Poncha Springs, CO 81242
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WHAT IS INCLUDED ON THIS ADVENTURE RIDE TO THE GREAT SAND DUNES HOT SPRINGS AND THE ARKANSAS RIVER ?
- Campfires
- Camaraderie of Like-minded individuals
- Gear portage so you may ride unencumbered
- Chase truck
- Local support
- Breakfast Saturday Morning
- Coffee
- Dinner is available Saturday night near Salida at the Drift-In Bar & Grill
- Breakfast Sunday Morning
- T-shirt
- Stickers
- Finisher Pin
From Colorado Springs the Loop to the Great Sand Dunes entails:
Day 1
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- 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
- The Old mining town of Victor
- Phantom Canyon old railroad right-of-way
- Canon City
- Oak Creek Grade
- Westcliffe & Fuel
- Wet Mountain Valley
Challenging Loop
-
- Medano Pass
- Medano Jeep road
- The Great Sand Dunes National Park
Alternate Easier Loop
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- The Easier Loop that avoids the Sand and Medano Pass:
- Goes over Dirt Pass Creek Pass
- Paved La Veta Pass
- To the Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Sand Dunes Hot Springs
-
Day 2 Route Includes:
Challenging Route:
- Town of Center & fuel
- La Garita
- Canero Pass
- Sanderson Stagecoach road
- The town of Saguache & fuel
- Ute Pass
- Bonanza
- Visit the Cucomomga Mine
- Otto Mears Toll-road
- Silvercreek
- Shirley Townsite
- Mears Junction
- Poncha Pass
- Big Bend of the Arkansas River
Easier & Longer Loop:
- Town of Center & fuel
- Canero Pass
- La Garita
- Sanderson Stagecoach road
- Saguache & fuel
- Poncha Pass
- Mears Junction
- Marshall Pass old railroad right-of-way
- Sargents
- Old Monarch Pass
- Monarch Summit
- Big Bend of the Arkansas River
Day 3 Route Includes:
- River Road along the Arkansas River
- Smeltertown Smokestack
- Ute Trial from Salida
- High Plains East of Salida
- Hwy 9
- Dirt roads west of Pikes Peak
- Jeep road to 11 Mile Canyon
- 11 Mile Canyon old railroad right-of-way
- South Platte River
- Dirt Back roads from Florissant
- Hwy 24 old railroad right-of-way
- The town of Divide
- Woodland Park old railroad right-of-way
- Rampart Range Road
- Garden of the Gods or Pikes Peak
- (Your Choice if you want to Ride Up Pikes Peak)
- 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.
Challenging Loop
- Ride over 10,000 foot Medano Pass through the Sangre de Cristo wilderness.
- Ride 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.
Easier Loop
- On the Easier loop, avoid Medano Pass and ride up Pass Creek Pass to La Veta Pass, around Mt. Blanca on the pavement to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
- Toll required to enter the GSD National Park from the South
Day 2
- Enjoy a fun lightly traveled mainly off-road loop through the Rio Grande river headwaters.
- Over Canero Pass, then 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.
Challenging Loop
- Climb up little known old Ute Pass from Saguache
- Ride through the Bonanza mining district
- Check out the Cucomonga Mine
- Ride over the built in the 1870’s Otto Mears Toll-road, to Sivercreek.
- Then ride Off-Road below Mt. Shavano and down to the Big Bend of the Arkansas River.
Easier Loop
- On the Easier route, avoid the Otto Mears Tollroad, and ride over paved Poncha Pass.
- To the old railroad grade over the Continental Divide which is Marshall Pass.
- Stop in the old railroad town of Sargents for fuel and food.
- Ride over twisty old dirt Monarch Pass at over 12,000 foot.
- Check out the Monarch Pass Summit
- Ride Off-road below Mt. Shavano to the Big Bend of the Arkansas River
- You have the option to Camp, Dine & drink at the Drift-In on the Arkansas River Saturday Night.
- Or you can stay in a Motel in Poncha Springs or Salida.
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 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.
- Tent camping at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool included with the ride.
- Soaking in the Hot Springs Pool is also included.
Off-Road tires are required to ride over Medano Pass and into the back of the Sand Dunes.
- The Challenging routes on this ride are suitable for a large Adventure bike with off-road tires and a rider with some skills.
- If you don’t show up with off-road tires, or are concerned with your sand riding skills, choose the easier alternate route.
MORE ALTERNATE ROUTE DESCRIPTION on Day 1 & 2
- Day 1 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.
- Ride down paved La Veta Pass and around Mt. Blanca 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 Pan American Harley’s or Himalayan’s.
- Or anyone who doesn’t want to ride in the Sand or Rocks !
RETURN TO RIDE HOMEPAGE
