Antelope Trail
Trail Meter:
Good
Antelope is a great way for the intermediate rider to ride into Hall Ranch. It's got a little bit of everything: easy switchbacks, rocky sections and some great flowy turns. It's only a mile long, but has good elevation gain without ever getting too steep. Most of the trail is singletrack with only two short sections of fire road (the first is the beginning of the trail). If you are looking for a great ride to practice your skills and get more comfortable riding on the kind of trails we have here in Boulder County, look no further!
Before, I go any further, see that sign? They mean it. Also, only park in a real parking spot if you drive. This is a ticket hotspot!
To ride this trail, you'll either be coming up from the Antelope Trailhead (see directions), or connecting with the Bitterbrush Trail to the rest of Hall Ranch. If you are doing the former, be aware that there are very few spots to park at this trailhead and it is often full on weekends. We totally recommend that you park at Sandstone Park, which is in downtown Lyons about 1.5 miles away. This also gives you a great warmup for the ride (yeah, if you're 17 years old, you might not need a warmup. If you're like me and more than twice that age, warmup is key!).
From the trailhead you're going to head up a short section of loose, pointy, babyheads (rocks about the size of an infant's head - hey I didn't make up the term. I'm just using it.) for only a couple hundred yards. This section may seem both challenging and not fun, but hang on! Things are going to get better very fast. After this section, you'll enter into some steady rolling climbing on singletrack with several easily managed rocky outcrops in the trail.
A rocky outcrop in the singletrack! Rock on.
This continues on for the better part of the ride. You know you're almost at the top when you reach a section of old road with a few barely noticeable patches of old asphalt. It's pretty steep and manky here, but hit the afterburner as it's a short climb and then you'll get a nice break.
The trail ends at the Junction of Lower Bitterbrush (fork to your left) and Upper Bitterbrush (fork to your right). If you're like me, you'll take a quick break at the bench just beyond this junction.
Note: Again, parking is limited at the trailhead. You may want to park in downtown Lyons, at Sandstone Park, and ride up. Here are directions to Sandstone Park.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Antelope Trail GPX File | 19.63 KB |
| Antelope Trail Google Earth File | 2.02 KB |
| Hall Ranch Kiosk Map | 776.02 KB |
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Comments
From RangerGrady via Twitter: Lyons area trails (Heil, Hall,& Rabbit) are very muddy. Hopeful for good conditions by the weekend. #boco_trails http://t.co/t2wnSl3Lxk
From RangerDMorris via Twitter: Hall Ranch is too muddy. #boco_trails
From boulderosmp via Twitter: Trails in the Marshall Mesa area are snow/ice packed with areas of heavy mud #boco_trails
Trail condition updated to Poor.
From redstonecyclery via Twitter: 100% of the trails at Hall and Heil out of Lyons are open, dry, and in great shape! #boco_trails http://t.co/bv0OpBwHhs
A few small wet sections easily avoided, and otherwise dry and in good shape.
Trail condition updated to Fair.
From RangerDMorris via Twitter: Hall Ranch - Nelson Loop is open. #boco_trails
From redstonecyclery via Twitter: Bitterbrush trail at Hall is absolutely perfect right now. Antelope is muddy and Nelson Loop is closed. #boco_trails http://t.co/jWJDf6ItKP
from Redstone Cyclery via Facebook: Hall Ranch was great from the parking lot, thru the rock garden and all the way to the loop. Antelope is still muddy and Nelson Loop is still closed. Bitterbrush couldn't be any better though!