I'm not sure what part of Denver you start in but you can go north on the Platte Trail to 104th Ave. From there go east about a mile to Riverdale Rd. Riverdale is a wonderful country road with some traffic but it isn't that busy. Take Riverdale all the way to Colorado 7, then east to Brighton. From Brighton you can come south through Henderson back to either McKay Road or 88th Ave. and then down the Platte trail. From Confluence Park, round trip is probably 80 miles.

If you don't want to go that far north, turn at Clear Creek trail. This trail goes all the way to Golden now without interuption. In Golden, if you go up 19th St., you can turn onto a new trail that follows along US 6. (Stop and see the dinosaur tracks if it isn't muddy.) At the bottom of the hill (and you'll know which one when you get there) there is a trail that goes off to the south under US 6. It will eventually put you out at Heritage Square. From there go out on US40 and go east to Rooney Road where you will turn south and follow the road until you come to the C-470 trail, about 4 miles. From there you can go south to Chatfield or you can turn on Bear Creek. Looking at the distances, if you go all the way to Chatfield, this route might get you close to a century, depending on where you start.

If you want a 50 miler around Downtown, start at the Confluence, go north to the Metro Sewage plant (about 71st Ave.) and then east on Sand Creek. Sand Creek will take you through the Stapleton area and out to Aurora, where you can hook up with the Highline Canal Trail off of Chambers Rd. Come back on the Highline to Cherry Creek Trail and back to the Confluence. The route is about half dirt. I once did it at night and it's a real hoot!

As for maps, I'd suggest the DBTC Denver Metro Map. Very comprehensive, relatively cheap and recently updated. It covers all of the metro area.

Stuart Black