Palmer Park

Fun sighting at Palmer today. I saw a bear cub on the north end of the park on Palmer Point Trail in the pine. The cub was on the trail, and I got quite close to him before we saw each other. Never did see mama bear.

Templeton Trail itself is a little over 4 miles long. I'm not sure why it is listed as a connector trail. It forms a loop around and just below the northwest mesa of Palmer Park. LOTS of chunky gnar. Don't get hurt out there. Many good riders have.

Nothing technical, but works well with the rest of Palmer Park.

Mesa Trail is part of the old dirt road network on top of Palmer Park. It is very wide and very popular with walkers, dog owners and joggers. It is primarily used by mountain bikers to connect to various singletrack trails on that side of the park, such as the Yucca Trail and Templeton. It also has nice views of the city, Pikes Peak and all the way down to the Wet Mountains and the Spanish Peaks.

I enjoyed a couple of hours riding in Palmer Park with a local so got to ride the best of it and avoid the rest of it. There are some wonderful natural technical features, mainly big chunky embedded rocks.

None of the trails are clearly marked. The trails that I was able to find were more suited to hiking than mountain biking. The were some technical sections but they weren't the fun kind of technical. They were rocky and slow. Also keep in mind that there is a lot of non-mountain bike traffic. I think if I spent a lot of time I might get to know the trails well enough to find something fun but there are too many other good options nearby. Would not recommend for anyone looking for downhill, or fun swoopy trails.

Ride Palmer Park for the first time yesterday and was impressed at the quality of riding in the middle of the urban area. Sure, the trails could all use some maintenance and a little better signage, but this also adds a bit of adventure. These are not the super-buffed, super-signed Jeffco trails that I'm used to...
I rode at 6pm on a weekday, and saw only 2 other bikers and maybe 10 hikers on a 7-mile loop. I'd call that pretty low use, considering the ease of access on all sides.

Coming from SD, this is a bit challenging riding but fun! There are many extreme trails I didn't dare though. Had awesome time!

North side of Templeton is much better now. Just a few stretches of ice.

Semi long stretches of uphill, challenging yet doable for beginners. Some easy to intermediate rock drops-or climbs. Very fun and is a hidden jewel in the center of the city!

Nice after work quick burn ride, too many non-riders taking advantage of open space - so let's light up..????, I hate smelling pot when I'm just looking for fresh altitude breeze.

First...and possibly last time I'll ride Palmer Park. As others have mentioned, it's horribly marked (or not at all) and there's enough natural irrigation routes that make following the established trail difficult at times (where the trail isn't totally apparent). Finally, every high school stoner and then some seem to migrate to PP parking areas to light up...definitely not a fan. Overall meh...I'll look elsewhere unless I hook up with a local that knows the trail system.

This trail is great when you can stay on it. whoever maintains the trail has done a horrible job with signage. I would not recommend riding this trial without someone who knows it well.

Palmer Park is a bit of a conundrum. It's right in the city, the views are great, and there are miles of trails with all different surfaces and difficulties. But the trails are poorly marked and very poorly maintained. What should be a moderate trail often turns into a black diamond due to washouts, roots, and exposed boulders. There's only about 120-150 feet in elevation change, but the ascents are all pretty steep and really get the heart pounding. I start either at the baseball diamonds or at the Greencrest trailhead off Austin Bluffs and circle the park using Greencrest trail, Palmer Point, Cheyenne, Grandview, and a couple others, for a 7-mile loop. Much of this was very difficult on my full-rigid bike, but it was all doable with some pushing where things were too eroded or poorly maintained. Lots of sliprock and clay mud when it's wet. A VERY tough ride following rain or snow unless you're on a fatty, and even then it's pretty slick, from what I'm told. You'll have to beware of dogs off-leash, horses, and hikers, but most people are cool and polite. If you're looking for rock hopping, there are some seriously technical spots along Palmer Point trail, especially where it overlooks Greencrest. And this winter, someone decorated the trees along a stretch of tame trail with Christmas decor. This park is best ridden during summer and fall, IMHO, when it's dry. But I'll still be there whenever its warm enough this winter, since it's close to home.

I have ever only taken the blue sections of this trial. With that being said, the blue section is fairly technical in areas. This trail can get really muddy after a rain storm and is made of a thick clay that will get stuck all over your bike. All in all this trail is fun to go ride every now and then.

The main description says it's well marked, but half the time you don't know if you're on the trail or just a huge eroded section. Ultimately it doesn't matter 'cause you're basically on a small island. You can't get too lost. Overall the place is fun minus the hike-a-bike sections. Lots of technical over rocks and drops. We found one good downhill run with a pile of small jumps. It's a good place to take somone from out of town because the climbs aren't too big. I'll be back.

Good single track as stated from other reviewers located in the heart of the city. Lots of rocks , roots, good views and technical areas. Trails are marked but easy to get lost I recommend driving around the park a bit before hitting the trails and strava helps. Fairly busy with bikes ,hikers etc. Lower rating is only due to I'm a fan of longer rides.

Lots of different trails are available, smooth, rocky, single tracks, and more. Make sure to stay on trail otherwise you will probably mess up your tires due to the cactus. Trails are marked, but does not classify if it's a bike trail or not so be careful because not all can be biked.

Definitely a cool place, with great scenery and a lot of fun mtb. trails. The degree to which you will like riding here probably larger depends on how much you like rocks. There are rocks everywhere, rock gardens, drops, rocks by themselves, and roots as well. Even many of the beginner trails will have a number or rocks and or small drops. My wife is a true beginner and I don't think she would have fun riding at Palmer Park. I ride a xc hardtail and have a blast challenging myself on most of the trails (though I do beat the heck out of my big chain-ring, and my body!) After awhile I start wishing for some faster smoother trails just to ad a little variety, but overall I have been having fun exploring the park and am grateful that we have it.

Short ride, long ride, technical ride, nice single track, this place has it all. Love this place can just get on my bike and ride the 4.5 miles to get there.