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Level: Advanced
Length: 12 mi (19.3 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Loop
Elevation: +734/ -761 ft
Total: 47 riders
Mountain Biking Wathen Trail
#200 of 1,392 mountain bike trails in Colorado
Wathen is an awesome singletrack that offers a technical challenge for even the most experienced mountain biker. This is just one of many trails that are clearly marked in the Horsetooth Park 10 minutes from downtown Fort Collins. To access the trailhead, proceed up the service road (dirt and closed to traffic) and follow this for approx 2 miles up the mountain. At this point the road ends and you can either loop back by turning right or turn left and continue up the ridge another 150 feet where you will intersect the Waltham trail. If you stay on the Waltham trail it will eventually loop back and drop you back on the service road you road up where you can either bomb down the road or take the really sweet technical singletrack that is next to the sitting bench .75 miles up the access road. This singletrack has multiple man made stairs that makes for a great way to end the ride!
First added by jminn8086 on Oct 2, 2005. Last updated Apr 30, 2020. → add an update
Before you go
- Drinking water: unknown
- Lift service: unknown
- Night riding: unknown
- Pump track: unknown
- Restrooms: unknown
- Fat bike grooming: unknown
- E-bikes allowed: unknown
- Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
From I-25 traveling north from Denver to Fort Collins, take the E. Harmony exit (west) and travel for 3-4 miles until you come to South Taft. Turn right on So. Taft and drive a short distance until you intersect 38E. Turn left on 38E and drive up around Horsetooth Lake until you come to Horsetooth Park. Park in the parking lot on the right, but make sure you have a day pass.
Someone cleaned this trail up after a season of too much rain and took some of the character out of it. It is starting to come back now. Super fast, with some tech thrown in.
| ThankCool singletrack in the Horsetooth system. Best ridden west to east.
| ThankBest trail at Horsetooth Mountain Park. It can be ridden up or downhill cleanly (if you have big lungs). My favorite loop is park at Soderberg. Ride up Towers trail to the very top, taking a right, right before the towers. This takes you around the top of the towers to the south. From the clearing there is an unofficial trail that will take you down to northwest ridge trail (after 90% of the climbing). Take a right (go south) on northwest ridge trail. Then take a right and cruse down Watham Trail. Take a left on Spring Creek trail and head up it a little bit, and then take a right on Herrington and ride it up to Towers trail. Take a right on Towers trail and ride it down to your first left which will be Herrington agaian. Take a left on Loggers and then a right onto Sawmill. Take a right on Shorline and finish the ride back to Soderberg Trailhead. Most steep technical in shortest amount of time
| ThankGreat trail, fast with some technical areas. Good trail but not my favorite in HTMP.
| ThankFirst of all - it is "Wathan" not Waltham.....it is inside HTMP and is one of the best trails in the area. Best way to experience is to go up the HTMP service road and then bomb down Wathan. You can then hook up with Lory SP and with a little extra climb hit the best that Lory has to offer - namely Sawmill and Loggers. We usually park at Soderberg and ride up the road to HTMP before starting the service road climb.
| ThankI had an absolute blast going downhill! Also, the scenery was amazing! The route I took also had alot of shade. Unfortunately, I went up the exact same way I came down.
To go up, I took South Ridge Trail to Soderberg Trail (via Horsetooth Rock Trail) and took Wathen Trail heading west. After Wathen, headed north on Westridge Trail for a mile or so (that's where I quit). In general, this route was very steep and technical going up.
The uphill was mostly difficult due to steepness and the corresponding difficulty in keeping momentum through technical spots. I think it's an outstanding place for intermediate riders (like me) or even advanced riders to hone their skills without getting too frustrated, but I still had to get off the bike and hike often. Going downhill kept me on my toes with the technical aspects, but felt very safe, even at speed. If you go, do yourself a favor and take a camera.
| ThankI absolutly love this trail. It is a sweet single track that can be ridden up or down. Obvioulsy down is more fun! It has some techincal challenges. But remember: on the service road as you are going down, do not use the trail by the bench as it is for hikers only! It is a recent closeure to mt. bikers. The staff can provide you with a map that tells you where you can bike.
| Thank