Marshall Mesa Area

A nice trail for what it is - convenient to Boulder area, mostly Beginner skill level, nice views of flatirons. Doudy Draw run is fun as descent, a little more tech.

My wife had ridden MM years ago and brought us (husband, 14yo son) for our first rides. We were introduced to the west side by a fellow rider who told us about the tunnel under Hwy93.
Great introduction to the sport, saw at least 2 groups of young novices with parents/guides -- enough craggy climbs to challenge we newbies and make us feel like we earned our 'bombers'. Our son is already talking about his next rides and we're headed to WY over the weekend!
Exposed and open throughout so pick a mostly cloudy day, bathe in sunscreen, or try a full moon ride.

Not very interesting in and of itself, but it makes a nice warmup for the other area trails it connects to.

I've done this loop a few times and it's a great easy ride. One section where it gets technical but it's a very small portion of the trail. The northern side of the loop was closed due to muddy conditions (although it's been very dry for a few months now.)

My gf and I rode this trail yesterday and it was pretty fun. She is a beginner so we rode at a moderate pace, it wasn't hard, she really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it as well, there are some areas you can play around on or get going real fast on small dh sections. It is pretty exposed so be prepared if you go in the afternoon. I saw a few people had brought their kids that looked to be around 10 or 12 years old, with decent bikes they were able to ride the trail which I thought was neat. We only ran into one hiker but saw at least 10 others on bikes. It was a casual ride with my gf and we had a lot of fun together.

This trail is a good ride. There are some bits that are better than others. The last quarter (if you ride it clockwise) has some super rocky areas which I would rate as intermediate, and there are some eroded stairs towards the end that are difficult to navigate. A big hill that follows the power lines is long and a bit boring. But that's balanced with some really nice sections with amazing views!

Not the most fun trail out there. But good for a lunch ride if you are in south boulder. Also a good fat bike ride in the winter. Gets tracked down pretty quickly.

a nice simple ride, when you just want to get back on the trails after an extended off the bike period.

This is more of a leisurely trail with one good climb than a true mountain bike trail. Technically, it is in the mountains, yes. But from the MM TH going east, there is only one good climb, then the trail along the Community Ditch and east towards Superior is pretty much flat. Beautiful views though!

Great beginner riding.

Great trail for beginners, beautiful views, i went yesterday and found that they are doing construction on the dangerous section that crosses hwy 93. They are building a tunnel! Great for the future but right now that section is closed. Not big deal but just a heads up

This is a great trail for a beginner. There are some challenging areas and some very flat easy areas. Part of the trail had a lot of mud today too.

I had a lot of fun on this trail. I found that going to the left when you start out was easiest even though you start out with a couple long climbs. Toward the back of the trail there was a little more gravel than I would have liked, but not bad. It's more of a network of trails rather than one single loop. You can go around a couple different ways which was confusing for me as I had never been on the trail. I believe it connects with other trails in the back and across the road, but they are not clearly marked. Despite that, I would recommend this for any beginner!

After drinks and dinner at Mountain Sun the previous night, we stayed in Broomfield with some friends and ran back up to Boulder to meet up with another friend at Marshall Mesa. It was kind of overcast, and the sky released a few sprinkles, but being that the trail has no canopy it was a great ride. There's a decent little climb on the frontside and then some easy riding until you drop down into the valley, through some cattle guards, past some bovines and start heading towards the Flatirons. The trails are pretty gravelly, but can be very fast with good flow n go in the valley. We had big afternoon plans, but headed out and back, exploring a little offshoot from the main trail with some sweet step drops that were very rideable and then right back down the same way we came up, now noticing (and taking advantage of) the sweet rollers we could catch air off of. I only wish I could find trails with these built-in 'bumps' in Texas. The downhill runs in Colorado, no matter how big or small, are priceless; always good for big grins and good vibes. Great way to start our day, then headed to Half Fast subs on the hill and over to Avery for the brewery tour and some rare taps. * Review edited 8/24/2012* Review edited 8/24/2012

Fun trail, definitely seems popular with beginning riders. Completely exposed so hit this one early in the morning or save it for cooler months. Great place for a training ride, too (except for the annoying cattle gates).

A quick ride that's easy—good for a recovery day. Also connects a lot of the trails around the Superior area.

Very easy both technically and athletically. Fun for a beginner, or for a quick easy ride.

I access this trail through the Flatirons Vista trailhead, which I find to be more scenic. This is a fairly easy trail with nothing technical - just a bunch of loose rocks and some dry, sandy areas which can get pretty slippery. Awesome sections through the forest, feels so peaceful and far away from civilization but really is so close to town. Beautiful views of the flatirons. Not a muscle and lungs burning workout but worth checking out.

My first 'real' off-road mtb ride ever! started of mellow, open, rolling, gravel. then climb climb climb. finally into the tress I hit the first downhill and take my first spill. loved every minute. good place to get a feel for the bike and see what I have to look forward to on bigger trails.

More of a leisure cruise than anything else.