Mountain Biking 101: Signal Peak – Gunnison, CO

(Last Updated On: October 8, 2017)

Whether you are recovering from an injury, need a place to ride with the kids, or just want some easier singletrack to ramp up some base miles, there are plenty of fun trails and zones all over Colorado where you can play and have some adventures too. Over the course of this summer and beyond, we will be featuring these zones in our Mountain Biking 101 series of posts.

South of Crested Butte lies the town of Gunnison. Although mountain bikers typically gravitate toward Hartman Rocks, good riding also exists at Signal Peak. Northeast of the Western State Colorado University Campus, Signal Peak is a great area for beginner riders. Yet, it can entertain expert riders as well.

Typically, riders start from the WSCU Campus and begin following a mix of singletrack and road toward Signal Peak.
Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Signs explain wildlife closures.
Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Getting closer to Signal Peak.
Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

The trail steepens quite a bit at the summit of Signal Peak and we chose to leave our bikes down lower. The views from the top are pretty good!
View from Signal Peak summit near Gunnison, CO.

Looking at the town of Gunnison.
View from summit of Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

We then descended Signal Peak.
Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Instead of going down the way we came up, we descended a trail called Chicken Scratch toward the Contour Trail.
Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking Signal Peak near Gunnison, CO.

We then followed along the very easy but scenic Contour Trail east, and then all the way west.
Mountain biking the Contour Trail near Gunnison, CO.

Mountain biking the Contour Trail near Gunnison, CO.

There’s definitely some fun riding to be had in the Signal Peak area!

Signal Peak Options

The map below shows a general loop that can be made from the WSCU campus to Signal Peak, down Chicken Scratch and then on to the Contour Trail. The total loop is about 19.6 miles. As the road nears Signal Peak, it becomes increasingly difficult. Beginner riders may choose to skip Signal Peak itself and descend Chicken Scratch with the Contour Trail. Last, the Contour Trail (6.2 miles one way) is the easiest of the bunch and can easily be done as an out and back – a great option for kids!

Brittany Walker Konsella

Aside from skiing, biking, and all outdoorsy things,Brittany Walker Konsella also loves smiles and chocolate 🙂 Even though she excels at higher level math and chemistry, she still confuses left from right. Find out more about Brittany!

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Mountain Biking 101: Signal Peak – Gunnison, CO
Article Name
Mountain Biking 101: Signal Peak – Gunnison, CO
Description
Just northeast of the WSCU campus in Gunnison lies the Signal Peak area, which offers some good riding for beginner and expert riders alike!
Author

Brittany Walker Konsella

Aside from skiing, biking, and all outdoorsy things, Brittany Walker Konsella also loves smiles and chocolate :) Even though she excels at higher level math and chemistry, she still confuses left from right. Find out more about Brittany!

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