The newly built Aqueduct Trails in Mancos, CO are a nice addition to the area. These close to town trails wind through pinyon, juniper and sage with big views of Mesa Verde, the Sleeping Ute and the La Plata mountains. There are 12 miles of trail but if you want more you can double up on loops or ride from town.
These are fast flowy trails that aren’t very technical in the was of rocks or drops. This is good old cross country riding at it’s finest. Our favorite was Mountain View Loop which is true to the name, and Ridges Loop. That’s what’s nice about this system, you can create your loops to how long/far you want to ride. They are designed to be ridden one way which has it’s pros and cons in my opinion.
Pros – there is less user conflict since you don’t have to be stopping or pulling over to let oncoming traffic pass. This creates a more isolated feeling and less interrupted experience. Cons – there is less variety in your ride options. If you could ride a loop one way and then the other it feels like riding two different loops and changes things up.
Either way, this is a good option for the area and can be used by hikers, joggers, and even horseback riders. We raced against an afternoon thunderstorm and made it back in time before the sky let loose.
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