Glenwood Cyn-Thompson Creek Rd

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Carbondale, CO, US

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Route Overview

We Ride 4

Nonprofit addressing child obesity and healthy lifestyles by getting more kids riding bikes

51 mi.

2,858 ft.

Ride through historic Glenwood Canyon then up to the high point on Thompson Creek Road

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Route Details

This ride starts and ends on Main St in downtown Carbondale. [https://www.carbondale.com/about/history/](http://www.carbondale.com/about/history/)

When you are finished with your ride, there are a good number of places to grab some food and drink. Our personal favorite is the @photo[Marble Distilling Company & Distillery Inn](15905444). The owners Cary Shanks and Connie Baker have built a one of a kind distillery with creatively crafted spirits with a committment to sustainable business practices. Plan ahead and reserve a room at the Inn. They have 5 rooms and a suite that will give you an upscale experience at a very  reasonable price. We've stayed at the Inn several times and walked down into the distillery tasting room. These guys make everyone feel like friends they've known forever.

From Main St in Downtown Carbondale, the route puts you right onto the @photo[Rio Grande Trail](15905278) to take you through town without worrying about roads with motor vehicles. While you're on the path, keep your eyes open for a number of art sculptures and remnants of the old railway that are sprinkled intermitantly along the way. The Carbondale Public Art Commission was established several years ago to bring attention to local artists and the outdoor art that is displayed for public viewing which is rotated annually.

After you cross over Hwy 133, stay on the RG Trail all the way to Glenwood Springs. Right after you cross over the Colorado River, turn right. You will make your way briefly through town where the route puts you onto the @photo[Glenwood Canyon Path](15856215) which briefly parallels I-70 before taking you up and over a @photo[Covered Metal Overpass](15856217) that takes you to the other side of the interstate where you start following the Colorado River.

While you are in Glenwood Springs, there are multiple choices for filling up water bottles and grabbing food. Glenwood Springs is the only place on the route to restock so you can do it on your way to the Canyon or on your way back.

You can follow the @photo[Bike Path](15856216) as far as you want through the canyon before turning around. This route has the turnaround at the Grizzly Creek Creek Rest Area (Approximately half of the canyon). There are bathrooms and water at the rest area. There are also restrooms and water at the No Name Rest Area in the Canyon which you will reach before the turnaround at Grizzly Creek. While riding through the canyon, you will be following the @photo[Colorado River](15856212) which runs quite fast in several areas.

Follow the path back into Glenwood Springs and back onto the Rio Grande Trail. Just before mile 30, exit the bike path where it crosses @point[Old State Hwy 82](d,48668.84).Take note of the constant views of @photo[Mt Sopris](15856219). Turn right here and follow the road for 1/2 mile to the intersection with Rte 109. @point[Turn right here](d,49467.31) and cross over the Roaring Fork River. As you cross over the river, look to your left at historic @photo[Hardwick Bridge](15905469). The bridge was originally built in 1890 to create a passage across the river in the area. It was placed on Hardwick Ranch, from which the bridge derives its name.

Follow this road for just under 7 miles to the T-intersection with @point[Thompson Creek Rd](d,59206.39). Turn right here and start a brief but steep climb up Thompson Creek Rd. For the first 1/2 mile before you top out, look for grades in the 10-12% range. Once you top out, the grade eases up and you will be following the road through the Crystal River Ranch. Stay on this road until the pavement ends at mile 42.5. As you work your way up to the @photo[High Point](15856222) on the road, you will have amazing views of the surrounding mountains. When you turn around to go back down, you will be amazed by the scenic view of the valley back towards Carbondale.

As you re-enter the main part of Carbondale, the route utilizes several of the town's extensive bike path system to keep you off the busy roads on your return to the Distillery on Main St.

**We Ride 4** - This route is part of a collection of three routes that were part of a 3-Day road adventure conducted by We Ride 4 for its Cycling Club Members. Click on this link to view a video capturing the 3 days of riding. [https://youtu.be/wNWRJINlM1g?si=9NxcLCX0VDyJZ1Zw](http://youtu.be/wNWRJINlM1g?si=9NxcLCX0VDyJZ1Zw)

**Carbondale** - In the years after 1879, white prospectors and settlers defied U.S. treaties with the Utes and entered the area in increasingly significant numbers. Early in the 20th century, before the rise of industrial agriculture in Idaho, Carbondale's primary agricultural product was potatoes.

Carbondale takes its name from Carbondale, Pennsylvania, hometown of some of Carbondale's early settlers.

Until the late 1980s Carbondale's economy was primarily based on coal operations up the Crystal River Valley. The coal mined from the area was favored for its high burning temperature, low sulfur content, and density. However, the coal deposits also contained significant amounts of methane gas. In 1981, a methane gas explosion killed 15 miners and by 1991 the mines closed down permanently.

The rise of Aspen as a skiing mecca and subsequent hyperinflation of its real estate prices has forced a majority of its workers to other towns like Carbondale. Thus, especially since the 1980s, Carbondale has partly served as a bedroom community to Aspen, and, to a lesser extent, Glenwood Springs.

**Glenwood Springs** - Originally inhabited by nomadic Ute Indian tribes, this area of bubbling hot springs has long been a destination for the health seeker. In the early 1880’s, James Landis homesteaded the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Grand Rivers that would become Glenwood Springs. Early settlers Isaac Cooper and Walter Devereux saw the potential for Glenwood Springs to become a highly regarded destination and developed these amenities into a world-class resort. The arrival of the railroads in 1887 brought the first trainloads of tourists to enjoy all that Glenwood had to offer. The addition of the Vapor Caves, Hotel Colorado and Fairy Caves provided a total package for travelers. The local economy was not only fueled by tourism but also by coal mining, farming and ranching, commerce and outdoor recreation.  Doc Holliday, who was known for the O.K. Corral gunfight, spent the final months of his life in Glenwood Springs and is buried in the town's original Pioneer Cemetery.

**Glenwood Canyon** - Glenwood Canyon is a rugged scenic 12.5 mi canyon. Its walls climb as high as 1,300 feet above the Colorado River. In 1906, the canyon provided the route of the Taylor State Road, a gravel road that was the first route for automobiles through the Colorado Rockies. The canyon also provided the route for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the late 19th century. Construction of the current highway (I-70) through the canyon began in 1980 and took 12 years to complete at a cost of $490 million. Construction of three tunnels, 15 miles of retaining walls, and numerous other structures, comprised a challenging but very rewarding project. The Glenwood Canyon project required 30 million points of structural steel, 30 million pounds of reinforcing steel, and 400,000 cubic yards of concrete weighing 1.62 billion pounds.

Glenwood Cyn-Thompson Creek Rd

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