Baxter Gulch to Green Lake

This loop route is an instant classic for several reasons! The first being its proximity to downtown Crested Butte, allowing for some great refreshments after your ride. The second being the new Baxter Gulch Trail (completed 2018), which creates a perfect and very scenic climb trail to the flanks of Mt Whetstone. Some steep pitches, this beauty climbs in earnest, but so well worth it. Built to go up and down, Baxter Gulch was made for mountain bikes.  After the ‘Baxter Saddle’, and some views south, you descend the final bit of Baxter Gulch to the Carbon Creek Trail (#436).  Turn right on Carbon Creek, and enjoy the hard work the USFS has done to re-route some of these formerly unsustainable sections.  Although chunky it eventually becomes a great and rowdy downhill trail.  Carbon intersects with Green Lake – right turn down to Town, or left turn to go jump in the lake before heading down Green lake, to enjoy one of Crested Butte’s best pure downhill trails. Over four miles of steep, rooty, flowy goodness on primo dirt!

Pro tip: Start your ride in the town of CB and not at the Baxter Gulch trailhead. This way you can finish at the bar and not with a climb.