Clear Creek: short return from Prospect Park
Colorado · Other separated ride
Follow the main paved Clear Creek Trail east toward Kipling. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier before a closed tunnel, public-road crossing, barrier or uncomfortable ramp, and retrace. Do not enter the crusher-fines conservation path south of the creek, where bicycles are prohibited apart from qualifying ADA devices. Lake boardwalks and natural paths are not bicycle bypasses.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Wheat Ridge · Colorado
- Ride length
- Up to 2 miles return
- Ride format
- Out-and-back
- Surface
- Paved main Clear Creek Trail
- Road crossings
- Follow the main paved Clear Creek Trail east toward Kipling. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier before a closed tunnel, public-road crossing, barrier or uncomfortable ramp, and retrace. Do not enter the crusher-fines conservation path south of the creek, where bicycles are prohibited apart from qualifying ADA devices. Lake boardwalks and natural paths are not bicycle bypasses.
- Elevation
- The historical National Recreation Trail record reports 2% average and 5% maximum grade. These old whole-trail values give context, not a new measurement of the lot connection or every ramp. Expect modest rises and walk an uncomfortable approach.
- Starting location
- W 44th Avenue and Robb Street, Wheat Ridge, CO
Chosen maximum two-mile return. The city’s seven paved miles and the historical 6.5-mile designation describe broader scopes, not this ride.
NRT record location; not a verified public trailhead
Clear Creek: short return from Prospect Park — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-21. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Wheat Ridge, Colorado · Up to 2 miles return · Paved main Clear Creek Trail
Start: Prospect Park public parking, W 44th Avenue and Robb Street, Wheat Ridge, CO. Use the signed public park lot and walk the public bicycle-path connection to the main paved Clear Creek Trail. Avoid work areas and reserved spaces. The parks office on Kipling Street is not this start.
Ride: Follow the main paved Clear Creek Trail east toward Kipling. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier before a closed tunnel, public-road crossing, barrier or uncomfortable ramp, and retrace. Do not enter the crusher-fines conservation path south of the creek, where bicycles are prohibited apart from qualifying ADA devices. Lake boardwalks and natural paths are not bicycle bypasses.
Distance: Chosen maximum two-mile return. The city’s seven paved miles and the historical 6.5-mile designation describe broader scopes, not this ride.
Permission and effort: Owner information supports bicycle use on the main paved trail; conservation side paths have different rules. The historical National Recreation Trail record reports 2% average and 5% maximum grade. These old whole-trail values give context, not a new measurement of the lot connection or every ramp. Expect modest rises and walk an uncomfortable approach.
Planning: Prospect Park 5 a.m.–10 p.m.; choose daylight and obey lot signs. Historical trail designation lists no fee. Current park page publishes pavilion rentals separately; those are not ordinary bicycle admission. Follow posted parking terms. Yield to pedestrians, keep pets leashed and check current device rules if bringing an e-bike.
Access reviewed October 20, 2026 Central (October 21 UTC): City news still carries September 8–24 parking resurfacing and September 14–25 weekday Kipling mural work notices, plus fall playground replacement. Past forecast dates do not establish current reopening. Use an available public lot, turn before any tunnel barrier and do not treat playground work as closure of the whole trail. The protected mural source body was not retried.
Bring water and choose suitable weather. Parking walking is extra. No surveyed parking-space pin or navigable GPX is supplied.
Sources: Owner trail scope and notices · Public park and operating hours · Historical trail designation and slope context