Biking the Platte River Trail

Image: Stephen Matera

The Platte River Trail in Denver stretches from the north-west part of Englewood to the northern part of Henderson. The trail, which is 28.5 miles long, hugs the winding Platte River and later on follows Denver’s urban landscape and her high plains grasslands.

What makes this trail the most perfect one for bikers is that it has amazing terrain – the entire trail is paved with concrete and, it has less than one percent of grades, which are in fact very gentle. It will also expose you to a wide contrast of sceneries which include the hustles and bustles of the city, numerous botanical gardens, parks, memorials and cafes hence creating the perfect biking environment. This way, one gets to view, discover and experience the beautiful city of Denver from a vantage point.

HOW TO HAVE THE BEST BIKING EXPERIENCE AT THE PLATTE RIVER TRAIL

A great way to have the best biking experience at the Platte River Trail is by heading to Denver early in the morning, enjoying a cup of coffee from any of the coffee shops and mounting your bicycle ready to hit the trail. Though not everything is attractive about the trail, like the commercial developments, appreciating the trail’s contrast is something that you should be open to. In time, you will realize that amidst the not so attractive sights and somewhat bad smells, it’s on this part of the trail that you’ll get to see some of the best sightings, like the deer’s and other wildlife.

Then, after finishing the trail, you can choose to relax at the park, dine at the cafes or, go picnicking.

BEST TIME TO GO BIKING

Since the trail remains open all year round, you can choose to go biking at any time of the year. However, the best times to do so would be during spring and fall. But, if you have to go biking in summer, you should only do so during the early morning hours. And, in case you want to go biking in winter, then, you should be prepared for anything (the weather can be unpredictable) and, be dressed in warm and comfortable clothes.

WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT THE PLATTE RIVER TRAIL

Firstly is the fact that this is one of the safest trails that you will ever come across. This is due to it being paved as well as the presence of interpretive signs like bicycle traffic circles along the way. As a result, the activity will end up being less tiring but more carefree and recreational. You’ll also notice that as you bike down the trail, the buildings become fewer and farther apart hence making everything more serene and blissful.

Examples of bikes that you can use on this trail include hybrid, road, mountain and recumbent bikes.