Centennial Cone

From NetCairns

Centennial Cone is a fun loop that skirts the north rim of Clear Creek Canyon between Central City and Golden.

Trail Info

Trailhead	Mayhem Gulch
Distance	17 miles
Trailhead Elevation	6750 ft
Max Elevation	7950 ft
Min Elevation	6750 ft
Gain	3500 ft
Technical Ability
Physical Ability	Moderate
Exposure	Moderate Amount
Terrain	Mostly SingleTrack; Some DoubleTrack
Land Status	Jefferson County Open Space

Closest City	Golden, CO
Types of Trail Users	Hikers, dogs, bikers
Fees	no
Type of Trail	Stand Alone Trail

Elevation Profile

Highlights

One loop around, from Mayhem Gulch parking lot was something like 3000 feet of climbing, but the GPS data says something different for each entry. It's a good climb and harder if you go counter clockwise. Watch out for riders coming downhill if you do, as there are many fast, blind corners along the canyon rim.

An especially good day is to ride up from Mayhem counterclockwise to the high point and then back without doing the loop. This will bag the most elevation as most of the bigger climbs are on the canyon rim side.

Current Conditions

Have you ridden this trail recently? What are the conditions?

Overview

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Getting There

Take highway 6 out of Golden and look for the turn off on the right after the third tunnel. This trailhead is 2.7 miles past the tunnel (1.8 past the stop light if you are coming from the west). The parking lot had just been redone and they were adding an outhouse as of June 2010.

Trailhead

Latitude: 39°44′13.682″N
Longitude: 105°22′16.255″W

Schedule and Regulations

NOTE: This park has restricted use days on weekends. Just remember the phrase "Mountain Bikers Get Even" to remember that the trail is open to mountain bikers on even numbered weekend days and closed on odd so that hikers can enjoy it unchallenged by speedy cyclists. If you show up on the wrong day, don't ride lest we mountain bikers get a bad rep. It is actually a good system in that the only users to worry about are other riders and an infrequent horse. If you do encounter a hiker on the wrong day, be diplomatic. Remember, you are representing the community as a whole. Don't go ballistic over the infraction. The park is open to all users through the week and, I believe, on holidays.

ELK REGULATIONS: Part of the trail is closed for elk breeding from spring to June 15th. I think the last 3 miles are the only part that gets cut off, but makes the trail out and back or you have to take the road back for a while to get back to the trail.