Posts Tagged ‘Crowfoot Valley Road’

Good November Ride Part 2

Thursday, November 5th, 2026


I bet these Colorado Dirtbike Info guys know this road.

As I left off last time I had just turned west on Tomah Road, heading back over to CO 105.

I went just a few miles and came to the side-trip I mentioned that I wanted to take. This is the Keene Ranch development, to the north of Tomah.

When I was looking at the map to plot out this ride I just happened to spot a tag on the map for something called Colorado DirtBike Info Inc. Now what the heck is that? I’ve never heard of these guys. Do I need to add them to the website? Maybe there is a blog post topic–or three–to be had here.

I figured I will get in touch with these guys sometime soon but for now I would just make it a point to ride through this area on the main road, right past the house indicated, and if perchance there were people outside with motorcycles I would just stop and say hi.

Meanwhile, I checked out their website to find out what I could. Here, in brief, is the basic info: “. . . there is a major disconnect in everyone trying to find the information needed in order to become more involved. Even veteran riders and racers were frustrated having to visit the many different web sites and/or social groups to get the vital information they needed. The Crew Racing Team and website was designed to connect the general dirt bike population to the vast amount of information, and bridge the gap between dirt bike riders, vendors, race leagues, motocross parks, trail riding areas and especially the Non-Profit groups that keep our sport alive.”

Hopefully I’ll be telling you a whole lot more a bit later.

So I cruised through this development of homes of people who, shall we just say, have a whole heck of a lot more money than me, but I did not remember the address, plus I ended up going counter-clockwise through the loop rather than clockwise as I intended, only I didn’t realize that for a long time. And I therefore did not identify the particular house and I certainly did not encounter a bunch of people outside with motorcycles. No problem. That was just in case I got lucky.

Then I was back on Tomah and it was a pretty short ride on over to CO 105. By this time it was looking very blustery, the clouds were looking a lot darker, and I turned my electric vest on about now–very glad to have it. Should I bag it, turn right, and head home? Nah. The clouds actually looked worse to the north so I continued south.

The next road criss-crossing this hilly area was Perry Park Avenue, which runs over to Larkspur. I made that turn east.

The road runs past the site of the annual Renaissance Festival, now just looking a bit forlorn and deserted with all the slots where campers park. And then on down into Larkspur. I turned left, which runs through town, knowing that to continue on past downtown means to inevitably feed directly onto I-25. That’s the only place that road goes. There were still more roads that I would include in this criss-crossing but they would have to wait for another day. I passed a sizeable flock of wild turkeys on my way out of town. They don’t care about you.

Heading north now on I-25 I had the option of staying on the highway–the most direct route home–or taking a more roundabout route that did not keep me on the slab. I turned off on Founder’s Parkway in Castle Rock, went a couple miles and turned northwest on Crowfoot Valley Road.

I’ve mentioned this road a good many times lately as I have observed its transformation. When I used to ride it up from Castle Rock to Parker it was just a little two-lane stretch through farm country. Now much of it is four lanes and there are thousands of homes sprouted and still sprouting on both sides. I got up to the intersection with Chambers Road, this stretch now open less than a year, and turned onto Chambers heading north, and on home.

It was really a good ride on a nice fall day. I rode more than three hours, with the only stops for red lights, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now they’re calling for rain tonight.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if you think the models in the catalogs are what bikers are supposed to look like.

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Where To Go On A Warm, Sunny Day?

Thursday, March 12th, 2026


Get out and ride on these nice days.

I told Judy on Monday that we will have to move.

It was a warm, sunny day and I was going to go ride but where to? We have lived in this house for 30 years; just had our 30-year anniversary of moving in a few days ago. What road in any direction have I not ridden countless times?

I headed out looping past Cherry Creek State Park and continued south on Peoria, Broncos Parkway to Chambers and then south on Chambers. I was still wondering where to go but I had just read in this morning’s Denver Post about a proposed housing development where Chambers intersects Crowfoot Valley Road. I had just written about this newly opened section of Chambers and I had assumed that with all that area now much more accessible there would inevitably be a lot more development, and soon.

Well, the article in the paper was about a group of neighboring homeowners who oppose this new development. As in “I’m on board, pull up the ladder.” A woman who was the main organizer of this opposition was quoted as saying that she could see no benefit at all to the folks who live around there of having these homes go in. Gosh, do you suppose someone who lived in that area before her development was built might have said the same thing?

So I was curious to take a look at the area the article was talking about and all I had to do was stay on Chambers. And my memory was correct. There is new development everywhere around here. There are so many homes that were not there three years ago. Anyone who thinks this is not going to continue is a bit out of touch with reality.

Anyway, with curiosity satisfied, I decided I would turn onto Crowfoot Valley Road and see just how close this new intersection is to Castle Rock. OK, that question got answered. Now I guess I’ll just keep going across I-25 over to US 85 and up on the west side of town. So basically, I headed southeast quite a ways and then looped around the south end of the metro area and came up on the west side. That’s a loop I’ve considered doing any number of times but never had before. Now I have.

US 85 eventually turns into Santa Fe and I took that north to Belleview, turned east on Belleview, and home. Nothing exciting but a nice ride on a nice day for riding. And boy did I see a lot of other bikes out, too. I’m not the only one who can’t resist. Who doesn’t want to resist. Why the heck would I resist the urge to ride on a nice day?

Biker Quote for Today

A true biker knows that roads are meant to be explored, not just traveled.

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Figuring Out Both Directions

Thursday, February 22nd, 2024

This map (courtesy of Google) shows Bayou Gulch Road running west to Pradera Parkway and on to Crowfoot Valley Road. Bayou Gulch continues north from that junction and meets Crowfoot further to the north.

The Tuesday forecast was for highs in the 60s so I had to ride. You don’t get better February riding days than that. And this time, unlike so many times when I take off, I had an idea where I was going. Kind of.

I was thinking about Parker and Castle Rock and the road that runs directly from one to the other, Crowfoot Valley Road. I was inclined to go clockwise, home to Parker to Castle Rock, but even after all this time I was not clear on where I would turn in Parker to get on Crowfoot. So I figured I’d go counter-clockwise because I know where to pick up this road in Castle Rock. Fine. Let’s go.

I was still uncertain, though, how I wanted to get to Castle Rock. I knew I wanted to come in on US 85 but did I really want to make my way all the way out to Santa Fe and C-470 to pick up 85? Preferably not. So I headed south on Quebec, knowing that would take me to Daniels Park. From Daniels Park I would take Daniels Park Road on south to 85, then left to Castle Rock.

But as I drew near to Daniels Park and Castle Pines Parkway I realized this was another situation just like Crowfoot Valley Road: I knew how to get on the road going north but was not sure where to pick up that same road going south. Maybe I could recognize the intersection. If not, I knew the road (Monarch Boulevard) would take me to Castle Pines Parkway and then I would just go west to Daniels Park Road.

That’s what happened. I passed two intersections that I thought might be what I wanted but I couldn’t be sure. So I stayed on Monarch. Then as I came up to the southern terminus of the road I wanted I decided I would turn onto it and ride it back to where it meets Monarch and then I would take note of landmarks so I would know in the future. Also, probably most importantly, I saw that this was Buffalo Trail. Just remember that name.

So I did Buffalo Trail, noted the landmarks, retraced my steps and then went back to Castle Pines Parkway and did the jog over onto Daniels Park Road. Down to 85 and east to Castle Rock.

I crossed I-25 and went up Founders Parkway and then left onto Crowfoot. Now the question was, where was I going to come out when I got to Parker? But here’s where it got really interesting. As I got close to Parker I saw a sign for Bayou Gulch Road. What? I know Bayou Gulch Road. I’ve ridden it many times with the RMMRC, as one route to get out to Kiowa to Patty Ann’s for breakfast or lunch. Does Bayou Gulch come all the way over to Crowfoot? Something to check out in the future.

But as I got into Parker I came first to Stroh Road–and here Crowfoot became Motsenbocker Road, going north instead of northeast–and a little further on I hit Hess Road. And I knew Motsenbocker heads back west from there. So that’s why I didn’t know where in the central part of Parker you pick up Crowfoot–you don’t. You have to first go west on Hess or Stroh. So that question was answered.

Only now I had a bigger question and there was no time like the present. I went east on Hess to pick up Parker Road and turned south. Bayou Gulch Road runs east from Parker Road along the southern boundary of The Pinery. Does it go east from there, and does it run all the way through to Crowfoot? I had to find out.

Yes it does run west from Parker Road. And yes it does run all the way through to Crowfoot–only not at the moment. Not far from Crowfoot it is currently closed due to construction and they detour you onto Pradera Parkway, a road I had never heard of. And Pradera does go through to Crowfoot.

So now I was retracing my course northeast on Crowfoot and I spotted something else of interest. There was an intersection marked North Pinery Parkway. Does that go all the way through, too? Oh my gosh, there are a bunch of through roads here I never knew existed. Well, no. I didn’t ride it to see but Google Maps shows me now that Pinery Parkway does not go through. So I was not wrong to wonder if Bayou Gulch did.

Anyway, from there I just made my way home after a really nice day out riding and some fun exploring. I love exploring.

Biker Quote for Today

If you never owned a motorcycle you’ll never understand.

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