Denver to Brighton - Platte River Trail

Описание: Riding 23 miles from Denver to Brighton, entirely on the Platte River trail. I start at Confluence Park and ride North to the trail's current end-point in Brighton, then I backtracked a little bit to use the Southern Street pedestrian overpass to access Brighton's Main Street. Video ends at Copper Rail Bar & Grill.

Full map:   / strava  

This ride is honestly pretty boring. Or peaceful and serene, if you're an optimist. It's great if you want to put your head down and pedal without worrying about a lot of other traffic.

Because we are going downstream from Denver on the main regional river (Platte), this is where all the gross stuff gets zoned. After leaving downtown we pass the rail yard, then the Denver Wastewater facility, then the Suncor refinery, and then the Adams County Wastewater facility. You'll notice for most of the video I'm surrounded by nothing but retention ponds and floodplains.

There aren't really any commercial areas easily accessible from the trail until you get all the way to Brighton, so I recommend bringing lots of water and snacks, and being prepared for technical issues. Also bring a facemask (spandex gaiter) because the wastewater facilities make the river a very consistent temperature year-round which is apparently great for insect reproduction so there are a LOT of bugs on this trail. But other than all that stuff, it's not a bad ride, especially if you're looking to avoid the weekend crowds on the Mary Carter Greenway or Cherry Creek. It doesn't show up on the video, but you do get some good mountain views for most of the ride.

Timestamps:
8:45 - going through Globeville Landing Park
15:50 - passing York Street
23:30 - passing Clear Creek
27:10 - passing Niver Creek
38:50 - crossing McKay Street
1:13:50 - passing Ken Mitchell Park
1:20:40 - end of the trail, in Veterans Park
1:25:00 - getting off the trail onto Southern Street
1:26:40 - taking the Southern Street pedestrian overpass
1:28:10 - turning onto Main Street

#bikeride #denver