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4.75 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.75
48 Reviews

The Walden Loop (courtesy of Greeley HD&Yamaha)

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Sep 30, 2006

Rider Reviews

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Guest
June 16, 2010
Also, I'd HIGHLY recommend that people check out…
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Guest
March 17, 2011
Started this ride in Golden, Co. Rode up the…
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Written Directions

Start your route in Ft. Collins and follow Rt 14 west thru Poudre River Canyon to the town of Walden, Co. In Walden turn south on Rt.125 toward Granby, CO. Numerous fuel and food stops in Granby so enjoy. Find Rt. 34 and take it north toward Grand Lake/Rocky Mtn. National Park. You will easily spend 4 to 5 hours in the park maybe more if you wish to see everything. Leave the park via Rt. 34 and go into the City of Estes Park. Rt. 34 back toward the City of Loveland will take you thru Big Thompson Canyon with its steep rock walls on both sides of road and occasional sightings of Big Horn sheep.

Scenery

Absolutely breathtaking is the only way to describe this trip. This route will take you across the Continental Divide twice at two different locations, past mountain lakes and through Poudre Canyon and along the Poudre River as well as across nearly deserted roads with little or no traffic. It is an all day trip (might be better as a two day)not only due to the distance traveled but also due to stopping for incredible views. An occasional moose, elk, deer or Bald Eagle will also cause slight delays. Take two days and enjoy the beauty. No need to rush on this trip!!!

Drive Enjoyment

The roads are great with few rough areas. May have some ice or frost on surface early in spring but after late May and early June will find them clear and dry. Snow will still be present on the ground at higher elevations so pack warm outer clothing. The section from Ft. Collins to Walden consists of approx. 70 miles of twisting winding road, in great shape, thru Poudre Canyon as well as more open sections surrounded by beautiful mountain views on both sides of road. The section from Walden to Granby is nearly deserted and open. It consists of approx. 58 miles of great road, all open and little traffic (we saw 6 cars in 58 miles on a Saturday). Section from Grandby to Estes Park is superb and takes you thru Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park. Very curvy and numerous switchbacks. Rt. 34 thru RMNP can be a little narrow in some spots but no real problem. The trip from Estes Park back to Greeley rides thru Big Thompson Canyon. Solid rock walls on both sides of road as it follows the Big Thompson River. Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "About 10 miles into Hwy 14 outside of Ft Collins. Just a beautiful canyon."

Tourism Opportunities

Many stops and pull offs are provided so you can stop to enjoy the views. Lodging is available in Ft. Collins, Estes Park and Granby. Attractions include Rocky Mountain National Park as well as the city of Estes Park. Best restaurants would include Coffee Pot Inn or Elkhorn Cafe in Walden and Hunters Chop House and Estes Park Brewery in Estes Park. In Estes Park there stands the Historic Stanley Hotel (where parts of "The Shining" were filmed) and the City of Estes Park has fantastic/interesting shops and stores to browse in and many restaurants. Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "The road up to Cameron pass (elev 10,400 ft). bring some warm gear for this mountain trip - but you will not be disappointed!"

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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Guest
December 3, 2007
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Did this on a tour from Illinois.
Even after Trail Ridge Road and that spectacular scenery, CO-125 provided a wonderful low-key ride through subtle scenery. Going from North to South the road follows watersheds with lots of beaver dams and meadows. Then topping a low pass the road straightens out and drops into sagebrush country on the run to Walden.
I highly recommend the River Rock Cafe in Antlers Inn. Plain good food and a relaxing place to stop.
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GJRonK
August 9, 2019
2629 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
Walden Loop-CO

While this route covers a lot of distance, there are three different areas. The most troublesome is the trek between Loveland and Ft. Collins which is constant traffic taking a lot of time. You might want to try taking I-25 between them to save time and hassle.

The two areas very similar in all aspects are the Poudre and Big Thompson Canyons routes. Both are fun on bikes, curvy and with beautiful scenery. Both have approaches on their west sides that is also curvy but travel through typical Colorado forest with conifers, aspen, and open grassy meadows. The big difference in the two are while Ft. Collins to Walden has all the scenery, it has almost no traffic. The route from Granby to Loveland through RMNP has above tree line views (not for the faint of heart on a bike) and tons of tourists. Expect to do a lot of stopping here.

The third different leg is from Walden to Granby. The northern 30 miles is open ranch land with views of miles to the surrounding mountains. The southern 30 miles is hilly, curvy and full forest and quite green. I saw two moose right by the road along here last trip. I'll post a photo.

By the way, this is one of the more spectacular routes in Colorado.
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GJRonK
November 16, 2019
2629 McR Points
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Update: You will find lodging much cheaper in the east slope cities, so plan on riding from there if you can choose. Plus a lot more variety.
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