USFS National Forest System Trails · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · Colorado · Updated June 2026
Elkhorn (USFS trail 1149.1) is a 16 mi trail in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Colorado. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Elkhorn?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | Jun–Dec |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | Jun–Dec |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | Jun–Dec |
Zooming out: across Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, 14% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of D.
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About this trail
In Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Colorado, Elkhorn (USFS trail 1149.1) covers 16 mi of National Forest System trail. The figures here are pulled from the official US Forest Service trail data for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, covering the trail's mileage, tread, grade band, and the bike and e-bike uses the agency lists as designated. Underfoot, the trail is recorded as native material. USFS slope data puts it in the Advanced band (grade band 12-20%), meaning a steep climb — keep in mind this measures steepness, not trail technicality. Note that mountain-bike use here is discouraged in USFS records — confirm with the ranger district before riding. The record additionally permits Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bike use, Jun–Dec; recall that Class 1 is pedal-assist, while Class 2 adds a throttle and Class 3 a higher cutoff speed. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 3 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. For day-of certainty on closures or seasonal orders, check directly with the ranger district, since this reflects the USFS data as of the latest refresh.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Elkhorn?
- Mountain-bike use on Elkhorn is discouraged in USFS records, though Class 1 e-bike use is designated. Confirm current rules with the managing ranger district.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Elkhorn?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Elkhorn in the USFS data.
- How long is Elkhorn?
- Elkhorn measures about 16 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Elkhorn?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Elkhorn as native material.
- How difficult is Elkhorn?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Advanced (grade band 12-20%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
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