Buckhorn-Pennock Loop

An easily extendable gravel ride outside of Fort Collins

Pennock Pass is a classic Fort Collins gravel route- a staple for locals who are more inclined to find their backroads by heading toward the mountains rather than the plains.The ride begins at the Stove Prairie elementary school, twenty miles west of town. After a brisk descent you’ll hit gravel as Buckhorn takes a sharp turn west. An important note is that this loop includes some mileage on a two lane canyon road near the end and finishes with a decent climb (1,000+ ft) back up to the school. If you’re not feeling it you could make this into an out and back by parking off Buckhorn. On the other hand, you could bikepack from town and utilize a dispersed camping spot along the route. 

Once on Buckhorn, the road climbs alongside the creek, meandering its way through mixed conifer and aspen. You’ll enter the Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests and hit the Buckhorn ranger station at mile ten.  Pennock Pass rewards you with a fairly easy climb and huge vistas of Stormy Peaks and the Mummy range. You’ll eventually intersect with Pingree Park which drops you into the Poudre Canyon. The road picks back up as asphalt and is a semi-shitty descent on a two-lane road for ten miles to Stove Prairie Landing . From here head south for a final climb back up to the car. 

It’s a 60/40 split of gravel riding and asphalt. The roads get wild in the winter but that doesn’t mean it’s not doable. expect a lot of motorcyclists, people camping and and the sound of a gunshot or two during the spring and summer. For those looking to camp, there are designated dispersed sites within the national forest beginning after the ranger station.otherwise, the Mishawaka is also a few miles past Stove Prairie Landing if you need some food before the final push back up to the car.