Purgatory Bike Park: What you need to know
Ready for gravity riding thrills? Purg’s thrilling bike park has all you need
Content: Take summer sun, a cool breeze, a fast chairlift, and a few dozen well-thought-out trails, and you get the Purgatory Bike Park.
While in the winter, Purgatory is buried in snow, come summer, the trails dry out, revealing stunning mountain vistas and acres of wildflowers. Purgatory Bike Park, home to numerous championship events, comprises more than a dozen trails, offering lift-served mountain biking to all abilities. Read on to learn more about Purgatory Bike Park and to discover where you can rent high-end bikes for a day of lift-served fun.
Where: Purgatory Bike Park is at Purgatory ski area, about a half-hour north of Durango off U.S. 550 in the San Juan Mountains.
What: The bike park features more than a dozen trails for riders of all abilities, from beginner to World Cup downhill.
How: Riders load their bikes on to Chair 1, a detachable six-seater, with the help of lift staff. The bikes are safely carried up the mountain along with the riders. At the top, lift staff unload the bikes and hand them to riders, who get to enjoy more than 1,000 vertical feet of downhill thrills.
How to dress: Expect warm sunny days with occasional afternoon showers. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and lots of sunscreen. Expect cool mornings, especially in the early and late season. Wear gloves to protect your hands and to help you grip the bars, and avoid pants. Wear closed-toe shoes that have good traction with your pedals.
Types of trails: There are several types of trails, with difficulty ranked the same as ski rating systems – green for beginner, blue for intermediate, black for advanced, and red/black for expert. There are downhill trails, characterized by steeper and more technical descents, and cross country trails, which mostly take you to the back of the mountain. There is also a skills park with a variety of features and obstacles.
Cost: Bike park tickets are $49 purchased in advance, $59 day of, with half-day and single-ride options available. Kids 12 and under ride free.
Power Pass: The Mountain Bike Power Pass offers unlimited biking at Purgatory, Pajarito, Brian Head, Lee Canyon, and Spider Mountain.
Hours and season: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily, June 15 to August 18, and Friday-Sunday from August 23 to October 6.
Evening tickets: Ride Fridays in July from 4-7 p.m. for just $25.
Safety: Helmets are required for everyone.
Lessons and tours: Lessons and tours are available from certified instructors. Email the ski area at least 24 hours in advance.
Rentals: Rentals are available from Brimstone Bikes, just off the base area. Brimstone also has sales, service, and everything you need for a day on the mountain.