Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Clifton

Practice Loop

Practice LoopPhoto: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.3 mi
distance
11 ft
climb
10,627 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Practice Loop open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. It doesn't name Practice Loop, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Practice Loop is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado's Grand Valley Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The Forest Service manages the land, and the loop is a quarter-mile long, with a total elevation gain of 11 feet. It is a low-commitment outing, and the climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.15 miles in, rising roughly 2 percent. The route sits at about 10,600 feet, with the high point at 10,627 feet and the low at 10,596 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit, with typical July highs around 68°F and lows near 42°F at a nearby weather station. That station sits about 775 feet lower than the loop, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Nearby, the Lions hike is about 0.1 mile away, and the Skyway Ski Winslow mountain biking trail is about 0.3 mile off. Spruce Grove Campground is about 0.8 mile away, and the Grand Mesa pier fishing spot is about 4.3 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Spruce Grove Campground - Grand Valley RD

    Campground

    Campground · 0.8 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Slopeside cafe

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 5 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Clifton

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Practice Loop

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      26° / 6°

    2. Feb

      27° / 4°

    3. Mar

      34° / 12°

    4. Apr

      40° / 17°

    5. May

      49° / 27°

    6. Jun

      62° / 37°

    7. Jul

      68° / 42°

    8. Aug

      64° / 40°

    9. Sep

      57° / 34°

    10. Oct

      45° / 24°

    11. Nov

      34° / 14°

    12. Dec

      26° / 5°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bonham Rsvr, CO, 9.9 mi away at 9,852 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors