Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Glenwood Springs

Rio Grande Trail Soft Surface

Rio Grande Trail Soft SurfacePhoto: Instagram.com/jamie_fenn jamie_fenn, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.6 mi
distance
37 ft
climb
6,885 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
May–Sep
best months

The Rio Grande Trail Soft Surface is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado, about 0.7 miles from the town of Wingo. It is a soft-surface section of the Rio Grande Trail, and it sits at an elevation of about 6,825 feet, with a high point of 6,885 feet and a total climb of 37 feet over its 0.57-mile length. The route is rated easy, and the steepest part comes at about 0.23 miles in, with a grade of about 3%. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Aspen show January highs around 35°F and lows near 9°F, while June and July run in the upper 70s and low 80s. That station sits about 835 feet higher than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run a little warmer. The Rio Grande Trail and the Basalt-Old Snowmass Trail both lie about 0.1 mile away. For a change of pace, the Arbaney-Kittle hike is about 2.2 miles off, and the Roaring Fork River offers river fishing about 2.6 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Snowmass Area

    Campground

    Campground · 0.7 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Tempranillo

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 3 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Glenwood Springs

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Rio Grande Trail Soft Surface

    Best months: May–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

      35° / 9°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 12°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      46° / 21°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      55° / 28°

      11 wet

    5. May

      65° / 35°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      77° / 42°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      82° / 48°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 47°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 40°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      60° / 29°

      9 wet

    11. Nov

      45° / 19°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Aspen Pitkin Co Ap, CO, 10.7 mi away at 7,720 ft. The station sits about 800 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

Basalt-Old Snowmass TrailPhoto: Instagram.com/jamie_fenn jamie_fenn, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Basalt-Old Snowmass Trail

Next door

0.74-mile trail in Colorado with 200 ft elevation gain.

Jaffe ParkPhoto: redlegsfan21 from Vandalia, OH, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Jaffe Park

~15 min drive

0.46-mile ski trail in Jaffe Park, Colorado with 6 feet of elevation gain.

Labrador LanePhoto: Hunter Bryant hunterbryant, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Labrador Lane

~16 min drive

1.48-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 172 ft of elevation gain.

Maroon Gorge TrailPhoto: Viktor Lapinskii, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Maroon Gorge Trail

~22 min drive

0.78-mile trail in Colorado with 234 ft of elevation gain.

ButtermilkPhoto: Werdna, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Buttermilk

~21 min drive

Buttermilk has 44 runs, 8 lifts, and 2,008 ft of vertical in Colorado.

Rio Grande TrailPhoto: redlegsfan21 from Vandalia, OH, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rio Grande Trail

~15 min drive

14.93-mile route in Colorado with 845 ft of elevation gain.

Owl Creek Nordic TrailPhoto: Hunter Bryant hunterbryant, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Owl Creek Nordic Trail

~17 min drive

5.38-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 1,072 ft of elevation gain.

Tom Blake Equestrian TrailPhoto: Hunter Bryant hunterbryant, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tom Blake Equestrian Trail

~18 min drive

Tom Blake Equestrian Trail is a 0.71-mile route in Colorado with 273 feet of elevation gain.

SEE

Aspen Snowmass

~19 min drive

Aspen Snowmass is a Colorado ski area with 19 lifts, 91 runs, and 4,402 ft vertical drop.

Bernese BoulevardPhoto: Liam Vo, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bernese Boulevard

~22 min drive

1.34-mile route in Colorado with 71 ft of elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors