Summit Trail

Summit Trail is a short mountain biking ride in Wyoming's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, within the Laramie Ranger District. It's an out-and-back route of about half a mile, with a total elevation gain of about 77 feet, and it is rated easy. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail starts near the 8,800-foot level. The climb is gentle. The route crests at about 8,855 feet, and the steepest stretch comes within the first eighth of a mile, with a grade of about 9 percent. That makes the trail simple to fit into a longer day on the surrounding network of trails. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Laramie show July highs around 81°F with lows near 52°F, and September cools to highs around 72°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. Van's Loop and the Headquarters National Recreation Trail are both about a tenth of a mile away. Beehive Buttress, a climbing area, is about 0.7 miles off, and Pole Creek Group Campground offers camping about a mile away.