Bustang to Salida With a Bike — Ride Home to Denver, Ride There for the Day, or Ride to the Next Stop
▼ 1,883 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
Salida is the Arkansas Valley's bike town: the Monarch Crest shuttle country above, S-Mountain singletrack straight from downtown, and the river trail along the Arkansas. Home to Denver runs the same 285 corridor as Buena Vista's — a two-day with Fairplay in the middle.
🚲 2 rack spaces guaranteed — more usually fit underneath
Bustang's published limit is two bikes on the rack, first-come first-served, with no reservations. In practice the under-bus luggage bay takes more: riders regularly get three or four bikes on a mountain run. Mountain bikes go in the bay with the front wheel off; gravel bikes usually fit underneath as-is, wheels on.
- Take an early departure — the bay fills with luggage later in the day.
- Pull your front wheel before you get to the curb, especially on a mountain bike.
- A group of four should plan to split across two departures if the bay is full.
- Nothing comes inside the cabin, and nobody is responsible for damage. Pack accordingly.
Rack rules:
Bustang FAQ. Real-world capacity from riders who have done it — treat the bay as likely, not guaranteed.
The ride back to Union Station
Same start, same finish, three different bikes — the route changes with what you are riding, not just the surface mix. All three finish at Denver Union Station; plan it to your own address if you live somewhere else.
Road BikeRoad
Pavement the whole way, on the quietest roads that still go where you're going.
This is a big northeast-pointing point-to-point on pavement, about 186 miles across roughly 12 hours of riding. You're looking at 12,892 ft of climbing spread across two hard days or three at an easier pace, with just over half the route sharing road space with traffic. All pavement means no surprises underfoot, but the distance and elevation ask for real fitness and fuel planning.
Gravel BikeGravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
This is a big one: 150 miles of mostly gravel heading northeast, with about 16,279 ft of climbing across the route. You're looking at roughly 13.5 hours of riding, so plan for either two very solid days or three at a steadier pace, and nearly all of it rolls on quiet roads. Bring water, food, and a gravel bike ready for the work.
Mountain BikeMTB
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
A one-way point-to-point heading northeast on mostly gravel, about 150 miles with roughly 16,244 ft of climbing spread across two hard days or three at an easier pace. You're looking at 69% dirt, the rest pavement, all on quiet roads with almost no traffic to speak of.
Routes at the stop
Riding there rather than home? Start and finish at the bus.
Short spin
An hour to shake out the bus legs.
You're heading east on mostly paved roads with about 550 ft of climbing spread across the ride, then turning around and coming back the same way. Heads up: this route sits on busier roads for more than half the distance, so stay sharp out there.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
You're heading southeast on a mix of paved road and singletrack trail, about 5,532 ft of climbing packed into 25.5 miles on quiet roads with zero traffic. This one's a proper workout: the elevation is relentless and spread throughout, so pace yourself from the start and expect to be working most of the ride out to the turnaround and back.
Gravel rideGravel
Dirt roads out of town.
Head south on quiet roads and gravel, tackling about 2,152 ft of climbing over 24 miles. The terrain mixes pavement and well-graded dirt roughly half and half, keeping things varied. Expect a solid workout with no traffic to speak of.