Bike Home From Steamboat Springs, CO — Ride There for the Day, or Ride to Another Bus Stop
▼ 1,532 ft net descent to Denver Union Station
Bus up, ride the Yampa Valley: the core trail through town, Emerald Mountain from the river, and gravel in every direction. The ride home over Rabbit Ears and Muddy Pass is a committed multi-day — most riders make this one a destination, not a descent.
🚲 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 serious one-way point-to-point heading southeast on all paved roads, 211 miles with about 16,458 ft of climbing over roughly 14 hours of riding. You're looking at a two-day push or a three-day tour depending on your pace, and fair warning: you'll spend more than half your time on roads with real traffic. Bring lights, stay visible, and plan your fuel stops around the bigger climbs.
Gravel bikegravel
Dirt where dirt is good, pavement where it isn't.
This is a serious one-way point-to-point heading southeast, about 191 miles across 69% gravel and 31% paved, with roughly 20,700 ft of climbing to manage over two hard days or four relaxed ones. The gravel sits mixed throughout, and traffic is basically a non-issue on these quiet roads. Plan your support and pacing carefully: that's a lot of vertical stacked onto a lot of distance.
Mountain bikemtb
Singletrack allowed — the trail gate opens for mountain bikes only.
A one-way point-to-point heading southeast on mostly dirt trail with some pavement mixed in, 185 miles and about 20,600 ft of climbing over roughly 16.5 hours of riding. This is a serious two-day push or a four-day tour depending on your pace, and you'll spend most of it on quiet backcountry trail. Plan for self-sufficiency and a solid support setup, since traffic is nearly non-existent out here.
Routes at the stop
Riding there rather than home? Start and finish at the bus.
Half day
The best half-day ride from the stop.
You're heading southwest on quiet dirt trail with about 3,755 ft of climbing packed into 21 miles, so this one's steep and relentless. Most of the riding is singletrack and doubletrack with just a touch of pavement, and you'll see almost no traffic the whole way out and back. Bring your climbing legs and plan on nearly 2.5 hours of work.
Gravel ridegravel
Dirt roads out of town.
You're heading north on quiet roads and singletrack, mixing pavement and trail across 26 miles with about 3,551 ft of climbing stacked throughout the day. Out to the turnaround and back the same way, this one rewards steady legs and a gravel bike that's ready for dirt.