The short answer
The Mighty Argo has lift-served mountain biking in Idaho Springs, about 30 minutes from Denver. You roll your bike into a bike cab, ride up the cable car to the summit at 8,800 feet, and ride down. Then you go up again. It's the only bike-cab system in North America. The trails are steep and technical, so this is for advanced riders.
- Where
- 2350 Riverside Drive, Idaho Springs, CO (I-70 Exit 241)
- Trails
- Virginia Canyon Mountain Park, owned by the City of Idaho Springs. 15+ miles open now, growing toward 28 miles in 2027.
- Bike ticket (adult)
- $59.95 all day. $79.95 for two days. $32.95 after 3pm.
- Bike cabs
- Each cab holds eight bikes. You load the bike whole, with nothing removed.
What the riding is like
Purpose-cut singletrack drops from the summit back toward town, through pine and aspen and out onto open shoulders with canyon views. Rosa Gulch and Morning Star are the flowing, bermed trails. Ten Day Jacks and Prospector's Push are steeper and rockier, on loose decomposed granite. Trails are signed at the junctions, and the trail crew keeps building.
A shuttle day is a couple of runs and a lot of sitting in a van. On the cable car you can do as many laps as your legs allow.
Before you go
- Advanced riders: The trails are steep and technical, and not the place to learn. Beginner-friendly trails are in the works.
- Bring your own gear: We don't rent bikes, and there's no shuttle recovery on site. Two shops in Idaho Springs rent bikes, a few minutes from the base terminal: Freeride Bike Shop (downhill and enduro) and ChainLynx Bike Shop.
- Old mine workings: There are historic shafts all over this hillside. Stay on marked trail and never enter an opening.
- Trail rules: The park belongs to the City of Idaho Springs. The rules posted at the trailheads are the city's.
- Prices: The prices above are for adults at the time of writing. Kids, seniors, military and locals pay less. The booking page shows the current price.