The Clear Creek Trail is slowly opening through the canyon

A long paved trail is taking shape up Clear Creek Canyon, and it is worth understanding because it is being built one piece at a time. Jefferson County calls it the Clear Creek Trail; you may also hear the older name, Peaks to Plains. The full vision is a regional path that follows Clear Creek from the Denver area up toward the high country, giving walkers and cyclists a way through the canyon that is separate from highway traffic.

What exists today is a set of finished segments. A short trail links downtown Golden along the creek, and paved stretches run west along US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon Park. The opened sections are wide and paved, with trailheads that include parking, restrooms, and a bike repair station. More segments are under construction, so the trail does not yet run end to end.

Because the route is still being stitched together, the smart move is to check which segments are open and how they connect before you plan a ride. A map that looked continuous last year may have gaps, and construction can close a section for a season.

This is also canyon country, so the same cautions apply: cold, fast water in spring and the rockfall risk on the canyon walls above.

For the current open segments, trailheads, and maps, see the Jefferson County Open Space pages for the Clear Creek Trail and Clear Creek Canyon Park.