Tour Start, Morrison, Colorado and Red Rocks
- Head east on W Colfax Ave/I-70-BL E toward Wadsworth Blvd - 495 ft
- Turn right at CO-121 S/Wadsworth Blvd - 4.4 mi
- Turn right at Morrison Rd - 6.3 mi
Visit Morrison, Colorado and Red Rocks Park
View Larger Map
Tour Start: Black B.A.G. MSF Training Site
Our ride starts at the Black B.A.G. MSF Training Center on
West Colfax Road, in Lakewood, CO. Black B.A.G. is where I took my Motorcycle Saftey Foundations (MSF)
training courses before getting my motorcycle endorsement on my Colorado Driver's License. Black B.A.G. is owned
and partially operated by Bob Frank, MSF's 'RiderCoach Trainer of the Year' for 2006. I found Mr. Frank to be
an excellent teacher, focused on teaching motorcycle skills and willing to work more closely with those who are
less experienced. The MSF Basic Rider Course costs $190 at Black B.A.G., less expensive than any other MSF Basic Rider Course
that I could find; a great bargain, considering the training staff and quality of the instruction and the
permanent, privately-owned driving courses. But enought about training. Let's start the ride!
Turn right out of
the parking lot of Black B.A.G., then take a right at the first light, south on Wadsworth. This is the 'least fun'
part of this tour, as we drive the 4.4 miles south on Wadsworth to Morrison Road. Traffic in this section
can be heavy at times, and there are plenty of stop lights to slow progress. Once we make the right turn (west)
onto Morrison Road, the stop lights become less frequent and we eventually enter a 55 MPH zone on our way west
toward Morrison.
Morrison, Colorado and Red Rocks Park
The speed limit falls as we approach the C-470 underpass and then falls even lower as we approach
and enter the little town of Morrison, Colorado,
where the speed limit is 25 MPH throughout town. Morrison is very popular in the summer; on weekends and
any night when there is a concert or other event at Red Rocks. Morrison contains a number of small shops
and a large selection of restaurants for a town of it's size. While riding through Morrison, you are likely
to see a line of motorcycles in front of the Morrison Hotel, the local biker-friendly establishment for
a beverage, food, and/or good company. If you need gas, buy it at the gas station in central Morrison.
You won't see gas that cheap for most of the rest of the tour (or anywhere else in the mountains, for that matter.)
After you have had time to enjoy the atmosphere of Morrison, continue west out of Morrison on Morrison Road.
The posted speed limit is 25 MPH, and there is often a police officer with radar just outside of town to ensure
that the speed limit is enforced. Don't speed, and please "keep right except to pass" as indicated on the signs.
Just outside of Morrison, there are 2 entrances to Red Rocks park, actually Entrance 3 and Entrance 4 into the park.
Entrance into Red Rocks Park is free, but they occasionally close the park in the summer for large concerts and other events.
Entrance 4 is typically closed; so, if you wish to enter the park, take a right turn into Red Rocks Entrance 3.
The trusty V-Strom 650 at the top entrance to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The speed limit inside Red Rocks park is mostly 20 MPH, and the reason is obvious: There are plenty of steep, blind, sharp curves winding
through the hills and rocks of the park. Watch for bicyclists and pedestrians, as the park is a popular place throughout the year.
Feel free to meander along the roads inside the park. Get out and take a break, take a hike in the rocks around the park, or even
stand on the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where musicians from around the world have performed for decades.
You'll find the park visitor center close to the amphitheatre. The visitor center provides information about the park,
public restrooms, and a variety of items for sale.
Inside Red Rocks Amphitheatre. You can stand on the stage where countless musicians have performed!
After you have had enough of Red Rocks, drive out of any exit and take a right. If you exit the way you came in, you will end up
back on Morrison Road. If you exit anywhere else and take a right, you will re-enter Morrison from the North and intersect
Morrison Road at a "T". Take a right at the "T" to continue west on Morrison Road and up into Bear Creek Canyon.
< Page 1 | Page 3 >
|
