High Line Canal Trail — Attraction in Denver

The Highline is a fantastic concept but has several issues that all the 5 star reviews omit. This from the perspective of a cyclist who likes long rides: The northern trailhead doesn't exist. While the website pitches 71 miles, the start is just streets through a neighborhood with zero signage signage is woefully inadequate, especially in Aurora -Many crossings at grade (including high volume/high traffic roads the norhern portions are not scenic at all, mostly industrial did I mention the poor signage? Without Ride with GPS you will struggle from Mile 71 until you get south of Colfax past Havana (headed south) the trail is asphalt with settlement cracks every 10-12 feet. It improves once you approach the Cherry Creek trail and then the cracks resume. the trail is much better from south Denver to Chatfield but be aware that there are rougher unpaved sections approaching Chatfield to the end very limited water and restrooms which I get. If you are going to ride it all, plot out the gas stations along the way.

For my money, Cherry Creek is the far superior trail with only 1 or 2 crossings at grade in residential areas. It is shorter (40 miles) and lacks the history, but it is a much, much better...

The highline canal trail is a hidden gem among Aurora and Denver. It is mostly paved so makes for a great bike ride though it's a little up and down so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have at least a couple of gears or an electric motor. There are long winding stretches of it that to go around beautiful vistas, and there's plenty of public art along the way as well. That being said this is the third time now taking this trail to work in other places that I've gotten a goat head stuck in my tire (one of those two spiked seeds you might have encountered). I can almost guarantee you this is from the few moments I got lost and went off the trail here as a lot of the grasses and other parts of nature around the area are uncount and full of natural plants. This is a good thing so I'll get over having to...

I live by the canal. It can get loud and dangerious. Bikes roar pass you, walking you dog can be risky. The bikes dont know they are in a slow zone, the forget there are old, deaf seniors walking. A lady lost her small dog to a hawk once. There are coyotes, foxes, snakes, and we even had a rabid racoon once, and animal control came out. The biggest danger is the people on bikes, and foxtail (dogs). It is...