A 160-acre dirt bike park four and a half miles up Trail Gulch Road, built and run by a local riders' club. Here is what's out there, how to ride it, and how a town of 8,000 ended up with it.
In 2017 the Town of Gypsum and Eagle County Open Space bought the Dry Lake property north of town and leased it to Rocky Mountain Sport Riders to build and manage as a public dirt bike park. RMSR is a family-oriented club that began riding and organizing here in 1996, became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2013, and now counts more than 550 members. RMSR built the park and still runs and maintains it.
The lease comes with a condition RMSR states plainly on its own site: it can end if the property is misused. That's why the club asks every rider to help keep the park open for the generations coming up behind them.
The park sits at 3730 Trail Gulch Road, about 4.5 miles north of I-70 exit 140. The last stretch is dirt road, and it gets slick when it's wet.
Photo: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
Dry Lake is two wheels only. No quads, ATVs, or side-by-sides. For those, head to the designated routes in Hardscrabble.
Separate tracks for the smallest bikes and the next size up, so new riders have a place of their own to learn.
The Vet and Feature tracks are the full-size layouts. The Feature track is the one the crew preps and waters on weekends, which is what riders mean by "full prep."
An endurocross area of tires and other obstacles for slow, technical practice, plus singletrack around the perimeter of the property for riders who'd rather be on a trail.
Photos: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
Photo: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
The park opens in early May and closes for the season on September 30. Weekends are the big days, since that's when the crew grooms and waters the tracks, and RMSR posts which day is the full-prep day each weekend on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
What you need before you unload:
Race events can close some tracks for the day, so check before you drive out. For current passes, hours, and rules, the source is rmsrco.com.
Membership and passes at RMSR →A lot of what happens at Dry Lake is organized by the club. These are the kinds of days RMSR runs through the season. Dates change every year, so watch the RMSR calendar.
A club day for young riders, with games on the bike and time on the track. It's an easy way to find out whether your kid is hooked.
Club rides for women and girls, with teenagers and adults on the track together. Check the calendar for this season's dates.
Dry Lake has hosted coaching from visiting pros, including off-road champion Shane Watts, and sessions with The Moto Academy.
Dry Lake has hosted regional series races and vintage races. Race days can close some tracks to open riding, so check before you go.
Photos: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
The park is the visible part. Most of RMSR's work happens out on public land. RMSR says the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and Eagle County recognize it as the leading voice for off-road motorcyclists in the valley. Its volunteers build new singletrack like the Reunion Trail, repair existing trails like North Fork, and haul trash off roads like Trail Gulch alongside BLM staff.
If you ride here, a work day is the best way to give back and meet the people who keep these trails open. RMSR posts volunteer days on its calendar, and the membership form has a box to check if you want to help.
Photo: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
Photo: Rocky Mountain Sport Riders
Ride the track in the morning, then spend the afternoon on trail. Locals name the valley's moto areas from east to west as Bocco Mountain, McCoy, Hardscrabble/Spring Creek, and Green Gate. According to RMSR, Hardscrabble/Spring Creek, right between Gypsum and Eagle, is the easiest of the four: desert and gyp dirt through sage and scrub oak, with a couple of harder sections.
Get a map before you go. The COTREX app shows seasonal closures and which trails allow motorized use. Download the area first, because cell service drops out once you're in the hills. For paper maps, look for Trails Illustrated or Latitude 40.
For a place to stay, Gypsum's three kinds of camping range from an RV resort on the river to free dispersed sites up at LEDE.
At 3730 Trail Gulch Road in Gypsum, Colorado, about 4.5 miles north of I-70 exit 140. The access road is dirt and can be slick when wet.
A current Colorado OHV registration or permit, an RMSR membership, and a Dry Lake day or season pass bought through your RMSR account at rmsrco.com. Day passes must be bought on the day you ride.
The riding season runs from early May through September 30. The tracks are prepped and watered on weekends, and RMSR posts each weekend's full-prep day on the Dry Lake MX Facebook and Instagram pages.
No. Dry Lake is for two-wheeled motorcycles only. Quads, ATVs, and UTVs can use the designated motorized routes in the Hardscrabble area between Gypsum and Eagle.
Yes. The park has separate Pee-Wee and Mini tracks for young riders, and Rocky Mountain Sport Riders runs family events such as Take A Kid Dirt Biking Day.
The Town of Gypsum and Eagle County Open Space bought the property in 2017 and lease it to Rocky Mountain Sport Riders, a nonprofit dirt bike club founded in 1996, which built the park and operates it.