Coolest Motorcycle Tours & Outdoor Excursions in Colorado

Why I chose these adventures

I’ve done a bit of digging to find some of the coolest looking tours with the most fun and helpful guides. I’ve also based my list on a few key criteria.

• How friendly and helpful the agents were when I reached out to them on Facebook.
• Appraisal by the community through the number AND quality of reviews.
• The state of the machinery they ride on.
• Regular updates on their social pages.
• Value for money of the tours.

Here’s a little bit of insider information. I’ve actually gone ahead and reached out to the show-runners and asked them to share some behind-the-scenes insights. This has helped me to ensure you’ll be treated with the same great customer service I received.

SCOOTOURS

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• Tours: Rent & Ride, Guided Tours, Planned Loops
• Locations: Denver, Colorado
• Machinery: 50cc Vespa Style Scooters
• Season: All year round

Don’t get me wrong, the Red Bus tours are cool and all, but the sound of zipping around Colorado on a Vespa style scooter is right up my alley. What I like most about this is the ability to ride and explore at your own pace. You choose where you want to go, and how long you want to go for.

If you’re not the “get lost and find your way home” kind of person, ScooTours also offer guided tours which make for the perfect day trip activity. With a long list of sightseeing stops, you can work with your guide to create the ultimate group experience, tailored to your own personal taste of architecture, artwork and history.

The Best Part?

This is something everyone can enjoy. Perfect for a group of friends, families and even corporate events. If you can ride a bicycle, you’re over 18 and have a valid driver’s license, ScooTours is for you! Check out their website for more info: ScooTour Denver

Cuter on a Scooter

Some noteworthy sights include: Confluence Park, Lower Downtown (LoDo), National Velvet, LoHi, Denver Highlands, Colorado Convention Center, Coors Field, Denver Union Station, Denver City and County Building, Colorado State Capitol, Molly Brown House, Governor’s Mansion, Cheesman Park, Cap Hill Mansions, Denver Country Club’s Reed Castle, Cherry Creek North, Washington Park, City Park, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

X-ROADS OF THE ROCKIES / EXIT TOURS MC

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• Tours: 5 Day Tours including Continental Divide, Heart of the Rockies, Headwaters of 4 major rivers, Adventure Ride, Dual Sport & Singletrack Loops
• Locations: Table Mountain, Inspiration Point, Pikes Peak, Wellsville
• Machinery: Various models available from local rental agencies
• Season: June – October

As an enduro rider myself, these guys caught my eye and have left me feeling wanting. Anytime I see or hear the word “technical riding” my eyes light up as quickly as the spark plug of my KTM 300.

Some of the single track passes on offer come with descriptions like “Narrower trails, more switchbacks, loose rock areas, ledges and more severe technical areas generally requiring a dirt bike and some skill.” What makes this so special is being able to experience scenic views of Colorado that very few people will ever have the opportunity to take in.

Through The Rockies, Not Around Them

If that’s not your style, don’t worry. You can choose your loops as well as ride difficulty. Ranging from single track, adventure loops, short, long, easy, or challenging.

Quick note, this is not the place to come if you’re just learning which lever is the clutch. Stick to RawHyde if you’re looking for beginners lessons.

Rides include meals, over 25 GPS tracks to choose from, 5 nights of camping, (Or accommodation on you) and a dam good time.

Get in touch with Mike Brown for more details.

BACKBONE CYCLES

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• Tours: Self guided
• Locations: Estes Park Colorado
• Machinery: ATV’s Jeeps & Dirt Bikes
• Season: All year round

Backbone Adventures is a family owned business operating out of Estes Park Colorado. Andy and his family offer unguided Razor, UTV, dirt bike, ATV, snowmobile, and Jeep rentals allowing you to venture off into the wild and explore at your own pace. As long as you know how to read the free trail maps provided, you should be OK.

This really is a family business doing things the right way. They’re in it because they love it and love meeting other people who find joy in these activities. The rides are all in top notch condition and are even fitted with the bells and whistles you won’t see at most other tour companies.

All different sorts of trails are available for those adventurous enough to seek them. Here’s a particular trail that jumped out at me. (I’m a sucker for pain)

Miller Rock
Although the trails are wide enough for Jeeps and UTV’s, I HIGHLY suggest you steer clear of this trail. You will NOT survive the extreme section. It’s secluded enough that you could be in SERIOUS trouble when you get injured out there. Having said that, it’s one of my favorite dirt bike riding areas if you have the skill to get up the difficult section.     

• Beginner dirt bike friendly — Absolutely not!
• Wildlife — 5
• Views — 6
• Seclusion — 10
• Full day of riding — Yes
• Distance from Estes — 35 minutes
• Open — Year-Round

You really can see the passion the whole family has for this business. In fact, I wouldn’t call this a business at all, this is a lifestyle. Do yourself a favor and check out Backbone Cycles.

PLAY DIRTY ATV TOURS

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• Tours: Ride the Rockie, Sgt. Nulph (Most popular), Backcountry (advanced), Southern Colorado (Wellsville), Rockhound Tours
• Locations: Table Mountain, Inspiration Point, Pikes Peak, Wellsville
• Machinery: Quads and Side by Side
• Season: All year round

Situated a few short minutes away from Texas Creek Junction, the breathtaking mountain trails take you on a surreal experience, climbing 3000 feet up above the valley where the views are nothing short of mesmerizing.

With an exciting number of trails and paths to choose from, the adventure never ends. Each trail offers something different and a new picturesque moment. Texas Creek is known to be the ATV capital of Colorado, and for good reason!

The tours range anywhere from 2 to 4 hours of pure bliss as you traverse the trail switchbacks and climbs for over 20 miles of non stop fun.

Play Dirty ATV Tours have partnered with a number of different adventure tour agencies from rafting companies to zip line tours. Check them out for a full day of guaranteed entertainment.

COLORADO MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURES

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• Tours: Self guided, 1,2,3 day guided tours & more
• Locations: Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Colombia
• Machinery: Various KTM’s, BMW’s and Yamaha’s
• Season: Check website for tour dates

If you’re looking for a one stop shop, the guys at Colorado Motorcycle Adventures are just the ones for the ride. They cover everything from motorcycle rentals, tours, and custom planned rides. Hell, they’ve even got motorcycle storage facilities with temperature control, battery tenders and all the rest of it.

They offer more adventure tours than I have space to write about so for the full list of action, check out their website. What I really like is that they offer guided tours of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route (COBDR), said to be one of the most scenic adventure routes around. It covers vast landscapes from monstrous mountain passes to shallow rocky stream crossings.

Exciting Your Senses, Inspiring Your Soul

The 2021 tour dates are JULY 24-31.

Get in touch with the guys to arrange motorcycle rentals, GPS rentals and accommodation. This is an epic opportunity to ride the COBDR without having to worry about all the planning. This ride is not for beginners (there are others on the website) – The route is splattered with several technical sections so a fair amount of off-road riding skill will be needed. Sign me up!

Last Checkpoint

That’s my top five list of two (or four) wheeled adventures in the Colorado area. There’s something for everyone to choose from, regardless of your skill or adventure seeking limits. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

The adventure awaits.

-Wes