Whether you’re a history buff, nature lover, adventure seeker, or all three, a railbike ride on the old Erie Coal Train route is an experience you won’t soon forget.
Founded in May 2024, Colorado Railbike Adventures has transformed a family’s love of railroads into one of the most unique and fast-growing tourism businesses in the state. An impressive 15,000 riders took to the rails in their inaugural season, with the owners setting their sights on doubling that number in year two.
It’s exciting to be connected to such a cool project from day one – and we’re pulling for Colorado Railbike Adventures to keep it rollin’.
150+ years of Erie, CO heritage
There’s something special about riding ghost rails. It’s one of the few ways we can follow along the footsteps of local history. Built in 1871 by the Boulder Valley Railroad, the Erie Coal Train route was designed to transport coal from the Erie coal fields into Denver, which it did for over a century.
Today, railbikers follow the same route that once led to the Boulder Valley Mine, the largest coal mine in Colorado, past the original Erie Depot site, the trestle at Coal Creek and historic Old Town Erie.
Award-winning results right out the gate
In addition to a successful opening run with ticket sales, the team at Colorado Railbike Adventures were honored with the Governor’s Award for Exemplary Community Tourism Initiative.
The Colorado Tourism Office’s Governor’s Award for Exemplary Community Tourism Initiative is a special recognition reserved for projects that demonstrate exceptional creativity and innovation in tourism while contributing to the state’s tourism economy and promoting tourism within Colorado.
Next up, they have plans to connect and collaborate with other railbike operators throughout the country to expand market awareness and cross promote.
Everyone can participate
One of the fantastic things about the company’s 4-seat railbikes is that they are engineered to be fun for the whole family, accommodating everyone from littlies to the older generation, with minimal height, age, and weight restrictions.
Whether you’re a Denver metro resident or planning a trip to the area, you won’t want to miss out on one of the most unique attractions in town. Choose from daytime, sunset, nighttime, and themed rides.
Connect with Colorado Railbike Adventures on social media to be among the first to see their summer schedule, which is set to be released on March 1st.
