High Plains Raceway
High Plains Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Deer Trail, Colorado
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 2.55 mi (4.1 km)
- Turns
- 15
- Direction
- clockwise
- Banking
- 1.5% standard, up to 4.0% maximum
- Surface
- asphalt
- Elevation change
- 300 ft
- Opened
- 2009
- Owner
- Colorado Amateur Motorsports Associates (CAMA)
- Address
- 93301 East US Highway 36
- Phone
- +1-303-769-4771
- Website
- highplainsraceway.com
Track map and layout
High Plains Raceway sits on the high plains east of Denver at up to 5,054 feet above sea level, thin enough air that engine builders and drivers have to account for reduced power and grip. The full 2.55-mile, 15-turn layout climbs and drops more than 300 feet per lap despite looking flat from a distance, mixing a 2,838-foot back straight with a tight 80-foot-radius hairpin and fast, sweeping corners. The circuit is genuinely modular: shorter West (2.00 miles), North (1.86 miles), and Short (1.28 miles) configurations reuse sections of the full course, letting the facility run multiple groups or classes at once. Unlike almost every other American road course, HPR wasn't built by a developer or sanctioning body but designed and financed by the amateur racing clubs that use it, a layout built to reward club racers and driving-school students rather than a single professional series.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Course | 2.55 mi | 15 turns, the primary club-racing configuration |
| West Course | 2 mi | — |
| North Course | 1.86 mi | — |
| Short Course | 1.28 mi | Used for novice groups and karting |
Events and race weekends
High Plains Raceway does not host national professional series; its calendar is built around member-club racing and track days run by the founding organizations. Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing (RMVR), SCCA's Colorado Region, NASA Rocky Mountain, and the Porsche Club of America's Rocky Mountain Region all hold regular race weekends, alongside branded programs such as Emich Track Day and Colorado Exotic Car Association (CECA) open-lapping days that run through the spring, summer, and fall season.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RMVR club race weekends | Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing | Multiple, spring-fall | |
| SCCA Colorado Region race weekends | SCCA Colorado Region | Multiple, spring-fall | |
| Emich Track Day | Open lapping / HPDE | Multiple, spring-fall |
Getting there and parking
HPR is roughly an hour's drive east of Denver via US-36, in rural Deer Trail. Denver International Airport is significantly closer than downtown Denver, making it the practical arrival point for fly-in visitors.
- Denver International Airport (DEN) · about 45 min drive
Because of the track's altitude, naturally aspirated cars and motorcycles lose noticeable power; drivers unfamiliar with the facility should expect reduced output versus sea-level tracks.
Hotels and camping near High Plains Raceway
Most visitors either camp on-site, which is common for weekend club-racing entrants, or base themselves in the Denver metro area, roughly an hour's drive west, since Deer Trail itself has very limited lodging.
Where to look
Denver and the eastern Denver metro suburbs, roughly 45-60 minutes west of the track; Deer Trail itself has minimal lodging.
Camping
On-site tent and RV camping is available in the paddock area, with power and water hookups, showers, and restrooms provided.
RV
RV and carport rental spots can be reserved through the track's online booking system; hookups (power/water) are available.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
HPR was purpose-built for club racing and driving instruction and is used almost exclusively that way. Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, SCCA Colorado Region, NASA Rocky Mountain, and the Porsche Club of America's Rocky Mountain Region all host their own race weekends and HPDE-style track days, and OpenTrack lists the facility with track guides and driving tips for first-time visitors. Open-lapping days are typically free to spectate.
Who runs days here
Spectator guide
High Plains Raceway is primarily a participant venue rather than a spectator destination; open-lapping and club-racing days generally have free spectator access but limited dedicated grandstand infrastructure compared with professional circuits.
Weather
- Jun-Aug: hot, dry high-plains summer with strong afternoon sun; the 5,000+ foot altitude means cooler mornings and evenings
- Apr-May, Sep-Oct: mild but can be windy; sudden weather changes are common on the eastern Colorado plains
History of High Plains Raceway
Built by racers, for racers
High Plains Raceway exists because Denver-area amateur racing clubs needed a new home. Their previous venue, Second Creek Raceway near Denver International Airport, was slated to close, and by 2003 the region's clubs, banding together as Colorado Amateur Motorsports Associates (CAMA), began planning a purpose-built replacement on open land east of Denver near Deer Trail. Member organizations included Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, the SCCA's Colorado Region, the Motorcycle Road Racing Association, the Porsche Club of America's Rocky Mountain Region, and a coalition of other car clubs.
A club-funded circuit
What makes HPR unusual among American road courses is how it was funded and designed: roughly 1,000 private donors, most of them club members, contributed around $3.5 million toward construction, and engineer and racer Bill Howard laid out the circuit specifically around the needs of amateur racers and driving-school students rather than a professional sanctioning body's requirements. The track was paved in 2008 and opened to racing in 2009, becoming, by the account of the clubs involved, the only major American circuit conceived, financed, designed, and built collectively by the amateur racing community that uses it.
A high-altitude, modular layout
Sitting at up to 5,054 feet above sea level, HPR's altitude was a deliberate design consideration as much as a geographic fact, forcing engine tuners and drivers to adapt to reduced naturally aspirated power. The 2.55-mile, 15-turn full course was built with multiple shorter configurations layered into it, the West, North, and Short courses, so the facility can run several run groups or disciplines at once, a flexibility that has made it a workhorse for the Denver-area club-racing calendar.
Present day
More than fifteen years after opening, High Plains Raceway remains member-club owned and operated, hosting RMVR, SCCA Colorado Region, NASA Rocky Mountain, and Porsche Club of America race weekends alongside branded open-lapping days like Emich Track Day and CECA exotic-car events. It has not chased a national professional racing series, staying instead a dedicated, high-altitude proving ground for Colorado's amateur road-racing community.
Frequently asked questions
How long is High Plains Raceway?+
The full course is 2.55 miles with 15 turns; shorter West (2.00 mi), North (1.86 mi), and Short (1.28 mi) configurations are also available.
How high is High Plains Raceway's altitude?+
The track's highest point sits at 5,054 feet above sea level, and the layout climbs and drops more than 300 feet of cumulative elevation per lap.
Who built High Plains Raceway?+
It was conceived, financed, designed, and built collectively by Colorado's amateur racing clubs, organized as Colorado Amateur Motorsports Associates (CAMA), and opened in 2009.
Can the public drive High Plains Raceway on a track day?+
Yes. SCCA Colorado Region, NASA Rocky Mountain, RMVR, and branded programs such as Emich Track Day all run open-lapping and HPDE-style track days at HPR.
Is there camping at High Plains Raceway?+
Yes, on-site tent and RV camping is available in the paddock with power, water, showers, and restrooms; RV/carport spots can be reserved online.
Where is High Plains Raceway located?+
At 93301 East US Highway 36 near Deer Trail, Colorado, roughly an hour's drive east of Denver.
Other tracks nearby
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- La Junta Raceway · 122 mi · road course
- Heartland Motorsports Park · 443 mi · road course & oval
- Utah Motorsports Campus · 451 mi · road course
- Hallett Motor Racing Circuit · 466 mi · road course
- Kansas Speedway · 485 mi · oval
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.