Starts at the Westwater Airstrip. Find our Kokopelli Trail route guide here. The last time I was there, I was told that the pipes were contaminated with E. Coli. I would have gladly traded out for either of those bikes when it the trail started getting a little chunkier. width:100%; Dont drink from Salt Creek or Onion Creek for this reason. Location: The Kokopelli Trail starts near Loma, Colorado which is about 15 miles from Grand Junction. There are plenty of primitive and a few developed options for camping or one can usually sleep along the trail side but please use LNT practices when doing so. } Between the river and the top of ride at 8200ft I quickly realized there were not as many water sources as I had thought there would be, and this was the only time I got a little worried the morning of day 3 with 2000ft of climbing ahead of me and only 2L on me. The Kokopelli symbol guides travelers along a trail of ~ 140 miles between Fruita (Loma actually) and Moab. Most bikers ride the Kokopelli Trail soutbound. Ive even seen some water flowing in the fall around here. } Press J to jump to the feed. On my most recent Kokopelli bikepacking trip, my group drove from Denver in two vehicles. The desert views youll experience along the route are to notch. I was being silly: the Kokopelli is a tremendously satisfying and fun bikepack, from the mildly technical and impossibly beautiful singletrack out of Fruita, to soaring grinding climbs, red desert canyons, rugged sandstone ridges, to the must-not-skip roaring bucking descent on Porcupine Rim down to Moab. They did say you can leave your car at Moab Motorsports located at25 E Center St, Moab, UT 84532. This epic bikepacking adventure promises an incredible final descent as you wearily make your way into Moab. See a problem? In depth look at what I would bring for gear and why, if I rode the Tour Divide, CTR, and AZTR again. I recommend caching water at Rabbit Valley trailhead, near Dewey Bridge by the road along Highway 128, and Fisher Valley. Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may receive a small percentage of any purchase you make at no additional cost to you. There is a reliable stream in Castle Valley, just before the road climbs into the La Sals. Revelate Saltyroll on Oveja Negra handlebar harness, food: tortillas, dried fruit, pb packets, tuna packets, summer sausage. Kokopelli 140 MTB Individual 144 miles, full course, alone! The Jeep trail and dirt roads can sometimes be very sandy, challenging, and slow-going. The next closest would be Grand Junction or Salt Lake City (SLC). We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. Knowing what to expect as far as water sources, weather forecast, trail condition, and detours, are going to be key to having the best possible outcome. I think 3 riders have done it under 10.5 hours in the past few weeks. NO PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ARE ALLOWED IN CROSSWINDS MARSH. Over the Edge bike shop suggests people park behind Suds Brothers Brewery at 127 E Aspen Ave, Fruita, CO 81521. It combines a variety of primitive roads with surprisingly technical single track that kept us guessing around each bend. The Kokopelli Trail starts out on some single track affording beautiful views of the Colorado River. We completed the Kokopelli trail in three challenging, rewarding days of bike riding. Continuing on through the Marys Loop area, youll leave the river and parallel Mack Ridge before the river returns along with views of the Black Ridge Canyons. You can access the Colorado River from here, though. Tired of seeing ads on every web page you visit? If you can ride intermediate-level mountain bike terrain, the Kokopelli Trail will be a rewarding experience. This Site and our mobile application contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. Ive made it on the dirt road to Fisher Valley in a Subaru, but a sedan wouldn't make it there. One section requires a rider to lift your bike over car-sized boulders. Where do you start? Many of the BLM campgrounds lining the trail do not have water, or if they do its not potable. The trail runs through Mesa County, Colorado, and Grand County in Utah. We met at the Loma Trailhead and split the caching duties between cars. Look no further than the new 2023 Trek Farley 5, a sure-footed bike designed with strength and comfort in. Packing: I learned a lot from my first trip last year and made it work without a seat bag which was so nice to have full use of my dropper post on the descents. Technical sections will challenge your mountain biking skills. Learn more. To facilitate these efforts, we rely on our Bikepacking Collective and the greater bikepacking community to call attention to critical issues and opportunities that are discovered while riding these routes. } The Kokopelli Trail is an 136.4 mile multi use recreational trail that goes from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT. There was some water new Onion Creek Hideout CG during my attempt the end of April 2016. Cheers! You and your friends, split the course into 2 to 6 segments. I recommend riding the Western Rim Trail, a 6-mile trail parallel to the official Kokopelli route near Fruita. Once you arrive in Moab, there are countless mountain bike trails to explore. The trail presses on through Fish Ford and the ride becomes more arduous as you climb away from the Colorado River. You might also be able to get water from a spigot at Westwater Ranger Station, but this source is not always operational. For more recommendations, see our Best Mountain Bike Gloves guide. This bucket-list bikepacking trip is an adventure of the soul and a test of your commitment. Each issue features a collection of inspiring writing and beautiful photography. Explore the best rated trails in Romulus, MI. I have experienced extremely high winds and snowstorms in the high desert regions of Colorado and Utah, and this tent always holds up well. There is some water along the route, but not enough to forego caching water unless you can carry enough water for 2 days. The Kokopelli Trail is a 142-mile desert bikepacking route linking the mountain biking epicenters of Fruita, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. Dirt roads, paved roads, and singletrack with some technical areas. For more recommendations of puffy jackets, see our Best Down Jackets or Best Synthetic Jacket guides. rocky sections making it particularly challenging. I feel comfortable riding easier "blues" on my gravel bike and try to incorporate singletrack into my rides - but I'm just not sure how technical the riding gets on the trail. If youre flying from out of town, I recommend you rent a car and spend a day caching water (or pay a guiding company to cache water for you, though I dont know of any that specifically offer that service). After a climb to the infamous Castle Valley Road to the summit, youll be graced with an amazing descent with stunning views of Castle Valley as you make your way into Moab. With more than 10,000 feet of total climbing, the highest point on the trail tops out at over 8,000 ft above sea level. sounds like a great trip! BIKEPACKING.com LLC, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individual riders cycling or following this route. The weather can be unpredictable, regularly swinging from blazingly hot to frost-and-ice-all-over-your-tent cold. From there, the trail traverses through the Cottonwood Canyon, Beaver Mesa, and all La Sal Loop sections leading up to your final stretch. I went out to Fruita a few weeks ago with my mtb and car camped in Rabbit Valley and was really wishing i had brought my gravel bike to cruise around there (other than the deep sand pockets lol). Follow Leave No Trace Ethics, including camping and pooping far from water. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This section is beautiful though; theres nothing like moving in and out of desert and mountain terrain and skirting along the Estrada Bluffs. There is one option for airlines and two car rental: GJT is the closest airport that has a reasonable cost and minimal logistics . Knowing what to expect as far as water sources, weather forecast, trail condition, and detours, are going to be key to having the best possible outcome. The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, Kokopelli. I was thinking about this quite a bit while riding as I saw this question posed a few times elsewhere - I am not a gravel rider so my opinion on whether you can or cannot do it may not be the most educated, but there were long stretches of sand and slickrock and chunky jeep roads that I don't think would be too much fun on a gravel bike. This Kokopelli Trail Guidebook from Bikerpelli is also helpful for planning your trip. Transportation Services. As the leading creator and publisher of bikepacking routes, BIKEPACKING.com endeavors to maintain, improve, and advocate for our growing network of bikepacking routes all over the world. I am a bikepacking addict who also happens to be an above knee amputee. Despite reports you can leave a car at the Moab Information Center, you CAN NOT. After crossing Salt Creek the trail passes through Rabbit Valley, then grinds through the Yellow Jacket area, tackles Rose Garden Hill, circle around Fisher Valley, and eventually making its way to the La Sal Mountains and Moab. I'm just curious what the best is for bikepacking. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget { Planned for 3 nights but the first half went quicker than I expected! #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_email_field_wrapper { Read these next or checkout the main resource page. This is certainly not a trip for. We used collapsible water jugs like these so we can strap them to our bikes and easily carry them out, too. Its a condensed version of my bigger bikepacking guides, which include the Arizona Trail, Tour Divide and Colorado Trail. Prior to setting out check current local weather, conditions, and land/road closures. Click here to login, or start an account if youre not yet a member of the Bikepacking Collective. The Kokopelli Trail is divided into nine sections, each with its own unique terrain and scenery. @media screen and ( max-width: 100% ) { Stretches can be particularly sandy, but never for too long at a time (and there's no need for a fat bike). The Kokopelli Trail is a classic bikepacking route that spans 140 miles of rugged jeep roads and singletrack through some of the most captivating terrain in the area. The trail ends in the Sand Flats section which takes you from Porcupine Rim to Slickrock. The 142-mile multi-use trail stretches from Loma, Colorado all the way to Moab, UT. Bikepacking: Off-Pavement Bicycling and camping where you would if you were to go backpacking. The Kokopelli Trail is a difficult bikepacking trail. See REIs Food Storage story or REIs Bear Canister story for more information on Bears and food storage. As such, our editorial team, route creators, and Route Stewards serve as mediators for route improvements and opportunities for connectivity, conservation, and community growth around these routes. Bike 3-Day; Bears Ears Backcntry 4-Day; Grand Staircase-Escalante; Moab Bikepacking 101; Vehicle Support Services; . Terms of Use: As with each bikepacking route guide published on BIKEPACKING.com, should you choose to cycle this route, do so at your own risk. (mens and womens & nobo and sobo available). There are some steep climbs on this trail with the payoff being some exhilarating descents. Starting in the east, the route becomes richer and the landscapes more Mars-like with each mile you travel towards the canyon lands of the high Utah desert. The closest large airport to the Kokopelli Trail is the Salt Lake City International Airport. The Kokopelli Trail is a good first test. Our inflatable packrafts are lightweight, durable, and very easy to transport. width:300px; Toward the end of the day I would start feeling like my bones were being rattled, but it was definitely doable. I did it last fall on a rigid MTB with 29x2.3 tires. If you were to start in Moab and ride north, you would begin with a nearly 20-mile, 4,000-foot climb. I personally cached water at Rabbit Valley, Colorado River/Dewey Bridge and at the bathrooms at the Fisher Valley Overlook. The Kokopelli Trail is even marked on these maps. width:100%; I'm on a small bike so not a ton of space in the frame, and I will die before I bike in a backpack, so I was able to put all my water on the frame, clothes and sleep setup on the handlebar, and food in the hip pack. The Kokopelli Trail starts out on some single track affording beautiful views of the Colorado River. Another option is to have friends deliver water to you along the route or stash some yourself beforehand wherever possible. The trail runs through Mesa County, Colorado, and Grand County in Utah. Also, the Hot Tomato in Fruita has some of the best pizza Ive ever eaten, and they have great beers on tap. Kristina Ritchie (@get_terrestrial) Instagram photos and videos, .fca_eoi_form{ margin: auto; } .fca_eoi_form p { width: auto; } #fca_eoi_form_1856 input{ max-width: 9999px; }#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper {display: none !important;}#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_description_copy_wrapper {display: none !important;}.tooltipster-sidetip.tooltipster-borderless.tooltipster-optin-cat .tooltipster-box .tooltipster-content { color: #fff }.tooltipster-optin-cat.tooltipster-sidetip.tooltipster-top .tooltipster-arrow-border { border-top-color: #d63031 !important }.tooltipster-optin-cat.tooltipster-sidetip.tooltipster-bottom .tooltipster-arrow-border { border-bottom-color: #d63031 !important }.tooltipster-sidetip.tooltipster-borderless.tooltipster-optin-cat .tooltipster-box { background-color: #d63031 !important }.fca_eoi_layout_inputs_wrapper { background-color: unset !important }#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_form_input_element::-webkit-input-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#595252;}#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_form_input_element::-moz-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#595252;}#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_form_input_element:-ms-input-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#595252;}#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_form_input_element:-moz-placeholder {opacity:0.6;color:#595252;}#fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_submit_button_wrapper:hover, #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_submit_button_wrapper input:hover {background-color:#b96701 !important;} Hi, Im Phil. In total you will ride for 142 miles and there are a few bailout options along the way should you need to. If it werent for that snowstorm after the first day, we would have found ourselves far out there, fruitlessly attempting to filter water from the silty Colorado River, slowed down immensely by the gravel bike that wasnt enough bike for the terrain. Order Online. Celebrate your thru-hiking class with the Class of ___ T-shirt! The Kokopelli Trail is a classic bikepacking route that spans 140 miles of rugged jeep roads and singletrack through some of the most captivating terrain in the area. With more than 61 trails covering 486 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. 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