Come Ride Colorado’s Grand Valley

Generally, 18rd is snow free by the first of March most years. Summer riding is very hot, but the mornings and evenings are often nice and cool off quickly. The season at 18rd often ends sometime in late November or early December. Please understand that when 18rd is wet, its soil is a bentonite clay that is similar to peanut butter and concrete mixed together.

A roughly 40% expansion of trails in the North Fruita Desert! We targeted all ability levels, noting especially the need for more trails at the beginner level and for children. We've also tackled the massive camping and parking issue. AND the big news for many! eBikes are now legal at 18rd!

The Koko trail system is similar to the North Desert, but it has more sand and rocks. This allows certain trails to be ridden sooner after rain than other trail systems. Rustlers Loop, Mary's Loop to the Pizza Point Overlook, and Horse Thief Bench all dry rapidly after a rain event. The general season for the Kokopelli Trail system is March through early December. Hawkeye Trail dries out the slowest of all the other trails in this system.

You should do a lot of internet research or hire a tour operator to help you accomplish this very large goal. We sell three specific maps for this route which you should buy even if you have the trail apps on your phone. These tour providers are well regarded and are set up to handle this type of trip.

Some notable changes in the Koko system over the last few years are the addition of Hawkeye Trail, Extending Wranglers, and decommissioning of some of its old roads. Steve's Loop was extended and the road section was also closed. Moore Fun has a "Lower Moore Fun'' section which cuts out a chunk of suffering. In bigger news, this trail system is in the early stages of expansion planning! Ebikes are not currently legal at Kokopelli.

Generally the lower trail system is rideable from early March to late November each year. The higher elevations of Third Flats and Bangs Canyon can retain snow or get snow much earlier depending on the year. This trail system has a lot of the Bentonite Clay mud that we described in the 18rd section. Don't ride Lunch Loops when wet!

Within the classic trail system there aren't a ton of new trails in the last 5 years, but the area above Lunch Loop, up Little Park Rd, are a lot of new trails. The Butterknife Trail is at least a decade old at this point, but many of the 50" wide ATV trails around it are new. Especially for eBikes, this area is a gold mine of new rides. Second Thoughts, Twist and Shout, Quad Rocker, Art Cooks View, and many others are all super fun rides that can be linked with Butterknife. Windmill Singletrack is a new trail best accessed by climbing the Tabeguache Jeep trail from Bangs Canyon Parking Lot and descending all the way to the Gunnison River. 22 miles long and roughly 3000ft of elevation gain - it is hard for many even on an ebike!

EBikes, as of Summer 2022, are not allowed within the main Lunch Loop trail system.

Most years, RV is riding great in late February and will shut down due to snow in early December.

Have you ridden the Zion Curtain? If not, you should! Have you ridden all the trails off of the West Water exit? If not, try the Westwater Mesa Loop to Arch Loop. It's fantastic and the natural bridge (ARCH!) is really cool. And... eBikes are legal on all the trails in the Rabbit Valley and Westwater systems.

Starting at over 11,000ft in elevation on Grand Mesa this trail takes you from the chill of the mountains to the heat of the desert. It's long, arduous, technical, and full of exposure. It's a trail put where a trail was never meant to be! It's a mountain bike trail, built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers. It's not easy, nor is it all downhill. It's a trail that you will never....ever....forget!

The Palisade Plunge Trail is only open from mid June through September most years. It also has virtually no bailouts once you cross Lands End Road. After that you are fully committed and it just gets more challenging from that point on! Bring gallons of water and a personal rescue beacon. You were warned! The Palisade Rim Trail is similar to the other trails in the valley, being rideable most years from March-October. This end of the Valley gets a bit more snow than others.

Most years these trails are mostly snow free the first week of June. They'll be open until the first big storm of the Fall shuts them down. Normally this happens in late September or early October.