We create reader-supported, objective, independently-selected gear reviews. You may try and see if one would drop you back off in Fruita. Traveling through remote canyon country, White Rim Road makes a 100-mile loop through the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. Gear lists from the AZT, TD and CTR; Pros & Cons; Things Id do different; and Tips. } #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper { The Kokopelli Trail starts out on some single track affording beautiful views of the Colorado River. If youre not from the area and want to see the Rocky Mountains you can fly into Denver International Airport (DIA), and rent a car. CNY is closest airport but also the most expensive and with the most limited options. Did you happen to see any of the folks attempting to set the FKT for it out there? This variation would add approximately 14 miles to your trip. Indian Trails, 28685 Smith Rd, Romulus, MI, Transportation Services Looking to start bikepacking? There is some concern with possible theft but it worked out fine for me. Kokopelli Racing LLC put on a mountain bike and running ultra marathon race on the classic Kokopelli Trail. Kaitlyns finish time was 13 hours and 7 minutes, the new womens FKT. Nowhere else can you find scenery quite like this! Lastly, you could use two cars but this option means a lot of driving and extra time. Doesnt this sound like a better way to end a trip as a descent? Get on the trail with detailed maps shared by riders like you. Enlightened Equipment Torrid puffy jacket. I recommend caching water at Rabbit Valley trailhead, near Dewey Bridge by the road along Highway 128, and Fisher Valley. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. You can access the Colorado River from here, though. Kokopelli 140 MTB Relay A choice your own adventure. This is the way to enter Moab! Joel Caldwell (joelcaldwell.com) The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. width:100%; There are plenty of camping options along the way including the BLM campgrounds listed below; some may require a small fee. The weather can be unpredictable, regularly swinging from blazingly hot to frost-and-ice-all-over-your-tent cold. To schedule an appointment for your school or for more information, please call Crosswinds Marsh at: (734) 654-1220. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. Rock formations including arches and windows are a highlight of bikepacking the Kokopelli Trail. If you have a vital issue or opportunity regarding this route that pertains to one of the subjects below, please let us know: **Advocacy opportunities may include bringing awareness to a new trail project, conservation initiative, access potential, or local effort that we might help with or bring awareness to via our broad-reaching platform. Elevation gain: 13,595 feet/ 4,144 meters, Elevation loss: 14,058 feet/ 4,285 meters. I rode the latter half on a Monday and Tuesday and I think this really helped with traffic, not sure what this would have looked like on a weekend but I think it's worth it if you can go during the week! The Kokopelli Trail A Bikepacking Adventure. - Get Terrestrial The Kokopelli has very few water sources along the route. The closes airports to fly into would beMoab (CNY) itself, but the cost would be extremely high. More flag On Ute Land Distance 158 Mi. Each issue features a collection of inspiring writing and beautiful photography. A big storm can leave you stranded on unrideable dirt roads of sticky, peanut butter mud that will stop your wheels from turning. Starts at the Westwater Airstrip. At the top, youll get great views of Moab and the surrounding landscape. These are primitive campsites so dont expect much as far as amenities go.Salt Creek OverlookCastle RockCold SpringPorcupine RimKnowles CanyonBitter CreekMesa CreekCowskin Campground near Cotton CanyonHideout CanyonRock CastleBull DrawNorth Beaver Mesa CampgroundDewey BridgeRabbit Valley. On my most recent Kokopelli bikepacking trip, my group drove from Denver in two vehicles. For more recommendations of puffy jackets, see our Best Down Jackets or Best Synthetic Jacket guides. @media screen and ( max-width: 100% ) { Toward the end of the day I would start feeling like my bones were being rattled, but it was definitely doable. More here. Many of the BLM campgrounds lining the trail do not have water, or if they do its not potable. Returning on 3-inch tires, I had a much more difficult time on those sandy sections. 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. At Treeline, we want you to buy right the first time. Although the route can be ridden in either direction, but most prefer a southwest flow from Fruita to Moab which enables a legendary finale down Porcupine Rim. Cheers! Almost 20,000 feet of climbing. Its so good youll want to do it again once youve done it. Auto Repair. The Kokopelli Trail starts near Loma, Colorado which is about 15 miles west of Grand Junction. Most bikers ride the Kokopelli Trail soutbound. Some of the singletrack is unrideable, too. The Kokopelli is world-class bikepacking. New Kokopelli Trail FKT - BIKEPACKING.com Bikers most commonly ride the Kokopelli Trail southbound, starting at the Loma Trailhead and finishing in Moab. width:100%; The Grand Loop - Backcountry MTB // Industry Nine - Pivot Pro The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, Kokopelli. But, theres a still 17-mile 4,000-foot descent on dirt roads and singletrack trails between you and the end of the Kokopelli Trail. From there, youll be closer to the start of the Kokopelli Trail. Most of your riding will be on dirt and paved roads, with some singletrack thrown in for good measure. I personally cached water at Rabbit Valley, Colorado River/Dewey Bridge and at the bathrooms at the Fisher Valley Overlook. Moab Motorsports does ask that you let them know youre leaving your car with them ahead of time. 28685 Smith Rd Romulus MI 48174 (734) 326-9801. If you can ride intermediate-level mountain bike terrain, the Kokopelli Trail will be a rewarding experience. Its a high-quality down quilt that has reliably kept me warm for 1000s of trail miles. This is certainly not a trip for bringing your dog or someone just starting out with biking. Ive made it on the dirt road to Fisher Valley in a Subaru, but a sedan wouldn't make it there. This epic bikepacking adventure promises an incredible final descent as you wearily make your way into Moab. This route follows singletrack trails, Jeep roads, and dirt roads, mainly on BLM land. Bikepack it, chase the FKT, ride it with vehicle support - experience it however you like. The Kokopelli Trail is a 143-mile desert bikepacking route that connects Fruita, Colorado, in western Colorado and Moab, Utah. 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. Bikepacking on the Kokopelli Trail Photos and words by Joel Caldwell The Kokopelli Trail is a beautiful route winding from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah. With 150 miles of gravel hike-and-bike trail, the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP Trail) is one of the Easts best pathways, perfect for leisurely bike rides. The Kokopelli Trail crosses the Colorado River and ends at Moabs Slickrock area. The . This was Kaitlyns first ultra since a devastating car accident that had her questioning her ability to ride or walk again, but after a long and inspiring recovery, she managed to best Rebecca Ruschs 2013 record by 25 minutes. Starts at the Westwater Airstrip. Youll know youve completed the Kokopelli Trail when you hit the pavement; then, its time to celebrate. Route notes: the giant tarmac descent from fischer overlook and giant tarmac climb up to the porcupine rim trail suuuucked. Follow Leave No Trace Ethics, including camping and pooping far from water. Looking up from Fischer Valley to the top of the climb next to the la sals, giving myself a goal of making it there in 5 hours, and getting up in 5 hours to look back down at the valley. The dancing flautist image is now common throughout the southwest, generally embodying carefree and joyous adventure. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_email_field_wrapper { 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. The Koko box is checked and we've got our sights on searching for what is next. Find details on their records alongside a few photos taken by Rugile Kaladyte here, Photos by Rugile Kaladyte (@rugilekaladyte). The lack of suspension limited my speed on rough downhill, meant a good deal of discomfort on washboard and rocky sections, and my gravel bikes drop bars just weren't very forgiving on my shoulders as it was a bit of an aggressive riding position. On the 142-mile Kokopelli's Trail, a group of bikepackers race against dusk on Porcupine Rim, a. The other two in the party were on a hardtail and a rigid fatbike. The trail starts in Loma, CO within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, at the Marys Loop Trails. Be sure to stop at, Powered by red Starbursts and Fat Tire Amber Ale, 6 Bikepacking Routes in Southern California | Year-round Fun, 11 of the Most Popular Bikepacking Trails in the US, Colorado Bikepacking Trails A Bikepackers Dreamland, How to Prepare For the C&O Canal and GAP Trail. We were caught in a late March snowstorm and spent the day in a cave, watching the snow pile up. Crosswinds Marsh | Public Services - Wayne County, Michigan There is amazing camping here, awesome slick rock riding, and stunning Colorado Plateau rock formations. But theyre even farther than you think. Lack of clean water will be one of your biggest hurdles. Best Trails & Maps near Romulus | TrailLink You will be looking for East Mill Creek Drive which turns into Sand Flats Rd The Trail: The Kokopelli Trail is part of the Grand loop, a bikepacking route that combines the Kokopelli Trail, Paradox Trail and Tabegauche Trail. You can get to Rabbit Valley and Dewey Bridge with a 2-wheel drive vehicle. Simply clicking on the links below with our affiliates supports the Project. Top Rated Routes. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! The 142-mile multi-use trail stretches from Loma, Colorado all the way to Moab, UT. Another option is to check Craigslists ride share page for various cities where you think someone might be travel to or from Moab. 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. Hot on the heels of Lachlan Mortons record that was just set in May of this year, Kurt set a new mens fastest known time as well, knocking 19 minutes off of Lachlans already impressive ride. Food resupply on the Kokopelli doesnt exist. The riding is primarily non-technical dirt roads and Jeep double track, but it is about 15% singletrack. The Kokopelli Trail starts near Loma, Colorado which is about 15 miles from Grand Junction. Find Related Places. Repair Shops & Related Services NEC. We were granted access by the weather up and over the La Sals unlike our previous attempt. Bikepacking is generally in the backcountry, but you can backpack on local trails. If you were to start in Moab and ride north, you would begin with a nearly 20-mile, 4,000-foot climb. 150 miles. Full Circle on the Grand Loop: Part II - The First Modern Bikepacking With more than 61 trails covering 486 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. In spite of the fact that this route, associated GPS track (GPX and maps), and all route guidelines were prepared under diligent research by the specified contributor and/or contributors, the accuracy of such and judgement of the author is not guaranteed. The Kokopelli Trail is part of the larger Grand Loop. If you're interested in a dedicated sleeping bag instead of a quilt, see our Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags guide.