We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. We cached water at a few road crossings, brought bikes with high-volume tires, and generally respected the challenges of the trail more. Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. Thanks, me too!! You may try and see if one would drop you back off in Fruita. This is certainly not a trip for bringing your dog or someone just starting out with biking. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper { Click here for more info. The Kokopelli Trail is even marked on these maps. These bikepacking routes in and loads of others can be found at bikepacking.com. That was my fools attitude in spite of pedaling and adventuring in that corner of Utah for decades. These are primitive campsites so dont expect much as far as amenities go. The Kokopelli Trail is a vintage route ridden and raced long before doing stuff like this was popular. Claim this business (734) 326-9801. Camping along the Kokopelli is easy to find. 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. The Kokopelli Trail ends in the Slickrock area on the east end of Moab, UT. The Kokopelli Trail is a special route, and whether youre looking to tackle it in a single day or spread it out over a long weekend, its definitely one worth adding to the bucket list. The Kokopelli Trail is one of the most coveted bikepacking routes out there, and for good reason. The following page is broken down into sections highlighting The Project's main categories. Kokopelli 140 MTB Individual 144 miles, full course, alone! Three mountain bik. } #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_submit_button_wrapper { The legendary Kokopelli Trail, 140 miles of desert and mountain riding between Moab and Fruita. But maybe you can be the fool who rides it and has a great time despite what other people say? Kokopelli Trail Guidebook from Bikerpelli, Trip Ideas, Where to Go, Backpacking Trip Guide, Backpacking Trip Ideas, Backpacking Trips, backpacking, backpacking trips, oregon trips, oregon, oregon coast, corvallis to sea, c2c trail, c2c, Backpacking Trip Ideas, Backpacking Trip Guide, Trip Ideas, Where to Go, where to go, Backpacking Trips, backpacking, backpacking trips, colorado, colorado backpacking, brandon lampley, Bikepacking the Lower Deschutes River Trail, Guide to Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage. We look forward to sharing the natural splendor of Crosswinds through our interpretive programming, activities and future exhibits. Also, the Hot Tomato in Fruita has some of the best pizza Ive ever eaten, and they have great beers on tap. If you want to execute a successful trip, it would certainly behoove you to do some checking and planning during the weeks leading up to your trip. I found a trickle of cool, clear water at hideout spring (find the cottonwoods!!) The Kokopelli Trail is a difficult bikepacking trail. Mile 10.6 Salt Creek NOT suitable for drinking, Mile 48 Westwater Ranger Station Water has been reported to have been shut off (get water from Colorado River), Mile 59.9 Colorado River (strain and filter), Mile 73.6 Colorado River (stain and filter). 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. Directions Advertisement. That first ride took him 23 hours, and soon after, he rode the trail in the opposite direction in just 17 hours. Bikepacking The Kokopelli Trail Treeline Review We met at the Loma Trailhead and split the caching duties between cars. The trail is signposted with blue and white logo stickers as well as brown arrow signs along the way. There are a couple of options for staging and parking; as advised by folks at Over The Edge bike shop, we chose to leave a vehicle in the parking lot behind Suds Brothers Brewery in downtown Fruita. Lack of clean water will be one of your biggest hurdles. Image via Bureau of Land Management 1.Kokopelli Trail Trail Length: About 150 miles one-way Days to complete: 3-5 Riding : Mostly doubletrack and singletrack Bikepacking has taken the mountain bike world by storm, with the upper echelon of bikepackers continuing to shatter time barriers and pioneer incredible . If you finished on a weekend you could try and hitch but finding a ride with an open rack and empty seat could prove difficult. I was very happy to have my 27+ tires in the sand and front suspension on the big drops required on some sections of the ATV roads as well as the fast descents that necessitated careful line choices and were still quite rattling on my hardtail. Enlightened Equipment Torrid puffy jacket. Kokopelli Trail - Backcountry MTB // Industry Nine - Pivot Pro Its best to ride the Kokopelli Trail in the Spring and Fall. Its so good youll want to do it again once youve done it. Bikers most commonly ride the Kokopelli Trail southbound, starting at the Loma Trailhead and finishing in Moab. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. A section of the trail, the Kokopelli Singletrack, begins just outside the . The Kokopelli Trail is one of the most coveted bikepacking routes out there, and for good reason. Checkout all our available products in our store,and thanks for the support! Each issue features a collection of inspiring writing and beautiful photography. Celebrate your thru-hiking class with the Class of ___ T-shirt! There are not too many reliable water sources on this trail so its important to plan accordingly. *This video is for the AZTR but the information is universal. Find a detailed guide on the route below including parking, resupply and how to plan the perfect trip. sounds like a great trip! 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. I did it last fall on a rigid MTB with 29x2.3 tires. 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. Sand, dirt, gravel, slick rock, creek crossings, you name it. Order Online. I'm just curious what the best is for bikepacking. The other two in the party were on a hardtail and a rigid fatbike. Water at BLM ranger station at mile 48 is not fit to drink, filter from river. Thanks for your support! You might be able to get water from a spigot here, but dont count on it. Bikepacking is exciting and rewarding form of off-pavement, adventure bike touring. How to Take Care of Your Feet on a backpacking trip, How to take care of your backpacking tent, Backpacking Little lakes Valley to Gem Lakes, Best Freeze Dried Backpacking Meals for 2023, Top 10 Things to Do in Redwood National & State Parks, Climbing Mt Whitney in A Day (Or Two): Hiking the Mt Whitney Trail, Californias Rae Lakes Loop: The Complete Backpacking Guide, How to Make the Most of One Day in Death Valley: A Quick Itinerary, 10 Creative Things to Do in Crescent City, CA. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission without costing you an extra cent. The experience was humbling and quite challenging. I would probably avoid doing it on anything skinnier than 2" tires, But some of you gravel grinders are pretty hard core so IDK. Moab has a small regional airport you can fly to from either Salt Lake City or Denver. Go out with a spirit of excitement and return with a sense of accomplishment. From there, the trail traverses through the Cottonwood Canyon, Beaver Mesa, and all La Sal Loop sections leading up to your final stretch. 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. See REIs Food Storage story or REIs Bear Canister story for more information on Bears and food storage. Know your body and how much water you require and plan carefully. Kokopelli 140 MTB Relay A choice your own adventure. Over the next 50 miles, youll do a lot of climbing, but the next ten miles will be the steepest. Almost 20,000 feet of climbing. A mix of dirt roads, desert Jeep tracks, and singletrack trails, Good fitness levels and intermediate mountain biking technical abilities required, The route is almost entirely on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land with lots of great camping on public land, Caching water is almost a requirement to bikepack the Kokopelli Trail self-supported, The Kokopelli trail connects singletrack, Jeep roads, and dirt roads following the Colorado River. Although this trail has been completed in less than 11 hours and 14 minutes by pro cyclist Lachlan Morton, for the rest of us, we can expect to be out for 2-6 days depending on how many miles you want to cover each day. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the University/Parks Trail and Clinton River Park Trail. One consideration is to bring a portable water filter and tank up from the Colorado River whenever possible. It's my one and only and it's so fun everywhere I take it. KOKOPELLI TRAIL 2021 (Documentary) | Our First Time Bikepacking - YouTube This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. For some time now the Kokopelli was without an official race on the calendar. Dont drink from Salt Creek or Onion Creek for this reason. Find our Kokopelli Trail route guide here. 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. Water is a big challenge on the Kokopelli Trail. 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. You should be in excellent physical shape and have previous bikepacking experience to attempt a self-supported bikepacking trip on this route. The trail presses on through Fish Ford and the ride becomes more arduous as you climb away from the Colorado River. Specialized Tactic bike helmet. It connects some of the best singletrack around in Fruita and Moab with 100 miles of ATV roads. Its a high-quality down quilt that has reliably kept me warm for 1000s of trail miles. Read these next or checkout the main resource page. You can also get your bike repaired at Over The Edge in Fruita. Hi, Im Phil. Kokopelli's Trail | Bureau of Land Management There are many steep, exposed climbs throughout the route. We only want the same thing as youthe best gear at the best price. I used a Tarptent Aeon Li tent for the Kokopelli Trail. From there, youll be closer to the start of the Kokopelli Trail. I used a Cedar Ridge Outdoors Leconte 20* quilt. and filtered from there before the big climbs. The Kokopelli Trail crosses the Colorado River and ends at Moabs Slickrock area. The trail starts in Loma, CO within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, at the Marys Loop Trails. width:100%; The Kokopelli is world-class bikepacking. I brought an Ultimate Direction Ultra Rain Jacket for this trip. As an affiliate partner, One of Seven Project earns a commission for purchases made through any product, brand logo links, or banner ads on this page. Dirt roads, paved roads, and singletrack with some technical areas. This is certainly not a trip for. The old railroad follows beautiful waterways, weaving around Allegheny mountains and hills. There is great camping in this area, too. 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. 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 Westwater, youll ride more desert Jeep roads through a vast desert expanse with red rock formations in the distance. The desert views youll experience along the route are to notch. ONE SHOULD ASSUME ALL WATER SOURCES TO BE DRY AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY. Looking to start bikepacking? Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. Stepping away from the 9-5 lifestyle, discover the benefits of scaring yourself, and connect with nature to find meaning in everyday life. There is some water along the route, but not enough to forego caching water unless you can carry enough water for 2 days. Highlights Marys Loop Trail System, Rabbit Valley, Yellow Jacket area (Dome Plateau) Roberts Bottom and Rose Garden Hill in Cottonwood Canyon, Blue Chief Mesa, views of the Fisher and Castle Valleys, and Manti-La Sal NF. But it also took some planning so it went off without a hitch. The best time to thru-bike the trail is from March/April to the end of October. Full Circle on the Grand Loop: Part II - The First Modern Bikepacking By entering your email address, you agree to receive our weekly newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We cover other lighting options in our Best Headlamps guide. Heres what several members of our four-top riding group had to say: The Kokopelli Trail is a beautiful route winding from Fruita to Moab that combines primitive roads of all varieties with surprisingly technical single track to keep you guessing about what lies around each bend. The Koko box is checked and we've got our sights on searching for what is next. There are some steep climbs on this trail with the payoff being some exhilarating descents. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget { The trail was created by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA) in cooperation with the Bureau of . There was some water new Onion Creek Hideout CG during my attempt the end of April 2016. For Issue 08, we invited several contributors to return and pick up where earlier trips and ideas left off and also feature a handful of first-timers whose perspectives weve long been eager to share Issue 07 Issue seven is a celebration of courage and discovery of what were capable of when we dont let others expectations define us Issue 06 examined a diverse range of topics, including embracing aloneness, rekindling a sense of adventure, grappling with failure, and many more Kaitlyn Boyle and Kurt Refsnider both set new FKTs (fastest known times) on the 140-mile Kokopelli Trail over the weekend. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the worldby locals, in their own backyards. The other person in our group did not bring a storm-worthy shelter. Find an extra-long weekend and do this ride. Joe Cruz (Pedaling in Place), Kokopelli taught me the length of a desert mile. The first time I attempted the trail in a group, we werent fully prepared and bailed. The Kokopelli Trail is a 143-mile desert bikepacking route that connects Fruita, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. 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. The Kokopelli Trail is part of the larger Grand Loop. You dont need any permits to bikepack the Kokopelli Trail. The Kokopelli has very few water sources along the route. Most bikers ride the Kokopelli Trail soutbound. Fingerless bike gloves. More technical singletrack sections are on the descent into Moab and scattered throughout the route. Many of the BLM campgrounds lining the trail do not have water, or if they do its not potable. Bikepacking: Off-Pavement Bicycling and camping where you would if you were to go backpacking. The Jeep trail and dirt roads can sometimes be very sandy, challenging, and slow-going. There are a few bailout options along the way. Kokopelli Trail (Bikepacking Route + Porcupine Rim) location Utah, USA We recognize Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of this land. We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. Guided Mountain Biking on Kokopelli Trail | 57hours Bikepack it, chase the FKT, ride it with vehicle support - experience it however you like. I love the Bar M Trails just outside town for their flowy singletrack trail goodness. Although they all had different intentions for their rides, both Kaitlyn and Kurt rode hard and fast to set two new fastest known times on the route. 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. 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. I have attempted the Kokpelli 3 times and completed it twice. Find out what makes bikepacking the Lower Deschutes River Trail unique and why its Oregons best trail for your first overnight mountain biking trip. A few miles after Rabbit Valley it is highly recommended to take the scenic off-route detour on the Western Rim trail. After riding through the Kokopelli Loops trail network, youll get a taste of your first hike-a-bike down to Salt Creek (which isnt safe to drink). Cheers!