Ive even seen some water flowing in the fall around here. Once you arrive in Moab, there are countless mountain bike trails to explore. You can rent a full bikepacking setup from Bike Fiend in Moab. Many of the BLM campgrounds lining the trail do not have water, or if they do its not potable. 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). Parts of the trail are used by jeeps, ATVs, and motorcycles. More. Xmas Valley Epic 17.5 mi 28.2 km 2,685' Up 818.24 m Up 2,704' Down 824.08 m Down. For some time now the Kokopelli was without an official race on the calendar. Find a detailed guide on the route below including parking, resupply and how to plan the perfect trip. There are unmarked turns, and its not always easy to see the brown carsonite trail markers at junctions. Nowhere else can you find scenery quite like this! For more recommendations, see our Best Mountain Bike Gloves guide. A few miles after Rabbit Valley it is highly recommended to take the scenic off-route detour on the Western Rim trail. Kokopelli 140 MTB Two-day Stage Event (Individual) The 144 miles spilt into two days of racing, instead of one. 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. This Kokopelli Trail Guide will give you everything you need to know. The Kokopelli Trail spreads from Loma, Colorado, to Moab, Utah, over 142 exciting miles! In terms of ride-a-bility the Kokopelli offers plenty of it and very little HAB. 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. 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. Water: I stashed in Rabbit Valley and filtered from the Colorado (tasted only sliiightly of mud) which really was fine and clear after wrapping a bandanna around the intake. Its June. Nowhere else can you find scenery quite like this! Stretching along public lands, Kokopelli's Trail is an epic journey on the Colorado Plateau. Lael Wilcox, Kaitlyn Boyle, and Kurt Refsnider set off together early Friday morning on the Kokopelli Trail for a self-supported time trial between Loma, Colorado and Moab, Utah. This Kokopelli Trail Guide was put together for people like you, in hopes it would make taking that first step of planning easier and get you on the trail faster. Bikepackers camping along the Kokopelli trail, The singletrack section youll start on is some of the best mountain biking in the country, Descending out of the La Sal Mountain range into Moab is a particularly fun downhill, Many of the dirt roads are impassable after heavy rains. Its a good idea to do some research (I read current trip reports) or make a few calls to check the flow of streams and rivers to be sure you know how much water to carry at each point you fill up. Moab Brewery is the only brewery in the town of Moab. There are also ways to filter silty water using alum. The Kokopelli Trail starts outside Fruita, Colorado, on some of the best singletrack in the Mountain West. Traveling through remote canyon country, White Rim Road makes a 100-mile loop through the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. There are some pretty steep climbs on this trail with the payoff being some exhilarating descents. Almost 20,000 feet of climbing. Another option is to have friends deliver water to you along the route or stash some yourself beforehand wherever possible. This is the way to enter Moab! Joel Caldwell (joelcaldwell.com) I am a bikepacking addict who also happens to be an above knee amputee. By entering your email address, you agree to receive our weekly newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Ultimate Arizona Trail Bikepacking Planning Guide, Gear Review If I Rode the Arizona Trail Race Again, Gear Review If I Rode the Colorado Trail Race Again, Gear Review If I Rode the Kokopelli Trail Again, Gear Review If I Rode The Tour Divide Again, Gear Review If I Hiked The Appalachian Trail Again, Gear Review If I Hiked The Long Trail Again, Gear Review If I Hiked the Pacific Crest Trail Again, Gear Review If I hiked the Continental Divide Trail Again, Gear Review If I Hiked the Colorado Trail Again. } Water is a big challenge on the Kokopelli Trail. When coming into Moab, you can opt to ride the Porcupine Rim Trail to add a fun but technical singletrack descent into town. We were granted access by the weather up and over the La Sals unlike our previous attempt. Moab has a small regional airport you can fly to from either Salt Lake City or Denver. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews. I hope you have fun out there in a few weeks! 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. Elevation gain: 13,595 feet/ 4,144 meters, Elevation loss: 14,058 feet/ 4,285 meters. We then met in Moab, loaded into one vehicle, and drove back to the Loma Trailhead. Find our Kokopelli Trail route guide here. Claim this business (734) 326-9801. Lack of clean water will be one of your biggest hurdles. Group size must be limited to 12 people or less. We cached water at a few road crossings, brought bikes with high-volume tires, and generally respected the challenges of the trail more. Fruita and Moab are full-service towns with grocery stores, restaurants, and cafes. The Kokopelli Trail is a 142-mile desert bikepacking route linking the mountain biking epicenters of Fruita, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. That was my fools attitude in spite of pedaling and adventuring in that corner of Utah for decades. We didnt cache any water, either. Go out with a spirit of excitement and return with a sense of accomplishment. Petzl Bindi, which is a favorite of other Treeline Review writers and featured in our Backpacking Guide to the South Dakota Centennial Trail. This is certainly not a trip for bringing your dog or someone just starting out with biking. Find details on the three most recent issues below, join the Bikepacking Collective to get it in the mail (anywhere in the World), or click here to find a collection of selected stories in digital format. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget { Ive made it on the dirt road to Fisher Valley in a Subaru, but a sedan wouldn't make it there. From Westwater, youll ride more desert Jeep roads through a vast desert expanse with red rock formations in the distance. I rode the Kokopelli Trail as my first multi-day bikepacking trip. Checkout all our available products in our store,and thanks for the support! The trail runs through Mesa County, Colorado, and Grand County in Utah. The Kokopelli is world-class bikepacking. 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. Experience a multitude of terrains and landscapes on a trail that links two of the most coveted mountain biking areas in the country. We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. But theyre even farther than you think. Read these next or checkout the main resource page. After a hot, exposed climb to Top of the World road, youll descend Rose Garden Hill and wonder how anyone could drive a Jeep over that. 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. NO PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ARE ALLOWED IN CROSSWINDS MARSH. Non-stop vistas of far away mountains and canyons might lure one into a sort of topographic pomposity. This only adds about 4 miles extra overall to your trip, but youll ride slick rock along the edge of a canyon rim overlooking the Colorado River instead of the less scenic route not along a cliff. The full list of serves includes: SLC is an international airport so there are a few options. From here, the climb into the La Sal Mountains starts in earnest. The dancing flautist image is now common throughout the southwest, generally embodying carefree and joyous adventure. (mens and womens & nobo and sobo available). 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. This bucket-list bikepacking trip is an adventure of the soul and a test of your commitment. As mentioned above it does allow one to sight see along the way. On the 142-mile Kokopelli's Trail, a group of bikepackers race against dusk on Porcupine Rim, a. Celebrate your thru-hiking class with the Class of ___ T-shirt! The summer months can be extremely hot so plan to tackle it during the shoulder months for a more enjoyable trip. sounds like a great trip! The southern end of Yellow Jacket Canyon crosses Highway 128 and passes Dewey Bridge before the most substantial climbing of the Kokopelli starts. The Kokopelli Trail is a 143-mile desert bikepacking route that connects Fruita, Colorado, in western Colorado and Moab, Utah. Our inflatable packrafts are lightweight, durable, and very easy to transport. Starts at the Westwater Airstrip. Three mountain bik. width:100%; Water at BLM ranger station at mile 48 is not fit to drink, filter from river. Bikepacking has taken the mountain bike world by storm, with the upper echelon of bikepackers continuing to shatter time barriers and pioneer incredible . Route notes: the giant tarmac descent from fischer overlook and giant tarmac climb up to the porcupine rim trail suuuucked. I brought an Ultimate Direction Ultra Rain Jacket for this trip. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! One consideration is to bring a portable water filter and tank up from the Colorado River whenever possible. The Kokopelli Trail is divided into nine sections, each with its own unique terrain and scenery. The trail is posted with the flat brown flexible fiberglass posts and marked with blue and white Kokopelli stickers. Follow Leave No Trace Ethics, including camping and pooping far from water. The 142-mile multi-use trail stretches from Loma, Colorado all the way to Moab, UT. It is a pullover but has a zip on the side and at the front which makes it very easy to pull on and off keeping hats or helmets in place during the transition. We cover other lighting options in our Best Headlamps guide. There are many steep, exposed climbs throughout the route. The Kokopelli Trail is part of the larger Grand Loop. Racing the sunset into Moab on the Porcupine Rim Trail and I didn't see a single person on the descent (probably because I started around 6pm on a Tuesday). Grand Junction also has a regional airport and car rental options for caching water. Classics have a way of seeming passalmost a clichand you might therefore be tempted to skip it. There are some steep climbs on this trail with the payoff being some exhilarating descents. You might also be able to get water from a spigot at Westwater Ranger Station, but this source is not always operational. If you were to start in Moab and ride north, you would begin with a nearly 20-mile, 4,000-foot climb. Ive used the National Geographic Maps Moab North and Colorado National Monument for paper maps. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The Kokopelli Trail is one of the most coveted bikepacking routes out there, and for good reason. 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. You carry all your gear on the bike, from food/water . For other backpacking tents we recommend, see our Best Backpacking Tents guide. Kokopelli 140 MTB Individual 144 miles, full course, alone! Sign up with your email address to be the first to know when we release new gear reviews! Stepping away from the 9-5 lifestyle, discover the benefits of scaring yourself, and connect with nature to find meaning in everyday life. Bikepacking is generally in the backcountry, but you can backpack on local trails. @media screen and ( max-width: 100% ) { 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. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper { See a problem? It's my one and only and it's so fun everywhere I take it. You can camp almost everywhere along the route, too. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Bikepacking: Off-Pavement Bicycling and camping where you would if you were to go backpacking. For more recommendations of puffy jackets, see our Best Down Jackets or Best Synthetic Jacket guides. The Kokopelli Trail is relatively well marked, but a mountain biker still needs strong navigation abilities. It will take about half a day to cache water and drive back to either end of the Kokopelli. Lastly, you could use two cars but this option means a lot of driving and extra time. 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. I think 3 riders have done it under 10.5 hours in the past few weeks. 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. rocky sections making it particularly challenging. Its a condensed version of my bigger bikepacking guides, which include the Arizona Trail, Tour Divide and Colorado Trail. 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. The route is an epic medley of singletrack, doubletrack, sand and tarmac technical climbs, rugged descents, and graded terrain. I would have gladly traded out for either of those bikes when it the trail started getting a little chunkier. Moraine Full Meal Deal 12.5 mi 20.1 km . 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. The following year I returned to the Kokopelli Trail more prepared. We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. Website. There are several hike-a-bike sections of this trail. } Like any adventure, the Kokopelli Trail is not a trail to trifle which. Finished this classic route in 3 full days, 2 nights out on the trail, 10-12 hours riding per day. We are proud to be independent and reader-supported. Its so good youll want to do it again once youve done it. Website Take me there. #fca_eoi_form_1856 .fca_eoi_layout_15.fca_eoi_layout_widget div.fca_eoi_layout_name_field_wrapper { Ive done this using collapsible water jugs, but it takes time and extra equipment. Look no further than the new 2023 Trek Farley 5, a sure-footed bike designed with strength and comfort in. Many of the BLM campgrounds lining the trail do not have water, or if they do its not potable. 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.

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