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Kokopelli Loops - Mary's, Horsethief, Steve's, and Wranglers

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.7 (225)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Western Colorado
  4. …Fruita
  5. Kokopelli Loops
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“The big tour of the very best of Fruita. ”

Nick Wilder
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Map Key

18.7

Miles

30.1

KM

90%

Singletrack

4,924' 1,501 m

High

4,507' 1,374 m

Low

1,568' 478 m

Up

1,565' 477 m

Down

3%

Avg Grade (2°)

43%

Max Grade (23°)

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Overview

Fruita is blessed with amazing singletrack, and much of it can be found here at the Kokopelli parking area. This ride connects many of the best trails into a long, amazing intermediate day. For cycling, trails are open to non-motorized bicycles only. For a warmup, cooldown, or easier option for beginning riders, consider Rustler's Loop in addition.

Need to Know

There is little shade, and it gets very hot here. Bring tons of food and liquid; there is none available at the trailhead.

Trails here are ledgy, rocky, and perhaps newcomers sometimes find the ratings a little stiff. Take it easy if this is your first trip.

The full description is below, but there are some good shorter alternatives:
1. Ride Mary's Loop to Horsethief Bench Loop, then return the way you came and save about 9 miles.
2. Follow the ride as below, but skip Horsethief Bench Loop and save 3.8 miles and a short but tiring hike.

Description

From the main parking lot, follow the dirt road up and over the hill. On your way down, look for Mary's Loop heading uphill on the right. It starts with a solid climb up a rocky dirt road and is not an inviting start, but this ride just gets better and better.

Continue on the doubletrack as you hug the rim above the Colorado River with some small technical obstacles and great scenery. You'll eventually reach the Horsethief Bench Loop, which you'll descend into for this ride.

99% of riders get off their bike and carry their bike 100 yards down to the bench. It's large drop after large drop, with ledges, boulders, and a few slots thrown in to keep things complicated. If you get a chance to watch someone ride down, cheer them on!

Once down on the bench, take a left and ride the loop clockwise. Soon you'll come to a slickrock-like drop onto a sandy floor. The drop is tacky and pretty rideable by upper intermediate riders.

The trail meets the edge of the bench overlooking the river with several great viewpoints and a few small rock ledges as it pops in and out of small side canyons.

Once you turn in away from the bench edge, you'll come to many rock ledges including a four foot drop that most people have to hike up. Past this side canyon, the trail becomes much easier, smoother, and faster. You leave the rock behind and ride through a grassy section with smooth dirt singletrack along a huge wall as a backdrop. The trail climbs gently back to the entrance hike-a-bike. Huff it back up!

Continue on Mary's Loop for 3 miles (passing Mary's Cutoff and Wrangler's Loop to the right) until you get to Steve's Loop (also signed as Steve's Cutoff). You'll descend a couple steps (some riders will walk them), then cruise down a nice, smooth, rolling trail to a bench a little lower than the one you've been riding. The trail is now very easy for the next couple miles, but there are wonderful desert features including slot canyons, big sandstone walls, and some shelf rock that you can ride above some major dropoffs to the canyon floor below.

The third canyon (which is the narrowest slot canyon) has a short section with broken rockfall that you'll have to carry your bike over. After than, it's smooth riding again almost all the way back up to Mary's Loop on the higher bench. One final steep uphill stretch will not be rideable by most and you'll probably have to push it a short ways.

Back on Mary's Loop, turn right on old doubletrack and start your way back to the car. Continue on Mary's (now retracing part of your route) until you reach Wrangler Loop on the left. Take it up a nice, easy hill that wanders around smooth trail for 1.2 miles until you reach a saddle. Mary's Cutoff will be to your right, but stay left/straight on Wrangler and rocket 1 mile down an old doubletrack to the road and trailhead below.

Contacts

Local Club: Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association

Land Manager: BLM Colorado - Grand Junction Field Office

Shared By:

Nick Wilder with improvements by Christopher McKim and 4 others
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.7 from 225 votes

#1

in Kokopelli Loops

#23

Overall
  4.7 from 225 votes
5 Star
72%
4 Star
24%
3 Star
4%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Kokopelli Loops

#6

in Colorado

#23

Overall
259 Views Last Month
103,567 Since Apr 2, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
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43%
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40%
1%
Add a Photo

Photos

Cleaning the entrance to Horsethief Bench Loop... Going UP! Allez!!
Oct 26, 2016 near Loma, CO
A quick lap on one of the favorites at Kokopelli Loops–Horsethief Bench.
Dec 23, 2016 near Loma, CO
Troy kills it on the technical section.
Nov 1, 2013 near Loma, CO
Mary's Loop weaving around slot canyons
Apr 4, 2013 near Loma, CO
Colorado River overlook
Apr 2, 2013 near Loma, CO
Just a sample of Horsethief's wonderful scenery
May 28, 2013 near Loma, CO

9 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 47 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Sep 25, 2024
Private User
Jun 13, 2024
Kelly Bethe
Dry, hot 8.5mi
May 20, 2024
Reed Greisen
Apr 20, 2024
Logan Holland
Skipped Horsethief Bench Loop 15.2mi — 2h 36m
Oct 7, 2023
Logan
Jul 11, 2023
C S
May 27, 2023
Private User
May 15, 2023
Matthias Segerer
24.2mi — 4h 09m

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