Road Apple Rally

Race - Oct 7, 2023

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Not Allowed

A fast, flowing ride on rolling singletrack and roads through piñon/juniper/sandstone/badland landscape. Extensive sections of whoops will put a big smile on your face. There are also excellent views of the La Plata Mountains. This is the race course for the oldest continuous MTB race in the USA, the Road Apple Rally.

The ride starts out with a few miles of pavement/dirt road that leads to the Road Apple West Trail 10-mile section of singletrack, a couple of miles of pavement and then ten miles of singletrack on Road Apple East Trail, Seven Sisters, Bong Rock, Rigor Mortis and Anasazi.

The Farmington-area MTB trails are rideable in spring and fall when the high country to the north in Colorado is too muddy. Farmington only gets about eight inches of rain per year, so the badlands sections are rarely too muddy to ride. Sandy sections do exist on this ride, but there are no extensive sand death slogs. Road Apple West is open to dirt bikes. The remainder of singletrack on this ride is closed to motorized use.

Start at the Lion's Wilderness Amphitheater, and ride pavement for about 1.5 miles on College Blvd. Where College Blvd meets Hood Mesa Trail at a four-way junction, go straight onto a dirt road. Follow the dirt road and the Road Apple Rally carsonite posts for approximately two miles. Turn right onto the singletrack of Road Apple West Trail for approximately ten miles of fun singletrack which is shared with dirt bikes. The southern portion of singletrack has had issues with ATV/OHV encroachment, but gets better to the north.

At end of the singletrack, turn right on Light Plant Road/NM 574 for two miles of pavement. Turn right on dirt road which leads to about ten miles of super fun and fast singletrack including Road Apple East Trail, Seven Sisters, Bong Rock, and Rigor Mortis. Turn left from Rigor Mortis onto the pavement of Foothills Drive. In about 0.4 miles, make a hard right on Hood Mesa Trail.

Follow the paved Hood Mesa Trail for about 0.8 miles and cross traffic onto singletrack on the left side of the road. Follow this singletrack for about 0.5 mile to where it crosses Lakewood Street and continue on Anasazi to the right for about 1.4 miles of slightly downhill singletrack to where it ends at Sandalwood Drive. Return via pavement to the Lion's Wilderness Amphitheater.

This is the current race course of the Road Apple Rally, the longest running MTB race in the USA. Started in 1981, it has been a popular event for Durango-area pros like Ned Overend, John Tomac, Travis Brown, Todd Wells and others!