Okay, so mountain biking in Fruita, Colorado has nothing to do with Utah, but the town is just over the border, and the landscape is very Utah-esque. Therefore, riding in Fruita is like riding in Utah if you ignore that “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign at the state line. But why travel so far to ride Colorado singletrack when there is so much awesome mountain biking right here in Utah? The answer, is that Fruita delivers dozens of amazing mountain bike trails in one place. Plus they have Mike the Headless Chicken.
I traveled to Fruita for some fall biking with my wife and a dozen friends to see what the big deal was. It felt strange to pass the Moab exit on I-70 with bikes loaded on the roof rack, but only an hour-and-a-half later, we were in Colorado’s mecca of mountain biking. Soon after, our tires hit Fruita dirt on the Rustler Loop in the Kokopelli area. It was the first of many rides that would convert us away from Zion to the desert of Western Colorado… at least for a few days.
We spent our limited time wisely, pedaling classic trails like Prime Cut, Kessel Run, Zippety Do Da, and Joe’s Ridge. All of these rides are located at 18-Road (as the locals call it) or the area officially named The Bookcliffs. Each ride is unique, such as the smooth, banked corners and jumps of Kessel Run, the insane, steep, curving hills of Zippety Do Da, and the roller coaster spine on Joe’s Ridge. But the one element these rides all have in common is amazing singletrack.
After a giddy day of riding, we would all gather around the camp fire at the Colorado River State Park and re-live our favorite moments. The consensus was that Kessel Run is easily the most fun trail anyone has ridden on a mountain bike. Narrow, spectacular singletrack that stays skinny despite its popularity, coupled with perfectly banked turns, s-curves through groves of pinyon pine, and small jumps to keep things interesting make mountain biking Kessel Run (in a word) blissful.
We didn’t even come close to exploring all that Fruita has to offer, including most of the Kokopelli trails, and the rides at Douglas Pass and Rabbit Valley. Those trails will have to wait another day. To research for that future time, guidebooks and beta were found at bike shops in town. Plus while there, we of course enjoyed the other amenities some Utahns crave (read: liquor stores filled with Colorado microbrews.)
Anyone looking to avoid the crowds in Moab to find rides in a unique place should give Fruita a look. Don’t feel guilty by betraying your Utah home when you enter our neighbor to the east. Despite that straight line some map-makers drew hundreds of years ago, Fruita looks and feels like it belongs in Utah. Just keep an eye out for Mike the Headless Chicken.
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