The Ribbon, located in Grand Junction, Colorado, is probably one of the coolest rides in the Eastern Utah/Western Colorado mountain biking complex. Of course, points are taken off The Ribbon for being located in Colorado, but honestly, the landscape of the whole Grand Junction and Fruita area looks more like Utah anyway, so it geographically belongs to Utah in my mind. So, henceforth, all mountain bike trails in Fruita and Grand Junction also belong to Utah, and that includes the giggle-worthy slickrock ramp known as The Ribbon.
The Tabeguache area, also known locally as the Lunch Loops, is home to The Ribbon. Located just above the city of Grand Junction, this spiderweb of trails is a popular spot for “Junctionites” to grab a quick ride or jog after work or between errands. The Ribbon is probably the most interesting ride in the whole network because of the massively huge slickrock descent that literally is like a ribbon straight-lining through the pinyon pines and juniper bushes above town. In addition to the trail’s namesake, there’s extremely technical drops, fun singletrack, and intense redrock views all along the way.
There are several ways to ride The Ribbon – as a loop, an out-and-back, and a shuttle descent. The most recommended route is to set up a shuttle with two vehicles, or hitch a ride to the top of the trailhead. This way, you can enjoy the bombing downhill without any of the work required to get there. To shuttle The Ribbon, park a car at the Gunny Parking Lot on Little Park Road. Then take your bike in the shuttle vehicle up the road and park at The Ribbon trailhead. From here you have a very short uphill (warmup) before letting the brakes go and flying down the endless slickrock highway. At the bottom, the ride becomes singletrack broken up by giant sandstone rock gardens that must be descended (or portaged.) This area is massively technical and there’s no shame in hiking your bike down. The trail then goes in and out of sandy washes before ascending up to the highway where a right turn will get you back to the car you left at the Gunny Lot.
The loop variation basically cuts out the need for a shuttle, and instead requires you to ride Little Park Road on your bike over four miles to the Ribbon trailhead. From there, repeat as above.
If you’re way into painful uphills, then an out-and-back will have your heart rate going faster than you can say “granny gear.” Plus, if you ride The Ribbon uphill, then you will actually be well deserving of that descent. Of course, you’ll need to keep telling yourself that when you’re huffing your way up tractionless sand and walking your bike over steep ledges. For an out-and-back ride, park at the Gunny Lot and ride down Little Park Road for 0.2 miles until you see some singletrack on the left dropping into the canyon. At the bottom, go left and follow the trail as it then rises up some slickrock enroute to The Ribbon.
Any way you choose to ride The Ribbon, you’ll have a blast on two wheels doing it. To get an even better sense of what to expect before you tackle The Ribbon, watch this classic video from RSN, featuring Troy Rarick from Over the Edge Sports and his ever-present coffee mug.
To get to The Ribbon from Grand Junction, drive west on highway 340, and turn left on Monument Road. Soon after, turn left on D Road. Stay right when you reach Rosevale Road, and after about a mile you’ll hit Little Park Road. Go right and you’ll arrive at the parking area (on the left) after about three miles. Start your Ribbon ride from here, or you can choose other mountain biking options in the area.