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Tags:
Level: Intermediate
Length: 40 mi (64.4 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Network
Elevation: +3,706/ -3,222 ft
Total: 476 riders
 

Mountain Biking 18 Road Trails / North Fruita Desert

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#2 of 1,362 mountain bike trails in Colorado
#5 in the world

There are several trails in this network ranging from cruiser to some lung busting sprints. Most trails run up and down the cattle pastures while a couple run along the base of the Book Cliffs. Over all, these are the classics that made Fruita a destination.

First added by david_darling on May 23, 2011. Last updated Jan 25, 2023. → add an update
Before you go
  • Drinking water: no
  • Lift service: unknown
  • Night riding: yes
  • Pump track: unknown
  • Restrooms: yes
  • Fat bike grooming: unknown
  • E-bikes allowed: unknown
  • Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
Getting there
From Over The Edge Sports in Fruita. Go east on Aspen 2 blocks to Maple. Left on Maple (north) approx. 4 miles to N 3/10 road, go right .5 miles to 18 Rd. Go left onto 18 Rd. approx. 8 miles. The main TH parking is on left.
System trails (14)
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18 Road Trails / North Fruita Desert Trail map

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Local Info

Trail checkins

DKRK279 (on May 18, 2021)
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Trail conditions

Dusty (on Jun 14, 2020)
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18 Road Trails / North Fruita Desert videos

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Fruita, Colorado Mountain Biking at the…
 
 
 
HAPPY WORLD SNAKE DAY! #SNAKEDAY
 
Fruita 2011 - 18 Road
 
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Mountain Bike Trails Near Fruita, Colorado

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Beginner | 3 mi
| 1 mi
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Advanced | 5 mi

Rider questions

Q: Is it Dog friendly?
A: Yep, just be respectful if it's busy. Keep in mind a couple of the trails have a ton of exposure that may be dangerous for non-expert trail dogs. It also gets brutally hot in the summer and there's no shade. We've taken our dog there twice, both times in early spring.

Q: edge

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Reviews

  • lhogue
    ***

    Ride this network after doing the lunch trails and Kokopelli network and wish I would've changed the order. Of the three networks, this isn't by far the most entry level. The trails marked "moderate" in this system are very generously marked that. If it's your first stop in Fruita and you wanna stretch your legs after a long car ride, goodness's place to stop. If you are camping with the family and want to take the kiddos "Mtn. Biking", great spot. The network has many small loops for the youngsters or you can of course, combine several loops to put in some good cross-country miles. The directional trails seem to be directional more for traffic flow than features, with the exception of PBR. The "must-do" sections, Zippity-doo-dah (cross country with very little climb or decent) Chutes and Ladders (rollers traversing several drainages), and PBR (decent flow trail with small manmade features) all offer a little different ride. If you want more of a challenge with fairly rated trails, head across the freeway to Kokopelli. In either case, be sure to stop in and see the folks at Over the Edge Sports and they'll get you all set up.

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  • herrBiermann
    ***

    This trail was a bit underwhelming to me. There's not much tech to speak of other than some steep descents (which take a lot of boring riding to get to). I think if you're a beginner-intermediate this provides a nice challenge. Otherwise, ride the other great trails in the area. 18 road certainly doesn't deserve a top 100. It's also out of the way to get to.

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  • Gdb49
    ****

    One more great place to ride in Fruita. Shuttle is a good idea here.

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  • Richard Hespen
    ****

    This fun trail was probably king in its day. It's still fast and fun, but the berms and rollers are under-sized by today's standards. It is overly beginner friendly.

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  • Richard Hespen
    ****

    Although this is a great area to ride, I was slightly disappointed, as I expected more based on reviews. I think maybe this was the best thing going before more modern trails were built in the area. Still, I had a blast, as I especially enjoyed Joe's Ridge.

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  • Richard Hespen
    Reviewing Prime Cut:
    ***

    This is primarily used as a climb to some fun downhill lines at 18 roads. It's nothing special, but a good way to get to finer things.

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  • gphilvmi08
    Reviewing Edge Loop:
    *****

    This is an absolutely awesome ride. I'd advise anyone doing the IMBA epic ride on this app or on MTBproject. Some of the trails have been rerouted or aren't on the map. One major factor to take in consideration is the wind. The first time I rode, this never crossed my mind. The second time I rode it, I had to lean in to the wind to not fall off the trail on some of the narrower sections. Overall, a great trail with a lot of variation throughout the ride.

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  • Amanda Lane
    Reviewing MoJoe:
    ****

    Fun, flowing trail. Some fun river bed rocks to challenge yourself.

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  • Amanda Lane
    Reviewing Joe’s Ridge:
    *****

    Super fun! A couple of challenging sections for those who are afraid of heights. Love it.

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  • Paul Rine
    Reviewing Edge Loop:
    **

    This is one of those trails to ride and say that you did it. Nothing really great about it... It has long climbs along gas line access roads with little to no shade. Bring plenty of water (2 bottles camelback). After climbing approximately 3600ft to the top, the downhill is a steep loose mess. Once you tip toe down, you have miles of deep sand to ride through on your way out and back to the parking area. The views from mile 14-23 are not bad, but there are plenty of better trails in the area if you are looking for a 30mi ride.

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  • johnnyresponsible
    Reviewing Sarlacc:
    ****

    We rode it in a loop from the punishing, exposed climb on the west side, but after you get past the Sarlacc hole, there is a lot of forested, flowing single track. It was pretty loose with several different kinds of sand, so have appropriate tires on. Over 1500 feet of descent from the top with almost no brakes though--lots of flow. It's maybe even better starting from the east side--we'll do that next time.

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  • Grant Harding
    Reviewing Kessel Run:
    *****

    Not a hard trail, but it is a fast trail! Put the pedal to the metal.

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  • GJmtb
    Reviewing Prime Cut:
    *****

    Combined this with PBR, very nice.

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  • GJmtb
    ****

    Lots of trails in this area, lots for all riding levels.

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