Thread: How long is the Moab/Fruita riding season?

I'm thinking about planning a trip from the east coast for this coming fall.
I've been there before, but during the spring. I've heard you can ride pretty late into the fall in the area. any mags with experience on this?

We'd plan on camping somewhere and probably renting bikes to make things easy. Was thinking about late September or October.

any thoughts/guidance are appreciated!

-Tick

One of my best days of riding was on Porcupine Rim in mid-November. However, there's really no way to predict. There could be snow as early as September.

Being I live there, I'd say it can start to get unpredictable come October. Last season I rode all the way up until Halloween and never even had to put on my knee warmers.

As far as Moab getting snow in September, I guess it CAN happen but it's VERy rare. Really, September/October is one of the best times to ride Moab (if not THE best).

Anyway, to answer your question, I'd shoot for no later than sometime in October.

Never been to Fruita, so I should clarify that I was referring to Moab. I agree that Fall is by far the best riding there, but I never had to plan a week-long, cross country trip there. It's easy to bail when you live a few hours away.

Snow isn't likely that early but it does happen. Usually it melts off, at least on the lower stuff, so no reason not to go. But, yeah, definitely shoot for earlier.

As far as Moab, September is the best month, October can be VERY unpredictable....Especially towards the middle to the end of the month.

GJ/Fruita: I road Lunch Line Loops early in December this past year.

Early september is still pretty hot. Late september or early october is best (although two years ago we got four inches of rain in the first week of october, but that was a fluke).

We got snowed out on the White Rim once over Holloween, had to turn around in Potato Bottom, even trucks with chains couldn't makie it through the Bentonite. But I have also ridden a bone dry Soveriegn in January. Fruita tends to stay a little colder and wetter, though. Just have to be flexible. St. George stays a bit warmer and dryer, FWIW, and then Vegas is just a few hours away.