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  1. #1
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    Nov 2019
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    Riding and camping in Grand Junction

    Heading to Grand Junction at the beginning of next month. I'm looking for recommendations for riding, camping and restaurants(not sure what is open because of covid) . For riding seems like 18 road and Kokopelli trail areas are the place to go, if there is anything else or specific trail/loops we should hit I would love some recommendations. For camping I have been looking at James Rob campground because it seems pretty close to town and pretty centrally located. Thanks for the help.

  2. #2
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    Jan 2006
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    We always camp out at 18 RD.

    lunch loops in junction has some of the best tech riding. rabbit valley has some fun moto stuff too.
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
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    James Robb has good central access to town and riding at Loma, GJ and 18rd. I like lunch loops the best but all of them are worthy of a few days of riding, each with a different feel. I like that you can ride right from you site at 18rd but space and shade are limited and I usually never tend to leave to ride the other areas just because you have riding right from your site. Another option is Highline SP. The camping is nice but requires a bit of a drive to get to any of the good riding.

  4. #4
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    Nov 2005
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    Land of Brine Shrimp and Magic Underwear
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    18 road is just OK, best for beginners but has a couple fun flowy. Shitshow on weekends. Lunch Loops are awesome tech-flow with medium jumps and drops on Free Lunch and Pucker Up if you're into that. Some of my favorite trails anywhere. Kokopelli area (Mack/Loma) is a mix of techier stuff on the ridges and mellower stuff on the river bench.

    Highly recommend Palisade Rim just east of, wait for it... Palisade. Shortish but awesome, techy trail. Incredibly scenic with some petroglyphs too. The brewery in Palisade is great eats with outdoor seating for after. Palisade is a super cool little vinyard town in general, has the only dispensary in the county if you're into that. I also enjoyed camping at Palisade Base Camp. Nice river-side spots and full amenities. I usually never pay for camping and stayed there on off-season pricing, full-season is expensive.
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Montrose, CO
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    Quote Originally Posted by beaterdit View Post
    18 road is just OK, best for beginners but has a couple fun flowy. Shitshow on weekends. Lunch Loops are awesome tech-flow with medium jumps and drops on Free Lunch and Pucker Up if you're into that. Some of my favorite trails anywhere. Kokopelli area (Mack/Loma) is a mix of techier stuff on the ridges and mellower stuff on the river bench.

    Highly recommend Palisade Rim just east of, wait for it... Palisade. Shortish but awesome, techy trail. Incredibly scenic with some petroglyphs too. The brewery in Palisade is great eats with outdoor seating for after. Palisade is a super cool little vinyard town in general, has the only dispensary in the county if you're into that. I also enjoyed camping at Palisade Base Camp. Nice river-side spots and full amenities. I usually never pay for camping and stayed there on off-season pricing, full-season is expensive.
    Also, stage I of the palisade plunge might be open if you are lucky. I haven't seen an official date yesterday but it was on track for October last I heard.

  6. #6
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    Sep 2005
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    James Robb is central, but it's also right next to 70 and won't feel much like "camping" IMO. Highline Lake is nicer, has some easy trails right there, but as mentioned isn't close to anything. You can also camp on top of the national monument, good quiet and pretty place, but it is a drive to biking.
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  7. #7
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    Riding and camping in Grand Junction

    Quote Originally Posted by snowaddict91 View Post
    Also, stage I of the palisade plunge might be open if you are lucky. I haven't seen an official date yesterday but it was on track for October last I heard.
    Yeah, maybe. That would be sick but they're VERY EMPHATIC that there is no estimated opening date yet. BLM has to sign off the final trail (for phase 1) and a couple other procedural things have to happen. I did see some ride footage on insta today, looks awesome. Can't wait to ride that trail!
    Last edited by beaterdit; 09-24-2020 at 11:32 PM.
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  8. #8
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    Jun 2008
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    One of the Plunge trail builders comes by the shop fairly frequently. He’s been very ambiguous about opening dates, but we haven’t talked about it for a while. I’ll se if I can some info next time he’s around.


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  9. #9
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    Nov 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by beaterdit View Post
    Yeah, maybe. That would be sick but they're VERY EMPHATIC that there is no estimated opening date yet. BLM has to sign off the final trail (for phase 1) and a couple other procedural things have to happen. I did some ride footage on insta today, looks awesome. Can't wait to ride that trail!
    Yup. I meant to emphasize "if you are lucky." I saw that footage too, it does look pretty fun!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Posts
    122
    thanks for all the help, I think now we have a pretty good plan of where to ride. I might have to make a trip back once the palisade plunge is finished, sounds like it is going to be a great ride. Had someone recommend the 601 trail, is it worth the drive out there? we only have 2 days of riding and not sure if it is worth driving that far out of town for one trail.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Fresh Lake City
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    Quote Originally Posted by beaterdit View Post
    18 road is just OK, best for beginners but has a couple fun flowy. Shitshow on weekends. Lunch Loops are awesome tech-flow with medium jumps and drops on Free Lunch and Pucker Up if you're into that. Some of my favorite trails anywhere. Kokopelli area (Mack/Loma) is a mix of techier stuff on the ridges and mellower stuff on the river bench.

    Highly recommend Palisade Rim just east of, wait for it... Palisade. Shortish but awesome, techy trail. Incredibly scenic with some petroglyphs too. The brewery in Palisade is great eats with outdoor seating for after. Palisade is a super cool little vinyard town in general, has the only dispensary in the county if you're into that. I also enjoyed camping at Palisade Base Camp. Nice river-side spots and full amenities. I usually never pay for camping and stayed there on off-season pricing, full-season is expensive.
    This is pretty spot on sum of trails. I think the loma area is the best bang for your buck as horse thief bench is a classic not to.be missed and has the techy fun and is super scenic.

    Western rim out in rabbit valley hasn't been mentioned and is a fun pedal but has some boring dirt roads to get to it. Do it as an out n back would be my recommendation.

    I really like the lunch loops area. Tons of fun trails. go to junction for the tech not the flow found at 18 rd is my advice

  12. #12
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    Dec 2010
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    Unaweep 601 trail is not worth it with two days.

    Do the standard Fruita and GJ trails. They are super good and not busy when you are coming.

    Hit me up when the Plunge is fully done. I'll have my shuttle/guide service up and running by then.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    James Robb is central, but it's also right next to 70 and won't feel much like "camping" IMO. Highline Lake is nicer, has some easy trails right there, but as mentioned isn't close to anything. You can also camp on top of the national monument, good quiet and pretty place, but it is a drive to biking.
    James Robb is better than it should be, being wedged between I70, a Peterbuilt dealer, Harley dealer, Dairy Queen, etc.

    But Highline is a great campground - camping in grass, with tons of tree shade, beats the shit out of desert dust.

    But if you want undeveloped camping, there are spots all over the dirt roads out by the bookcliffs (not talking 18) - dust will be brutal if the wind kicks up though, and zero shade.

    The latter has riding from the campsite. But Highline is a 10-15 minute drive to tons of great riding (Horsethief/Kokopelli system, Bookcliff trails, etc). And lunch loops are pretty lose too.

    Highline is by far the best developed campground around there, but...it’s the stinkin’ desert (and not quite Moab yet) - there are tons and tons of do-it-yourself sites all over the place.

  14. #14
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    May 2006
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    Flavor Country
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    Riding and camping in Grand Junction

    Quote Originally Posted by brutah View Post
    go to junction for the tech not the flow found at 18 rd is my advice
    18 road is a blast but the tech is really what makes Grand Valley riding so much fun.


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  15. #15
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by simple View Post
    Unaweep 601 trail is not worth it with two days.

    Do the standard Fruita and GJ trails. They are super good and not busy when you are coming.

    Hit me up when the Plunge is fully done. I'll have my shuttle/guide service up and running by then.
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  16. #16
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    Dec 2010
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    Yeah we did Phase 2 work recently. No where near as hard as Phase 1 to build.

  17. #17
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    Apr 2006
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    Tahoe City
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    Plunge sounds like a blast, in GJ next week so keeping my eyes open for it, thanks for posting! For fruita trails is Flight of Icarus still rideable?


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