18 Road Mountain Biking
18 Road also known as North Fruita Desert is hands-down one of the Grand Valley’s favorite trail systems! There’s nothing quite like it. For the most part, the trails are smooth, the views are nothing short of beautiful, and it even offers camping! 18 Road mountain biking is known for its punchy climbs and quick descents. The trails weave in and out of junipers and follow ridges of the Bookcliffs. Some favorite trails in this system include Chutes and Ladders, Frontside, Joe’s Ridge, Pumps Bumps and Rollers (known as PBR!) and all the trails with zippity in the name. Fruita has some of the best mountain biking in Colorado and we sure take advantage!
Read on to see some of our favorite rides at 18 Road in Fruita!
Beautiful Views Looking East from the Main Entrance Road
Pumps, Bumps, and Rollers (PBR)
PBR is one of the most famous trails in the 18 Road system. As the name implies, it’s full chock full of smooth flowy bumps and rollers. This trail is downhill only and is located on the east side of the main access road. As soon as it begins, you are greeted with a smooth trail surface, plenty of opportunities for airtime and enough turns to put a smile on your face! Everything is rollable. This trail is never short on fun and surely deserves a place on any riders must-ride list!
Some Wildlife Along the Trail!
Chutes and Ladders
Chutes and Ladders is located on the east side of the main access road. If you ride it in the “downhill” direction, the trail begins abruptly with a steep climb. Don’t worry, it’s short and it only gets easier from there! After about a half mile of riding, the trail flattens out significantly. Here, the trail is nothing but smiles as the flow begins. Let it rip through here and you won’t be disappointed! On your way back for another lap, don’t forget to take a spin on Down Uppity. This trail winds along a ridge, provides some beautiful views and plenty of tight turns to boot!
Western Trails at 18 Road Fruita
Don’t forget about those trails on the west side of the main access road too! There are so many trails and not enough time to cover them all. A great one on this side of the road is Kessel Run. This is a directional flow trail. It winds through the campground, weaves around junipers and is fairly flowy. Frontside is another unique trail. Short punchy climbs are rewarded with quick descents as this trail winds through the ridges of the Bookcliffs. Joe’s Ridge is another well-known trail. This trail takes you up on top of a ridge for a riding experience you won’t soon forget. Make sure you remember your camera on this ride!
Joe’s Ridge at Sundown
Zippity Trails
Zippity Do Da is another favorite downhill directional trail. It’s a bit harder than most of the others mentioned in this list but is certainly worth a try! Use Frontside to access to Zippity Do Da, and the rest of the Zippity labeled trails. A good loop includes riding west on Frontside, taking Western Zippity and finishing up with Zip Off back to the parking lot.
For more trail information, be sure to check out these sites: MTB Project, Fruita Parks and Rec, Bureau of Land Management, and find camping information here.
Looking West While Riding Frontside!
At 18 Road, it’s hard to go wrong. Choose any trail and you’ll find yourself wanting to come back for more! Think we missed one of your favorite 18 Road mountain biking trails? Let us know!
Always remember to check maps before you ride and choose rides that fit your skill level.