North fruita desert campground, 18 road camping outdoor project. The fruita campground is situated in a green valley oasis that was once the site of an old town called fruita, so named because of the apple, pear and other fruit orchards that still exist today best of all, you can pick fruit right off the trees and eat it. Excellent variety of trails for all levels of rider. North fruita ohv area, book cliffs, layton wash, coal gulch, edge loop, ross ridge, hunter canyon, eighteen road campground, chutes. You can simply use your smart phones gps to find camping near you or even use our trip planner to plan your route from coast to coast. Since we were going to be in the area, we also added a week to check out the worldclass kokopellis and fruita trails. Highline lake state park, colorado camping reservations. Monument rv resort offers a variety of accommodations to fit every lifestyle, from 95foot pullthrus for your big rig to tent sites and comfortable cabins. Fruita, colorado mountain biking trails trailforks. Whether you have offroad toys, such as mountain bikes or atvs, or if you just want a relaxing evening or weekend away, youll find what youre looking for. Colorado, grand junction, little book cliffs, menu. Whether you just need to know where to camp nearby or you want to plan a free camping road trip, weve got you covered. Camping and campgrounds in highline lake state park, colorado. This is what put fruita on the mountain biking map.
Grab your helmet, gas up the atv, dirt bike or offroad vehicle and get ready for some serious fun in grand junction, colorado. This welcoming western slope town borders on obsessed when it comes to mountain biking. If you prefer beds to thermarests, there are several inexpensive hotel options just south of i70. Fruita campground often fills daily spring through fall. Monument canyon colorado national monument locally referred to as the monument is a national park service unit near the city of grand junction, colorado.
As if the free bureau of land management camping on the road to the trails is not enough, 18 road sits right at the foot of the impressive book cliffs. Head north on cherry street and take the first right onto aspen. Hiking trails in the grand junction, colorado and surrounding area. Mountain biking in fruita colorado book cliffs kenric. Heavy trail use on this blm land has warranted constant trail changes over recent years, including new singletrack and directional routes. Jan 29, 2006 helmet camera video while mountain biking in fruita colorado at the bookcliffs, joes ridge, chutes and ladders. We have easy on and off access to i70, yet we are located far enough away that you wont hear freeway noise. Bookcliff campground at highline lake state park west of grand junction is one of the best and most popular summer camping areas on colorados western slope. The mack ridge and kokopelli area offer amazing views of the river and some technical riding like no other. If these spaces are full, continue north around the bend to the window rock trail parking area and use the window rock trail to connect down to the canyon rim trail. Standing on top of the book cliffs, more than 2,000 vertical feet above the grand valley basin, one begins to realize why the edge loop in fruita, colorado, is indeed epic. Great for beginners yet entertaining for experts, the notion of flow was practically born under the spell of the book cliffs. The area is especially popular in the spring and fall, when mountain trails are still covered in snow and the desert isnt too hot.
Enjoy world class single track mountain biking trails as well as designated routes for offhighway vehicles, hiking, and horseback riding. The compact campground, sitting at the southwest corner of 160acre highline lake, offers 31 shaded and grassy campsites for tents, rvs, and trailers. This is a great start for your weekend and a perfect intro to fruita singletrack. The fruita campground is open yearround, and is the only developed campground in capitol reef national park. Youll also find some great local park options, like connected lakes state park or little book cliffs wilderness study area.
Mountain bike the book cliffs, north fruita desert campground. The trail system and associated camping provide great opportunities to. Parking is available at the campground trailhead or the north fruita desert. The distinctive formations offer plenty of hiking, camping and more. These colorado cliffs look like books on a shelf outthere. North fruita desert recreation area colorado motorcycle. North fruita ohv area, book cliffs, layton wash, coal gulch, edge loop, ross ridge, hunter canyon, eighteen road campground, chutes, frontside, joes ridge, zippity.
If you are near grand junction, the fruita campground or island acres campground, both in james m. Experience the mountains, high desert, sheer cliffs and plateaus with a fruita mountainbiking adventure and a roadbike circuit through the colorado national monument. Why fruita, colorado is a mountain bikers paradise teton. Jouflas campground rabbit valley is open march to middecember. The bike trails can be accessed from either 18 rd or 16 rd just north of the town of fruita. This is a popular spot, so get there early especially during spring and. Fruita reservoirs click the links below to find directions and maps to the various fruita reservoirs and enochs lake, as well as some important locations along the way.
The edge loop mountain bike trail, fruita, colorado. Mar 31, 2020 the 71site fruita campground is the only developed campground in capitol reef. This is an awesome stretch of blm land about five miles from the city with views of the book cliffs. Fruita is awesome desert riding with a variety of trails and locations to ride. Camping is also allowed along the undeveloped blm lands in this area. Here, an insiders guide for mountain biking in fruita, with trails listed in the recommended order in which you might like to tackle them. As a family its a convenient spot to hang out and take turns riding the loops surrounding the camp sites. Primitive camping at the popular bookcliffs mountain biking area a few miles north of fruita off 18 road located north of fruita occupying.
Sep 09, 2019 fruita colorado offers several camping options, our usual goto spot is right by the trails on 18rd. Helmet camera video while mountain biking in fruita colorado at the bookcliffs, joes ridge, chutes and ladders. Youll see spots along the dirt road past the 18 road trailhead. Camping reservations can be made online for island acres or by calling 180024456.
At the north end of the area lie the book cliffs, one of the longest, continuous geological features in the world. Theres about 12 spots here with camping limit of 7 days per spot. Plan your camping trip to book cliffs recreation area or other vernal, utah campgrounds. It was hard, level and spotlessly clean, with a view directly across the valley to the cliffs and canyons of colorado national monument, which looked very impressive at sunset. The north fruita desert special recreation management area includes 72,000 acres and 250 miles of designated recreation routes. Atv and offroad trails visit grand junction, colorado. This is an area of desert land high on the colorado plateau, with pinion and juniper forests on the plateau.
The compact campground, sitting at the southwest corner of 160acre highline lake, offers 31 shaded and grassy campsites for. North fruita desert blm fruita, colorado free camping. For this site the little bookcliffs area consists of the bookcliff range from the west side of i70 near debeque colorado and stretching around to nearly 18 road near fruita colorado. The fruita campground is situated in a green valley oasis that was once the site of an old town called fruita, so named because of the apple, pear and other fruit orchards that still exist today. The trail system and associated camping provide great opportunities to experience the diverse terrain of the desert environment along the base of the bookcliffs. Head up to book cliffs 18 road for some of the best flow style trails in the area. The book cliffs are an enormous area that spans two states. Jouflas campground rabbit valley free camping near you. If youre in the mood for a scenic drive, the road that leaves the campground to the west will slowly climb its way up the backside of the bookcliffs to provide.
Canyons and arroyos dominated by red rocks unfold to the west. The grand junction field office manages more than one million acres of public lands surrounding the western slopes largest population center. The 18 road trail system shuts down the competition. Views of the grand valley and the bookcliffs and colorado national monument. And with the exception of a few privately held parcels of land, almost 96% of the 2. Why fruita, colorado is a mountain bikers paradise.
We had 2 bar verizon lte where we were parked, but it was a slow 2 bar signal. In addition, you can camp near the colorado river, or on a lake. In that case, fruita is probably your dream come true due to its proximity to gorgeous and challenging mountain biking trails. Best places for camping in fruita colorado pedal adventures. Fruita also provides a group campground for up to 36 people. Mountain biking in fruita colorado book cliffs youtube.
Camping in capitol reef capitol reef national park u. Surrounded by historic orchards and set alongside the fremont river, the fruita campground is an oasis within the desert. Camping reservations reservations can be made the day you plan to arrive at the park or up to six months in advance. This is a popular spot, so get there early especially during spring and fall, as sites usually fill up by early to mid.
Having spent a lot of time at popular climbing and backpacking areas around world, we were struck first thing upon arriving at the campground at the end of 18 road was this was no dirtbag camp. Not only are we the closest fullservice rv park to colorado national monument, we are right across the street from james r. Apr 22, 2017 dispersed camping on blm land north of fruita co. The phone number for the fruita section is 970 8589188. After a long day of exploring the wonders of capitol reef national park, sit around the firepit or picnic table and relax with your fellow campmates. The book cliffs trail system consists of five interconnecting trails chutes, edge loop, frontside, prime ribjoes ridge, and zippity on both single and double track. Jun 19, 2017 18 road in the north fruita desert is the busiest trail system to explore. Jul 10, 2016 here, an insiders guide for mountain biking in fruita, with trails listed in the recommended order in which you might like to tackle them. Fruita colorado offers several camping options, our usual goto spot is right by the trails on 18rd. The bookcliffs define the skyline of grand junction.
I agree that this camping location is convenient to. Lots of small, stunted trees, hills, and cool views of. I think my car parked on the road makes the pictures composition nearly perfect. Jeff bouton, fruita, colorado says i drive this trail during late fall and winter, because of the cooler temperatures, and the lack of tourists in the moab area, and i think its one of the best, most relaxing, easy, trails in the entire moab region. Dispersed camping is permitted throughout the area however north fruita desert campground. You can simply use your smart phones gps to find camping near you or even use our trip planner to plan your route from coast to coast our community provides the best free camping information available. But its 10 miles into downtown fruita where theres a grocery store, breweries, coffee shop, restaurants, and bike shops. The mountain bike trail system here is officially named north fruita desert, but they are more commonly known as 18 road or bookcliffs. May 10, 2010 fruita bookcliffs camping 2 sportmobiles, 1 eurovan, 1 coleman popup and a couple trucks and tents. Grand junction field office bureau of land management. The viewing platform is right in front of a small pulloff parking area for the book cliffs view. There are 22 moderate trails in fruita ranging from 1. Book cliffs area, the fruita section provides exceptional camping facilities, lake fishing, and boating, lovely picnic sites, seasonal birding, a walkway along the colorado river, and a large visitor center.
The new venue will include a lake, mountain biking trails ranging from easy to difficult, cliffs rising out of the water, camping, campfire talks, a family run, a 5 and under balance bike race for the young ones, campfire talks with the race directors, an outdoor movie theater and an interactive family adventure zone. I drive this trail during late fall and winter, because of the cooler temperatures, and the lack of tourists in the moab area, and i think its. Find allterrain vehicle trails near grand junction, grand mesa, palisade and fruita. Closest town in fruita with laundry, groceries, library, shops, restaurants, dispensery, and liquor. There is a blm pay site just up the road, but there is legal free camping in the area just south of the main mountain bike trail head parking lot. Two hotels that seem to be friendly to outdoor folks are. Informed rvers have rated 16 campgrounds near fruita, colorado. Pretty crowded and all spots would fill by evening. Nearby are renowned mountain biking trails, dinosaur sites and red rock hiking. Definitely one of the most unique campgrounds i have stayed at in my travels. Two days ago, i drove north on 21 road all the way toward the book cliffs. Colorados 1st national monument is a true hidden gem. Spectacular canyons cut deep into sandstone, and even granitegneissschist, rock formations. Bookcliff campground at highline lake state park west of grand junction is one.
Start checking them out and youll be out on the trail in no time. The book cliffs are a range of eroding, steepsloping cliffs, also called escarpments. While the valley around fruita looks like the perfect area to locate a land fill, the scenery near the bookcliffs is pretty cool. North fruita desert recreation area colorado motorcycle and atv. Robb colorado river state park, are great optio ns. The 71site fruita campground is the only developed campground in capitol reef. Much of the area is desert valley floor with washes and sharp ridges.
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