FATMAP by Strava

Lunch Loops Sampler

Grand Junction

While easily accessible from the town of Grand Junction, the Lunch Loops provide rocky, technical singletrack to challenge even the best of mountain bikers.

Mountain Biking Severe

Distance
20 km
Ascent
524 m
Descent
524 m
Duration
1-2 hrs
Low Point
1.4 km
High Point
1.7 km
Gradient
Lunch Loops Sampler Map

The Lunch Loops trail system gets its name from its proximity to downtown Grand Junction. With views of the downtown skyline from the singletrack, local riders often pedal out to the Lunch Loops for a quick ride on their lunch hour.

Description

Despite being so accessible to town, overall the Lunch Loops provide highly-technical singletrack filled with rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Rock gardens lead to rock slabs, rock drops, rock rolls, and more rock-filled features. A few beginner trails lie close to the road and the trailhead, but if you venture far into the system, you'll be confronted with rocks a-plenty.

While tons of route options exist in this trail system, including the epic Ribbon shuttle run (mapped separately), the route given here is a great way to make the most of the network. Specifically, the Gunny Loop trail is one of the longest single trails in the network, providing beautiful views of the valley and sweet, serpentine singletrack. Overall the singletrack on the Gunny Loop is less technical than some of the other trails in the network, but flowing trail transitions into rock gardens rapidly, before returning to the flow.

For other great options in this area be sure to check out Free Lunch for an uber-technical double black diamond descent, Holy Cross for a black diamond trail bisecting the trail system, and the massive dirt jump park at the trailhead!

Difficulty

Severe

Widely variable, narrow trail tread with steeper grades and unavoidable obstacles of 15in/38cm tall or less. Obstacles may include unavoidable bridges 24in/61cm wide or less, large rocks, gravel, difficult root sections, and more. Ideal for advanced-level riders.

High Exposure

3 out of 4

Some trail sections have exposed ledges or steep ascents/descents where falling could cause serious injury.

Remoteness

1 out of 4

Close to help in case of emergency.

Best time to visit

between February and November

Features

  • Flow
  • Technical
  • Drops
  • Rock Rolls
  • Rock Slabs
  • Rock Gardens

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area