Description

The Kokopelli Loops have long been popular with mountain bikers, with most of the trails having been built by mountain bikers, for mountain bikers.

But as the popularity of Fruita continues to increase, hikers have taken to exploring these beautiful trails too—especially in the springtime, when the Rocky Mountains are still buried in snow.

The route mapped here offers some of the best scenery in the Kokopelli Loops Trail System, providing breathtaking views of the Colorado River almost the entire way.

The route begins on Mary’s, a popular trail that provides fantastic hiking along the ledge above the river.

Sections of slickrock and doubletrack are interspersed with singletrack, providing an interesting trail character. The return portion of this loop follows the Wrangler’s trail.

This trail has been radically improved with new trail construction in 2019.

The singletrack climbs up to a ridge and runs along the hilltop high above Mary’s.

From Wrangler’s, you can look down and observe the path that you ran on your way out.

The singletrack here is well-built and perfect for hiking, both up and down the hillside.

Wrangler’s is quite a bit steeper than Mary’s, with more climbing and descending overall.

Bear this in mind—if you prefer to get the climb out of the way first, it might be best to hike this loop in the opposite direction.

Or if you prefer not to climb as much, you could opt for an out-and-back on Mary’s.

This would also allow you to turn around whenever you desire. All things considered, with just over 1,000 feet of climbing in 10 miles, this is an eminently enjoyable loop—perfect to get your legs used to hiking before you start crushing the big summer ascents in the Rockies!