Written By Megan Fromm
Curving through red rock and sandstone, straddling streams and
hopping over rivers, the Kokopelli Trail snakes through western Colorado and eastern Utah.

Beginning in Fruita and inching roughly 140 miles toward Moab, this mountain biking trail is well-known for its desert beauty and diverse terrain.

The legend behind the path's name hints at ancient Hopi history, suggesting the nomadic flute player was a god of fertility. Simple, spirited sketches of Kokopelli adorn walls and canyons in the area, with the symbol having become an icon of the southwestern United States.

According to Anne Keller, former guide for a Moab-based mountain bike touring company, the Kokopelli Trail is among the region's more popular trails.

"Technically, it's not very challenging," she says. "There are only a handful of sections a beginner wouldn't feel comfortable riding."

As rated by Bureau of Land Management officials, the trail ranges from easy to difficult with an elevation rise of nearly 4,300 feet. Keller says it is the continuous climbing that makes the trail most intense.

Those hoping to complete the entire trail, which can take anywhere from five to seven days, should prepare by upping their overall fitness levels. Good maps are essential for those riding without a guide as the trail's many forks and side roads can disorient even the most experienced riders.

From its start, the Kokopelli Trail weaves through high desert country- rabbit brush, sagebrush and tumbleweeds are common sights among the red rock canyons. Near the halfway point, the trail rises into the high alpine country of the La Sal Mountains outside Moab.

"It's a neat mix of environments as you go through," says Keller, adding that riders should be on the lookout for wildlife (coyotes, deer and the occasional black bear). Peter Bodmer of Kaibab Mountain Bike Tours in Moab says completing the trail is more a matter of attitude than skill.

"People love it," he says. "They feel like they have a connection to the excitement of it, to the theme of Kokopelli."

A GREAT PLACE
TO HIT THE TRAILS
Written By Valerie Balogh

Tons of great trails weave and wind all over the Grand Junction area. Whether
you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced-hiker or biker-here are a
bunch of options well worth the trip.

NORTH OF GRAND JUNCTION
Beginner: Main Canyon-8 miles out-and-back Intermediate: Highline Lake (northwestern area of Grand Valley)-4 miles out-and-back Advanced: Edge Loop (for cyclists only)-25.6 miles round trip

EAST OF GRAND JUNCTION
Beginner: Ward Lake Complex-5.5-mile loop Intermediate: Vega Nature Trail-4 miles out-and-back Advanced: Crag Crest-8.6-mile loop SOUTH OF

GRAND JUNCTION
Beginner: Devil's Kitchen-1.5 miles out-and-back Intermediate: Walker State Wildlife Area-2.4 miles out-and-back Advanced: Riggs Hill-1.5 miles out-and-back

WEST OF GRAND JUNCTION Beginner: Devil's Canyon-4 miles round trip Intermediate: McDonald Creek Trail-3 miles out-and-back Advanced: Rabbit Valley BLM Trail Through Time-2.4 miles out-and-back