The Edge Loop Fruita Colorado

The entire mountain biking experience boiled down into a single trail—moment-of-truth climbs, heart-in-your-mouth views, manic descents and a SWAT-style rappel down a cliff.

Let’s get one thing straight: if you’ve come to Fruita looking for a mellow ride—something that offers pleasure without pain, this one isn’t for you. There are plenty of trails in the same Book Cliffs area, TK of town, that feature, thrill-a-minute, rolling singletrack, guaranteed to please everyone from beginners to experts. If that’s what you’re after, try Prime Cut, Chutes and Ladders or Zippedy Doo Da.

Why then did we pick The Edge Loop over all these great Fruita trails? Because this trail embodies everything that is great about mountain biking: climbing, descending, solitude and the one element that every cubicle-dweller craves: adventure. The Epic Loop has it all.

Take off from the parking area off of Road 18. From here it’s a 14-mile, mostly-jeep road climb. You’re looking at about 3,800 feet of climbing to the top of the Book Cliffs. Sorry, there’s no way to sweeten that particular turd, except to say that the view from the cliff top is stunning: a humbling panorama of Colorado’s Grand Valley and snow-capped Rockies.

Time to refuel, stretch those quads and prepare for the good stuff. What follows next is near downhill perfection—a mix of wide open fireroad and tight singletrack descending. Eventually, after much hooping and hollering, you’ll come to the Loop’s famed rappel down a waterfall. Lower your bike on the rope and work your way down. From there its more singletrack and some sand back to the trailhead.

The Edge Loop is the essence of adventure. Accordingly, you need to take some precautions. Start early in the day and plan on six, steady hours of riding. Pick up a map at Over the Edge Sports in Fruita and take plenty of water, food and tools because once you start this ride, there’s no way to call it quits. Finally, don’t ride this trail following a rainstorm. The mud up here can turn 23-pound hardtails into 60-pound boat anchors. People who have been caught in storms while riding this loop have been known to ditch their bikes in desperation and walk out.