39° 10′ 39.85″ N, 108° 49′ 38.8″ W
THIS ADVENTURE GUIDE COVERS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BIKEPACKING THE FAMOUS 143-MILE KOKOPELLI TRAIL THROUGH THE DESERTS OF COLORADO AND UTAH.
Possibly one of the most well-known bikepacking routes in the USA (if not North America), the Kokopelli Trail is one of the best ways to explore the beautiful Colorado and Utah desert on your own two feet. Stretching 143-miles from the town of Loma, Colorado to the mountain biking hub of Moab, Utah, this long distance biking trail connects various singletrack, jeep trails, dirt roads and paved desert highways into one amazing, adventurous route.
Below is everything you need to know about bikepacking the famous Kokopelli Trail.
THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE GUIDE TO BIKEPACKING THE KOKOPELLI TRAIL
\\ What is the Kokopelli Trail?
Touted as one of the classic bikepacking trails in the USA, the Kokopelli Trail (or Kokopelli’s Trail) is a 140(ish) mile route that starts near the town of Loma, Colorado before taking you through various desert biomes until reaching the popular town of Moab, Utah.
The route is mostly done on ATV and OHV roads, with only around 15% of the total mileage being made up of singletrack (and most of that singletrack is done on Day 1). So, while the trail is not necessarily technical - though technical sessions definitely do exist - its overall difficulty should not be underestimated.
Be prepared for awe-inspiring desert vistas, stunning canyons, rough, rocky roads, flowy downhills and quad-busting uphill's. Overall, the Kokopelli Trail is a fantastic way to explore the empty landscape that separates the beautiful towns of Loma and Moab through your own body power.
HISTORY OF THE KOKOPELLI TRAIL
The trail is named in honor of Kokopelli, a fertility deity who is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States (including in Utah). Like most fertility deities, he presides over childbirth and agriculture. Similarly, Kokopelli is also a trickster god, a master braider and a representative of the spirit of music.
The Kokopelli Trail was created by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA) in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (NFS) in 1989. Today, the trail mostly consists of either singletrack, 4x4 roads, or country roads (with a few short paved sections). While the trails are never too technical, what makes the route so challenging are the elevation changes: the lowest point is at 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), while two massive climbs reach elevations of 8,400+ feet (2,600 meters).
THE BEST TIME TO BIKEPACK THE KOKOPELLI TRAIL
According to Bikepacking.com, the trail is ridable from March or April until September or October (we did it the last week of October).
Two things to keep in mind when deciding on what time of year to do the trail are:
The summer heat can be brutal (temperatures often soar to over 100 degrees in July and August).
The trail might be a bit snowy at higher elevations (in the La Sal Mountains) during October. Always check trail conditions before setting out.
💬 INSIDER TIP: maybe it was because we did the ride in late October, but we found all of our camping gear would be soaked from dew by morning. Be prepared for wet sleeping bags and blankets and consider either sleeping in a tent (we cowboy camped) or at least having your SAG person lay out the gear to dry during the heat of the day.
BIKEPACKING THE KOKOPELLI TRAIL | THE RIDE
One of the first things you need to think about when planning to ride the Kokopelli Trail is how you are going to refuel - meaning where are you going to find water and how are you going to get more food. Luckily, the trail is not super hard to reach from various major roads - including Highway 128, the scenic route into Moab.
Therefore many riders choose to have a SAG vehicle accompany them on the trip. This allows you, the rider, to carry way less gear, including water and food since you will be meeting someone at the end of the day that will have all that stuff with them (this is what we did and we were so thankful we did by the end of Day 1). Learn more about SAG-ing below.
Another thing you need to keep in mind is your overall fitness. The trail is not technical - but it is hard. The climbs are steep and long and the temperature and sun exposure in the desert can be intense. Knowing how your body will react to the biking and landscape is important when planning out how far you want to go each day (we definitely overshot our expected fitness on Day 3). In our opinion, it is better to undershoot your abilities than to overextend yourself. If you are on the line of deciding between doing it in four days or five - go with five. You will not only likely enjoy the trail more (no one likes stressing about getting to camp before dark), you will also likely be more prepared for the tough stuff.
Once you have those two things figured out, it is time to actually plan the route!
Here is a breakdown of what you can expect for each day of riding, including where to start and end, the overall distance covered, the elevation profile and important information on camping and refueling.
❔ GOOD TO KNOW: this is based on our own experience riding the Kokopelli Trail during the month of October.