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Grand Junction, CO: Horsethief Bench Loop
Blast through rock gardens and banked singletrack before a final downhill blitz on this 7.7-mile ride on Horsethief Bench.
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| Author: | Backpacker Magazine |
| Activity: | Mountain Biking |
| State: | Colorado (CO) |
| Distance: | 5.71 mi |
| Difficulty: | 5 / 10 |
| USGS Topo Map: | Mack |
| Rating: |
 2 rating(s)
|
From the Kokopelli Trailhead, follow 12 Road for a quick .6-mile ride to a three-way junction. Turn right onto a dirt road, then climb a rocky doubletrack for 1.4 miles to an overlook of the
Rating: Intermediate. The doubletrack climb is a short but stiff, and the rocky southwestern half of the loop has nice technical tests. Watch for tube-piercing prickly pear.
Mapped by the Backpacker Map Team
TO TRAILHEAD: I-70 W to exit 15 (toward Loma/Rangely). Turn left onto 13 Road/CO 139 N. In .1 mile, turn right onto HawkEye Road (just after the one-way road coming from the trucker weigh station). Follow .8 mile to parking area for the Kokopelli Trailhead.
| Position Format: | Datum: |
Tracks
HSE01
| Distance: 5.71 mi | Points: 347 |
Horsethief Loop
Points of Interest
HSE001
Location: 39.177753, -108.827911Start at Kokopelli's Trailhead and follow 4WD road up and over a hill. Watch closely during descent for a 4WD road on right in .6 mile.
HSE002
Location: 39.174599, -108.829277Turn hard right @ 3-way onto 4WD road and start climbing; road is steep and rocky.
HSE003
Location: 39.169830, -108.844475Park your bike to check out views of the Colorado River from rim overlook: the Colorado's silty waters flow between ruddy mesas.
HSE004
Location: 39.171341, -108.850853Turn left at cattle grate. Ahead: Steep hike-a-bike descent of sandy, rock ledges and boulders to Horsethief Bench.
HSE005
Location: 39.171833, -108.851242Turn left to start loop; ride south on singletrack.
HSE006
Location: 39.169205, -108.850685Trail passes a small overlook on right with views of the Colorado River.
HSE007
Location: 39.167236, -108.857735Trail winds to the west on desert bench above Horsethief Canyon.
HSE008
Location: 39.174263, -108.867462Trail bends to the northeast and descends into wash; portage your bike down rocky, steep terrain.
HSE009
Location: 39.177998, -108.867401Singletrack swings to the right, winding east; views of the river extend to the west.
HSE010
Location: 39.174900, -108.854179Cruise along fast, hard-packed singletrack. In 100 yards, the trail curves around red sandstone formations. Follow trail to Waypoint 5, then turn left to retrace route to trailhead.
Overlook
Location: 39.169884, -108.844360© Backpacker Map Team
Horsethief Bench
Location: 39.169708, -108.845215Hike-a-Bike
Location: 39.171421, -108.850731Colorado River Views
Location: 39.177994, -108.867302© Backpacker Map Team
Wash
Location: 39.177753, -108.860313© Backpacker Map Team
Fast Singletrack
Location: 39.177376, -108.857567© Backpacker Map Team
Rock Formations
Location: 39.174896, -108.854134© Backpacker Map Team
The Homestretch
Location: 39.174870, -108.853783Horsethief Bench Loop
Location: 39.174244, -108.852791End of Day
Location: 39.170734, -108.850128Related Trips
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