Fruita is quickly becoming one of the best mountain bike destinations in the western United States. While it doesn’t have the crowds that come with biking in Moab, it has some pretty incredible trails.

If you’re wanting to take your kids on a mountain bike trip with some great trails, Fruita is a great place for family biking. With Fruita’s combination of easy and advanced trails, a great paved bike trail, and fun Fruita bike parks, there really is something for everyone!

What to Take For Biking in Fruita With Kids

If you’re biking in Fruita, the number one thing that you need to be prepared for is the weather.  It’s usually warm to HOT there in the summer and cool in the winter, so layers are essential (we love our merino wool base layers). Make sure to regularly replace electrolytes lost to sweat, so come prepared with hydration mixes to replace electrolytes AND carbs (you’ll need those extra carbs to fuel these hot rides).  We highly recommend that all riders take LOTS of water, so a hydration pack is essential.  Snacks are also a necessity here!

For parents, make sure to bring a first aid kit (it takes a while to learn the terrain here so crashes are inevitable), bike repair essentials, and a spare tube for every bike.  

Love desert riding? Check out the Best Family Bike Trails in Moab and the Best St George Bike Trails for Kids.

Best Fruita Paved Bike Trails For Kids

Colorado Riverfront Trail

Distance: 22.1 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Asphalt, Concrete

This trail is one of the best bike trails in Grand Valley for family bike riding. If you’re looking for a great and unprecedented scenic route that will allow you to experience much of Mesa County, then this is the one to look at. With a paved trail that curves around the Colorado River – and connects several lakes, recreational amenities, and parks – this trail is a great one for kids on bikes. It was established back in 1987. On this trail, you’ll be able to see the Monument View Section, the rugged and stately canyons of the Colorado National Monument, access the Walter Walker State Wildlife Area, and even the famous Blue Heron Lake.

While you bike this Fruita paved bike trail, you’ll be treated to stunning sights such as marshy areas and woodlands, and you might even get to see bald eagles, owls, blue heron, osprey, and hawks. You can also follow the path to the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens, where you’ll be able to check out the park, which offers a bike repair station, restroom, water fountain, parking, and recreational activities such as picnicking, fishing, swimming, and boating.

While the 22 miles of the trail may seem daunting, keep in mind that you can start and end at various points along the trail so your Fruita bike ride can be as long or short as you want it to be!

Best Fruita Mountain Bike Trails For Kids

Rustler’s Loop

Distance: 3.5-mile loop with a 308-foot elevation gain (about 1-2 hours)
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Single Track

This trail is a stunning one that runs about 3.5 miles near Fruita, Colorado. This is considered an easy route for families with children who know how to bike, although it can take up to two hours to complete, so make sure you bring lots of snacks and water! You’ll find that others will use the trail for walking and hiking, so make sure to yield to them as they pass so that everyone can see the beautiful sights along the path. You can also bring your dogs, and there are areas where their leashes can be removed. If you consider yourself/your party to be full of “expert” bikers, there are paths and routes you can take to make the ride more challenging.

Read Next: 23 Incredible Things To Do With Kids in Arches National Park

18 Road – Prime Cut

Distance: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: Intermediate
Trail Type: Single Track

If you’re looking for a trail that will give you access to the 18th Trail system, then you’ve found it. This is a single-track trail that you can use to ride as an out and back journey, or you can decide to combine it with a trek down Joe’s Ride, the Kessel Run (more on that below), or Chutes and Ladders. You’ll find that it has a decent gradual climb that will prepare you for the eventual downhill on the other side. Beware that this trail has something for everyone, including some rocky steps, boulder crossing, narrow flowing single tracks, and other things. It’s recommended that you start your travel for the Prime Cut trail in the uphill direction (which is also from south to north), but you can choose to do it the other way if you’d like. Just make sure you do your research, prepare for your trip, and make sure you have enough water.

Kessel Run

Distance: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: Intermediate
Trail Type: Single Track

This trail is close to the 18 Road – Prime Cut trail, and it starts at the parking lot that is up next to the campgrounds. This trail starts gently and routes you through trees and gentle sweeps, but don’t let that fool you. You’ll eventually come across some rocky areas that have steep, short sections that are not suitable for a beginner biker. You’ll also come across other small drops and rollers, but so long as you’re competent with using the breaks, there’s nothing that can’t easily be rolled over. Towards the end of the trail, you’ll find that it becomes faster and smoother – more advanced bikers like to take this section aggressively and without having to use their brakes. This route takes around an hour to complete, and dogs are welcome to join you (although it’s likely best to have them join you if you’re walking rather than if you’re biking).

Other Fun Biking Trails in Utah

• 7 Fun Park City and Heber Bike Trails For Kids
• Best Bike Trails Around Bryce Canyon: Paved, Dirt and Kid-Friendly Routes
• 12 Amazing St George Bike Trails For Kids
• 11 Fantastic Moab Bike Trails For Kids

Lunch Loops

Distance: 12.1 miles
Difficulty: Difficult
Trail Type: Single Track

When it comes to the Lunch Loops Trail, they are a set of single-track trails that exist about two miles south of Grand Junction, CO. The fact that these trails are so close to GJ is how they got their name – you can wander down to the trail, make some loops, and be back in the office all within your lunch break. This set of trails loops throughout the desert landscape and is also rocky with many step-up and drop moves, ripping downhill sections, and steep climbs. This is not a safe location to ride through when it is wet or if you aren’t feeling at 100%. This is because the soil that makes up these tracks becomes greasy and very muddy when they’re wet. This trail also filters into a few others, such as Free Lunch (an expert trail), Pucker Up, Gunny Loop, Eagle’s Wing, and others.

Read Next: Discover Utah’s 13 Most Scenic Paved Bike Trails

Gunnison Bluffs

Distance: 7.8 miles
Difficulty: Intermediate
Trail Type: Single Track

This is a trail that bikers use regularly. These trails loop around and will test your physicality but won’t do too much to stretch your skills. You’ll be treated to beautiful river views during your downhills, and you can also use this path to reach the Whitewater Trailhead or the Spanish Trail. Make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks for your ride, and try going at different times of day to see which suits you best. This trail used to be a rough wagon road, but now it is more plains than deserts along this path. When you start along this path, you’ll find that it starts gradually and then dead-ends in an open area that trails along the Gunnison River. You can see both stunning views of the river and canyons off to the side of the river, depending on where you look.

Kids Meal

Distance: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy/Intermediate
Trail Type: Single Track

This trail gets its name from an appropriate set of circumstances – it’s the easiest loop of the wider Lunch Loop set. This trail is great for kids (aged 5-8), and it offers smooth riding for all bikers. It also offers interpretive signs that can help newer riders practice many of their burgeoning skills. This trail can be ridden in either direction or whichever direction you choose. You’ll eventually come across a bit of a climb that will get you to the top of the silty, dry mounds that will take you towards the rocky mesa. You will also cross a dry stream bed twice on your way back to the parking lot (where you started).

Best Fruita Area Bike Parks

Dos Rios Bike Playground

Distance: 15.8 acres
Difficulty: Easy to Difficult
Trail Type:Various

This playground was built to accommodate bikers of all different skill levels (including small children to adults). There are four routes on the premises of varying difficulties (beginner, beginner/intermediate, and two for immediate). The goal of the playground is to help bikers of all ages learn how to become better at biking and/or to help them learn tricks to help them bike. The playground was recently under construction to help the wider community enjoy more from these amenities and to help navigate amidst social distancing requirements.

Lunch Loop Bike Park

Distance: 20+ miles (depends on which bike routes are used to get to the bike park)
Difficulty: Easy to Difficult
Trail Type: Dirt

If you’re a biker in the Grand Junction area, you’ll want to check out the Lunch Loops trail system. This is a famous destination area for all bikers and features many single-track trails, some of which filter straight into the bike park (located by the Lunch Loop Trailhead). This bike park is a wonderful destination for families who have members of all different skill levels – this park is next to easy trails but, as mentioned, filters into more difficult trails for more intrepid bikers. Many of the trails accommodate hikers and bikers, so it’s also a good area to teach new bikers how to manage sharing the path with others who are using it. Dogs are also allowed, so they are frequently seen as well.

Fruita Bike Park

Distance: 2.4-acre park
Difficulty: Easy
Trail Type: Various

The Fruita Bike Park is a wonderful, freely accessible place for mountain bikers to play in the southern part of Fruita. It offers access to dirt jumps, skills trails, and beginner and advanced pump tracks for beginning bikers to learn their tricks. Adults are also welcome, as this is also a great area to work on building stamina, hanging out, practicing tricks, and bonding with your children. There are also on-site areas to work on your bikes (in case of flat tires or other issues), and when you get tired, you can check out the nearby Colorado River (and the beautiful wildlife) or have your kids play at the nearby playground that features a large net and climbing rocks (this section is not appropriate for small children).