Round Trip Distance: 5 miles - Kokopelli Trailhead
Round Trip Distance: 3.6 miles - Rustlers Loop
Difficulty: Easy
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 4536-4690 feet
Cellphone: 3-4 bars
Time: 1 hr. 45 mins.
Trailhead: Kokopelli or Rustler's Loop
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic practice loop
Rustlers Loop is part of the Kokopelli Trail system just south of Interstate 70 between Loma and Mack. The Kokopelli trails are some of the most popular trails with mountain bikers on the western slope of Colorado. You can park at the Kokopelli trailhead and hike over the hill to the beginning of Rustlers Loop or there is room for a few cars to park at the Rustlers Loop trailhead.
This post begins at the Rustlers Loop trailhead. The signs indicated to travel in a clockwise direction. The trail starts out going up a hill on a gravel road. At the top of the short hill the trail cuts sharply back along the top of the hill. From there the going is easy as the trail meanders around the top of the hill getting closer and closer to the Colorado River.
Rustlers Loop has signs for beginning mountain bike riders that give helpful tips on things like cornering and riding hills. Experienced bikers ride it because it is a lot of fun.
Gotta throw in a picture of the nice looking house built into the nearby cliff. Do you wonder if they know the Flintstones?
Once the trail reaches the bluffs above the river the scenery improves dramatically. At this point the trail is heading back to the west. The trail changes from gravel to dirt with sections of slick-rock. Rafters can be seen floating by during the warmer months.
The trail starts looping back away from the river passing through junipers and an occasional wash. Except for a few rock shelves along the way the trail remains pretty easy going.
The northern section of the trail passes along the base of the sandstone cliffs varying between long gradual hills and shallow washes with a few hair pen corners to navigate.
There are a lot of great trails in the Kokopelli Trail System with skill levels that range from beginner to expert. The only real noticeable item that is missing is a nearby place to camp. All of the trails in the area are fun to hike and they also attract a lot of trail runners. The Rustlers Loop is one of the shorter trails and probably the easiest for hiking and riding. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
