Klondike Bluffs – Jurassic Trail

Moab is a Mountain Biking Paradise

MidPoint of the Jurassic Trail

The Jurassic Trail was the perfect place to take my daughter this time.  I had taken her on a couple of “more adventuresome” rides in the past that had gone far beyond her interest and level –My bad.  This time, I knew that if she would ever want to go riding with me again, I had to hit this one out of the park.  With that in mind, I had to find a perfect mountain biking beginner trail.

Jurassic Trail – Klondike Bluffs – Perfect Beginner Trail

Needless to say, I spent some time studying maps and reading reviews before I decided to take my daughter to the Jurassic Trail.  Luckily, Spencer gave me the idea with his prior review of the Klondike Bluffs, so off we went.  Thanks Spencer!  The elements that I was looking for when choosing the trail this time, were:

1. Nominal elevation gain with some flat easy spots,
2. Single Track to get the real feel
3. Just enough adventure to make it fun for me too.
4. Short enough not to wear her out and wish she hadn’t started.

This turned out to be a great choice on all accounts!

Getting to Klondike Bluffs – Jurassic Trail

So, Spencer explained, but here’s a bit more information.  Klondike Bluffs has both a north and a south

The Dirt Road to Klondike Bluffs South Trailhead

trailhead.  Both are accessible from Highway 191 between I-70 and the Colorado River.  Take the dirt road to the east of Hwy 191 just south of the airport for the Klondike Bluffs southern trailhead.  You may want 4×4 or all wheel drive if it has recently rained, but otherwise, this is not a scary road and is probably only a couple miles before you get to the trailhead parking lot.  At the trailhead, there is a gate that you pass to enter the trail area.  You need to take the Inside Passage trail about 1/4 mile leading up the rise on your left to get to the actual Jurassic Trail trailhead.  From there on, you are on a nice beginner trail.

Jurassic Trail – Watch the Weather Before You Go

It was February and a holiday off work and school to boot, we didn’t have a lot of options on when to go.  We needed an adventure.  Unfortunately, there was a solid rain storm the day before.  I figured it could be a mess, so we went up and looked at Dead Horse Point State Park (You gotta see that place) and Canyonlands National Park (Not so bad either!) in the morning to let things dry out.  And things had for the most part.  Our luck found that the Jurassic Trail was up a little bit above the lowest part of the area, so for the most part, we were on just moistened soil after the rain.  But there were some lower spots with some real soggy trail.

Also, near the largest wash, we encountered some sandy areas that when wet really sucked on the tires.  Lucky for me, my daughter thought that the mud was fun.  Not sure how I got that lucky!

Klondike Bluffs Has a Trail for Every Rider

While the Jurassic Trail was perfect for my beginner-rider daughter, Klondike Bluffs has trails for riders of all skill levels.  Advanced riders will like the the trails on the hills on the east side such as Baby Steps, Mega Steps and Alaska.  The 3 mile Jurassic Trail was perfect for us on this fine day!  I am planning to bring my Scout troop back next month.  Plenty of different trails to please everybody.

Come Prepared

While we went in February when the weather was colder, one needs to remember that the Klondike Bluffs is in a desert region.  Bring loads of water, sunblock, etc…  Wear a helmet and don’t ride alone!

Other Awesome Links About the Klondike Bluffs and Mountain Biking Moab

While getting ready for this ride, I found these cool sites that helped me find the ride trail.  Maybe they will help you too.

http://www.discovermoab.com/biking.htm#klondike

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/klondike.htm

Klondike Bluffs Mountain Biking

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Jeff

Jeff enjoys having outdoor adventures with his kids, scouts, etc... Hiking, Canoeing, and mountain biking should be done in large quantites. As a Scoutmaster, he believes that In order to be a value to the boys, a scout troop should be taking the boys to do things that they wouldn't otherwise be able to do.

Latest posts by Jeff (see all)

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