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Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:13 pm

We're going to be stopping in Fruita on the way to and from Moab.

I'm looking for recommendations on camping that would be fun
for a 3 year old (swimming, etc) and within riding distance of a good mountain bike trail head.

thanks!
john

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:17 pm

The swimming part I don't know about but there are some nice sites at the end of 18 rd just north of Fruita. I'm guessing the nearest swimming is the put in for Ruby/Horsethief canyon on the Colorado river just off I-70. The riding at 18 rd is fantastic and there are also good rides at the Loma exit, south side.

Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:54 pm

There is a lot of good BLM camping on 128 between I70 and Moab along the Colorado. The first 20 or so miles outside of Moab is amazingly beautifull, especially at sunset.carry water though.

Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:32 am

I like Colorado National Monument, breathtaking scenery, great road bike riding, and nice camping although a bit tight, this time of year it may be less crowded (water only, no elec). There are two state parks along the Colorado river, one east of Grand Junction that is sandwiched between the river and I-70 so you get the freeway noise but there is a nice swimming hole there. The other is closer to Fruita and is further from the freeway and I think may have swimming too. Highline state park in Loma (west of Fruita) is rather nice too and mountain biking on the Kokapelli (sp?) trail is nearby. Rabbit Valley is pretty cool but you need serious 4WD to get very far back in there (there is a 2WD accessible camground though) and you may have lots of ATV company back in there and great mountain biking. Note that this area has gone from being a sleepy place to oil & gas drilling central. The traffic, construction, pollution, and congestion has skyrocketed, and I avoid the area east of Fruita now (except CO Nat'l Mon.). Its a pity, but the resources have to come from somewhere or we would not be having this discussion. Moab on the other hand has gone from Uranium mining central, to almost a ghost town, to recreation central, amazing.

Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:23 am

jsSyncro wrote: We're going to be stopping in Fruita on the way to and from Moab.

I'm looking for recommendations on camping that would be fun
for a 3 year old (swimming, etc) and within riding distance of a good mountain bike trail head.

thanks!
john

Nothing i know of fulfills your requirements.

Rabbit Valley (BLM) has dispersed camping with no facilities.
18Rd has dispersed camping and a pit toilet
Kokopelli Trailhead has no dispersed camping.

I camp in the James Robb / Co River state campground - clean, well taken care of, usually has swimming (swimming is closed right now), beach area and I believe there is playground equipment. You could bike to the trailheads, but it's about 6 miles one-way to either.