Coal Canyon Easy MTB (Cameo)

Coal Canyon (the one starting at Cameo, east of Palisade) is a nice easy doubletrack out-and-back, a total of 12 miles or a bit more if you go past where it kind of turns into more of a creek bed. It's got some absolutely lovely cliffs, and often we see the wild horses.

It's an out-and-back, climbing gently on the way out, and fairly fast downhill on the way back. You could do the 6 miles out just fine on a gravel bike, past that MTB is better.

Exit I-70 at exit 45 (Cameo), the one where Kokopelli Farms is. Head north on the main road toward the shooting range. Cross the river, then just after you cross the railroad tracks, and just before crossing the canal, there's a wide dirt parking spot on the right. Park there and we'll start from there. (If you want a shorter ride you could go to the Main Canyon trailhead parking lot.)

There is an option for advanced MTB riders to return via Stagecoach, a super-steep push up to the top of the Bookcliffs followed by a challenging ride and coming back down near where I-70 crosses the Colorado River.

The location shown by Meetup is not very accurate, but this pin should be perfect.

I plan to ride from Palisade, so feel free to ride with me from our house at 7am. There's a 1-mile, 5-minute stretch of I-70.