FRUITA, Colo. – The final trail in the North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan, K2-Play, is now complete this fall, marking the end of an eight-year effort to expand and improve the area. K2-Play winds for about three miles along the base of the Book Cliffs and is the last piece of a roughly 30-mile expansion of the 18 Road trail system.
This work by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction Field Office and various community partners aimed to update one of western Colorado’s busiest recreation areas. The completion of K2-Play was celebrated on October 10 with a ribbon cutting, community rides, and a trail workday organized by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA).
The expansion began in response to growing visitor numbers. By 2024, the BLM estimated the North Fruita Desert received about 107,000 visitors annually, necessitating better planning for camping, race staging, and trail management. The planning process, which included public input and field assessments, identified new trails, reroutes, and other improvements to increase riding opportunities, address problem spots, and distribute use more effectively across the system.
The K2-Play trail itself is named in honor of Kristina Kittleson, a former COPMOBA leader and coordinator recognized for her work promoting cycling in the Grand Valley. Its construction began in November 2024 and involved volunteer trail workdays organized by COPMOBA and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, along with professional trail construction by the Mesa County Trail Crew. Mesa County's Trail Program Coordinator also secured a Colorado Parks and Wildlife non-motorized trail construction grant to assist with more technical sections, according to the BLM.
Beyond the trails, the recreation area has seen other significant upgrades. A separate 2018 environmental review authorized new camping and event facilities at 18 Road, which the BLM began implementing in 2020. This included building a 3.5-acre gravel parking and event staging area and 68 campsites in the lower campground. Access to 18 Road also improved with a multi-year project to pave approximately seven miles of the previously gravel road, a project funded by a Federal Lands Access Program grant obtained by Mesa County in 2016 and completed in fall 2025. These infrastructure improvements aim to make access easier, provide more space for visitors, and offer dedicated areas for large gatherings, all while helping the BLM manage recreation and minimize disturbance elsewhere.
Many of the original trails and camping spots at 18 Road were initially created by users in the early 1990s, drawing riders to the Book Cliffs' desert terrain. The BLM completed its environmental review of the trails master plan in 2022, with construction beginning that same year. Mesa County trail crews, professional trail builders, conservation crews, and volunteers worked on the plan over several years, adding new mileage, improving connections, and replacing less sustainable routes. This work also included less visible but crucial tasks like installing signs, conducting maintenance, and rehabilitating unneeded routes.
Former BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Chris Pipkin stated in a 2024 interview that "Trails don’t just appear on their own. There’s a lot of work that goes into it." COPMOBA volunteers have a long history of helping build and maintain trails, an effort that continues beyond initial construction as increased use demands more upkeep. John Howe, a longtime COPMOBA leader, emphasized this shared responsibility, stating that "We need everyone, from individual trail users to local agencies and government, to contribute to taking care of our trails."
BLM's management in the North Fruita Desert also balances recreation with other responsibilities, including wildlife habitat, cultural resources, vegetation, and livestock grazing. This balance informed decisions on where trails were built and where camping was concentrated.
Work on the broader recreation area is ongoing, with the next major project being Phase 4 of the lower campground. This multi-year project plans to add about 25 reservable fee sites, including individual and group campsites and a double-vault toilet. This phase aims to convert some existing dispersed camping into managed sites to accommodate demand, improve sanitation, and protect resources.
The improvements at 18 Road offer tangible benefits to Grand Valley residents, providing a local recreation area with more camping, well-marked trails, and space to ride without overcrowding. Visitors traveling to the area for recreation also contribute to the local economy by spending money at Fruita businesses. BLM economic estimates show recreation on BLM-managed lands generates about $2 billion in economic activity and supports nearly 12,000 jobs in Colorado, underscoring the local and regional impact of these projects.
