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Luke's Trail Luke's Trail is a fun twisting singletrack on the mesa on the north edge of Price. As an out-and-back, it's a fast 6 miles round trip. Overall altitude change is 300 vertical feet, climbing from 5900 to 6200 feet. Most riders will combine Lukes with other area trails for a longer ride. See the Luke's Area page for other connecting trails on the mesa. View north towards the Book Cliffs from the mesa edge. Original review June 2005. These photos and status update May 31, 2011. |
| There are no services at the trailhead, but you're only a
mile from Price. Primitive camping spots have been developed next to the trailhead.
The trail is easy intermediate overall in technical requirement. The easiest riding is the first 1.5 miles. Beginning riders will enjoy this trail. Pure beginners will need to step the bike over some obstacles and walk through some of the wash crossings. Luke's starts as a flat, easy, meandering singletrack from this trailhead. |
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Most of the time, you're riding in Juniper forest, with minimal low
scrub here and there. There are a couple of sage meadows. Early in the
ride, prickly pear cactus is waiting for you to drift off-trail. Flowers
and cactus will be blooming in May.
You're riding on soft dirt and sandstone from the Cretaceous period. If you drift off-trail, the dirt will suck your tire down into the depths. Stay on the trail. A young rider heads toward views of the Skyline Drive area to the west. The terrain varies little -- sagebrush and juniper. |
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The trail has occasional tight turns around trees. There are a few thread-the-needle chokepoints and bike-handling challenges. So expert riders will find themselves tested by this trail as they roll downhill on the return trip. A few turns are so tight that speed-demon larger riders will find their body in the middle of a tree as the bike tilts to take the corner. (Don't cuss -- the tight turns keep ATVs and motorcycles from using this trail and ruining it.) Penstemmon blooms in the May sunshine. The shoulder of the trail is soft. If you overshoot a turn, your front tire will dig in and you'll stop abruptly (or crash). |
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Beginner ride: 2.8 miles of cruising Start from the Luke's trailhead. Stay on Luke's. Pure beginners and young children will find a good turn-around at mile 1.4, just after Alan's Alley rejoins the trail. There are nice views from the mesa edge, which gives a good "we got here, let's go back" end to a short out-and-back ride. (Also, consider a loop around Alan's Alley as a beginner ride.) This little four-year old made the beginner ride just fine. |
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Early-intermediate: 6-mile out-and-back Looking at the fluted slopes of Mancos Shale as Luke's skirts the edge of the mesa. To the north, the Book Cliffs are composed of the Mesa Verde formation of the Cretaceous. |
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Intermediate ride: Little Loop Intermediate riders will enjoy the Luke's Little Loop (see directions below). This ride is 6.6 miles long (5.6 if you skip the Alan's Alley meander) with about 200 feet of total climbing. At the cattle grate fence, the loop shortcuts over to Smo' Joes, then continues back via Knott Pete's Rim. Looking west toward Helper. |
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Upper intermediate: Bigger Loop The trail has occasional chokepoints designed to keep the ATVs off. The tight turns will brush your arms on pinion and juniper, but are created to discourage motorcycles. |
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Experts or strong intermediates: Figure 8 Experts can enjoy nice day's riding with a figure-8 ride as follows: Lukes to IMBAtween to Meads Rim northbound. Onto Floating Rocks to Lollipop. Down Shamrock & Roll to Yoo Hoo. Road to Luke's and fork left on Luke's. Again take IMBAtween. This time fork south on Smo' Joes. Add Wyatt's Way and Knott Pete's Rim for a 16-mile ride. Cattleguard ride-over. At this point, a connector trail can take you to S'mo Joes for the short loop. |
Classic Luke's ride: View up the trail, showing the typical dirt-and-rock terrain among the junipers. |
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Alan's Alley
Alan's Alley is a 1.3-mile side trail off Luke's. It begins one mile from the trailhead and heads west along the edge of the mesa, then returns to Luke's. (You'll miss about 0.3 miles of flat riding on Luke's.) It's a bit more technical than this early section of Luke's, but still easy. View to the west from Alan's Alley. A bit of snow climbs to the Skyline Drive area on the last day of May. |
| Bonus Loop
The Bonus Loop is a lariat-shaped side trail that forks off Luke's near the top. It's 0.8 miles in length. The loop itself is pleasant cruising, but there's a rough tough but short trip down a wash and back up before you reach the loop. Alan's Alley could be your first taste of intermediate-level riding. For example, young beginners could make a lariat ride by looping around Alan's and heading back to the trailhead. |
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Like Alan's Alley, the Bonus Loop takes you to the western
edge of the mesa, where you can enjoy more views of the scenery.
Looking north, the Book Cliffs are the upper level of cliff lines. |
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| Classic Luke's Trail from
Pioneer Park: 0.0 Northwest corner of park, go west (towards water tank) N 39° 36.476 W 110° 48.548 alt=5640 0.15 Keep straight on dirt (R dead-ends) 0.18 R on dirt road (goes up hill between C's) N 39° 36.458 W 110° 48.738 0.45 Keep straight at all intersections, top of hill N 39° 36.660 W 110° 48.797 alt=5890 1.1 Go R around water tank N 39° 37.205 W 110° 48.760 1.35 Turn L at DT N 39° 37.360 W 110° 48.780 1.4 Parking area, begin singletrack N39 37.367 W110 48.811 Cross doubletracks at 1.5, 2.0, 2.3 2.4 Keep straight (R), L=Alans Alley Add 1 mile if doing Alans Alley N39 38.038 W110 49.049 Cross doubletracks at 2.5, 2.6 2.7 Keep straight (R), L=Alans Alley return N39 38.246 W110 49.160 |
2.8 At canyon rim, view N 39° 38.248 W 110° 49.165 alt=6140 3.8 Over cattleguard (R = cutoff to Smo' Joes on east rim) N39 38.826 W110 48.492 3.85 Pass under power line ("White Trash Point") N39 38.656 W110 48.660 4.0 Keep R (L = Bonus Loop) N39 38.848 W110 48.458 Add 0.7 miles if doing Bonus Loop 4.05 Cross DT N39 38.849 W110 48.430 4.3 At Kenilworth Road N39 39.035 W110 48.253 Direct to Meads via Kenilworth Road: 0.0 Turn L uphill on DT 0.5 Keep R on smaller road (don't go to pump station) 0.8 Just after road splits around junipers, spot opening in fence, with DT on R N39 39.577 W110 47.941 |
| Lukes Little Loop, clockwise: 0.0 Start at Lukes TH on mesa N39 37.367 W110 48.811 Cross any doubletracks 1.0 Fork L on Alan's Alley* N39 38.038 W110 49.049 2.3 Fork L, back on Lukes N39 38.246 W110 49.160 3.5 R just before cattlegrate N39 38.826 W110 48.492 Cattlegrate Cutoff trail 3.7 Cross road to DT (stay R of fence) N39 38.723 W110 48.340 |
3.8 At rim, R on Smo' Joes N39 38.721 W110 48.274 5.2 Keep R, L=Wyatts Way N39 37.726 W110 48.241 5.3 Fork L on Knott Petes Rim N39 37.653 W110 48.275 L = Wyatts Way return 6.5 Cross bigger road onto DT N39 37.357 W110 48.697 6.6 At trailhead *Subtract 1 mile if you skip Alan's Alley |
| Lukes Bigger Loop, clockwise: 0.0 Start at Lukes TH on mesa N39 37.367 W110 48.811 Cross any doubletracks 1.0 Fork L on Alans Alley N39 38.038 W110 49.049 2.3 Fork L, back on Lukes N39 38.246 W110 49.160 3.5 Cross cattlegrate (R=cutoff) N39 38.826 W110 48.492 3.6 L downhill on Bonus Loop N39 38.848 W110 48.455 3.7 L uphill on DT N39 38.886 W110 48.455 3.8 Keep R onto ST then follow powerline N39 38.878 W110 48.526 3.9 ST veers L away from powerline N39 38.906 W110 48.625 4.2 Back at DT, keep straight 4.3 R on ST N39 38.886 W110 48.455 |
4.35 L to resume Lukes N39 38.848 W110 48.455 4.4 Cross gravel road N39 38.848 W110 48.432 4.7 Cross Kenilworth road to IMBAtween N39 39.035 W110 48.253 5.5 R on Smo' Joes N39 39.073 W110 48.065 5.6 Cross DT N39 39.037 W110 48.121 6.0 Cross cattleguard Keep straight N39 38.721 W110 48.274 L = cutoff trail 8.0 Hard L on Wyatts Way N39 37.726 W110 48.241 8.1 R downhill on DT Cross road to ST 8.8 Hard R (L=Devils Backbone) 9.5 Keep L onto Knott Petes Rim N39 37.653 W110 48.275 (R = S'mo Joes) 10.7 Across road to DT N39 37.357 W110 48.697 10.8 Back at parking |
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Getting there, Pioneer Park (classic ride, or for return
via Mead's Rim): Eastbound on US 6, take the
first Price exit. Turn left and enter town on 100 North. About a mile
after leaving the freeway, turn left (north) onto 100 East. Go four city
blocks to the far end of Pioneer Park, turn right onto 500 North and find
a parking place. The ride starts at the corner of 100 East 500 North.
You'll be riding west (towards the water tank). Getting there, Lukes trailhead parking: Enter Price as above. Turn left (north) on 300 East. Drive to 900 North and turn left. The road will turn to dirt and/or narrow asphalt, and will veer right and climb the mesa. One-half mile later at the top of the mesa, fork left (west) and proceed 0.1 mile to the Lukes parking area. Camping: Primitive sites just southwest of the trailhead For trail pages for other riding options |
| Trail-help Goodies: One-page riding guides: Classic Luke's Little Luke's Loop Bigger Luke's Loop GPS track files (right-click link, then save as a file): GPX area with individual trail tracks Luke's only Luke's little loop course Luke's bigger loop course Maps for printing: Luke's topo (area of little and bigger loops) Classic Luke's, satelite view Classic Luke's w Mead's topo Price-Area trails Large-format map courtesy of Price Area Singletrack Society (PASS) Lodging, camping, shops: Links to Price area resources |
Copyright 2005 Mad Scientist Software Inc
Updated 2011
