Round Trip Distance: 2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Skill level:
Elevation: 4672 - 4750 feet
Cellphone: 3-4 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: Tabeguache
Fee: none
Attractions: MTB Skills trail
Kids Meal is located in the Lunch Loop Trail System in Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail was 'built by kids for kids of all ages'. Along the course are plaques that teach the valuable mountain bike skills that are necessary to enjoy the many mountain bike trails in and around the Grand Junction area.
The trailhead is located along Monument Road about 1.6 miles south of Broadway.
From the trailhead follow the trail to the left between the parking area and the BMX track.
Continue around the base of the hill below the parking area, past the point where Curt's Lane branches off, and watch for the first of the skills and interpretive signs.
The trail is named Kids Meal but all of the information is applicable to mountain bike riders of all ages.
Riders on the trail will experience several different types of surfaces that ranges from hard packed dirt to sandy sections. A plaque right before the first spot with a little loose sand teaches a technique that works well in that situation.
There are a couple of signs that don't have anything to do with mountain biking that hikers will find interesting also. The sign in this picture draws your attention to the basalt boulder that is next to it that was carried by a flood for over a mile to this spot. Locals that have been in the area since the middle 90's might remember a storm that dropped over 5 inches of rain in a short period of time causing a flood that wiped out the bridge near Broadway closing the Monument Road for over a month.
The trail continues looping around through the wash until it comes up to an intersection with the Hop, Skip and a Jump trail. From here it turns southward and passes through another intersection with Curt's Lane.
As the trail heads south along the base of the mountain there are a few bumpy spots to roll over. A sign at this point mentions that there is no shame in getting off your bike and walking when you come to a spot that you don't feel comfortable riding. The more experience that you get the easier it becomes to stay in the saddle until it eventually becomes second nature and all part of the fun of the ride.
Alternate routes are presented as the trail continues. This sign points out that the easier trail is to the left and the more challenging intermediate level trail is to the right.
In the area with all of the alternate routes there are several side trails that lead to other practice areas. It is laid out like a skills playground of sorts.
Near the southernmost end of Kids Meal there are some intermediate level trails that traipse around the adobe hills. These can be sidetracked by following the main trail on out to the Tabeguache trail and then back to the trailhead.
Much of this area is as fun for hikers and trail runners as it is for mountain bikers.
Kids Meal reconnects with the Tabeguache trail near the wash in No Thoroughfare Canyon. From here you can go to the right to get back to the trailhead or explore some of the other trails to the left. Except for the Eagle's trail most of the rest of the trails to the left have an 'advanced' skills rating. They can still be fun and you can always get off and walk when you come to something that you don't fee. comfortable riding. As far as the Kids Meal trail goes it is a great place to practice and learn or to get back into the swing of things. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab your bike or 'Take a hike'.
