Hartman Rocks Loop

The Hartman Rocks area offers high desert riding in a 6,000-acre basin. Funky granite formations, slickrock, sand, and sage add to this geological curiositys appeal. The Rocks, as Gunnison locals call it, is a mountain biking area replete with interconnecting trails. This route skirts the perimeter of the Hartman Rocks area and follows, in part, the Rage in the Sage course, Gunnisons annual mountain bike race. Although the trails throughout Hartman Rocks can get confusing, this shouldnt deter you from riding the Rocks, as efforts are continually being made to distinguish the right from the wrong way. Take notice of smaller rocks or sticks imbedded in the ground across a trail, signifying a wrong way. Observe branches lying parallel to a trail, seemingly pointing the right way. In general, look for natural reference points, which might otherwise seem out of place: a stacked pile of rocks (cairns), orange tape, painted arrows, or even arrows drawn in the sand. Terrain: Jeep road and singletrack. The trail rolls over hilly terrain and through sagebrush meadowland. Much of the terrain is hard-packed, but there are a number of rocky and sandy sections. Some sections go through riparian areas. The area offers seemingly endless miles of singletrack and dirt road that break off in every direction.