Dwight's Rocky Point Trail System
(G Hill Trails in Gunnison)

On the northwest corner of Gunnison is a low hill festooned with a "G." This is the site of a trail system, new in 2023, with 6.5 miles of singletrack. The trails are easy both aerobically and technically, with the exception of the frontside tech trail Bone Breaker which is tricky. The expected riding season will be mid-April through November.

The trails were purpose-built for mountain biking. The system has a two-way trail leading from the trailhead over the ridge to a loop in the valley to the west. The loop seems designed to be done counterclockwise. A downhill trail leads from the ridgeline back to the parking area. The system began with easier trails. More trails -- tougher trails -- are planned. (Migraine and Concussion, for example.)

Elevation change is minimal, with 100 feet of climbing to get over the ridge and 100 on the way back. At this time, the trails are just receiving some official names.

Unfortunately motocycles discovered the western side of the loop before signs could be placed. Hopefully, trail signs and education will stop further damage.

While most of this trail system is mellow cruising, the Bone Breaker frontside tech trail is challenging. It has some well-built challenges that are hard to ride in the southbound direction, and extremely tough when done uphill uphill riding south-to-north.

At US-89 (Main Street) in Gunnison, go west on 300 North. Turn right (north) on 200 West. The road will turn to gravel, and a short bit later (0.4 miles from 300 North), a road turns left into a gravel parking area with a log fence. The outgoing trail called antidote is on the northwest corner of the parking area, on the right as you go uphill from parking. The trail that crosses the wash into the southwest side of parking is the returning downhill trail.

The Antidote trail will take you to the top of the ridgeline. The main XC riding loop awaits on the other side. In the parking area, go uphill to the northwest (right uphill) corner of the parking area and go through the hold in the fence. The trail will wind back and forth across the slope as it gradually climbs to the ridgeline. It will be 0.6 miles to the top, where you'll hit a dirt road.

The trail leading to the loop is across the road, slightly uphill. Around 30 feet up the dirt road, the downhill trail forks off to the left.

The second half of the Antidote trail forms a loop back to the trailhead. This easy downhill flow trail starts at the doubletrack on the ridgeline where the outgoing trail from parking crosses. It's just 30 feet uphill from the trail crossing, on your left. As you go through the ATV-extruder gate, keep left and downhill as the trail splits. (The trail to the right is the tech trail Bone Breaker.)

The downhill is technically easy, with around 120 feet of elevation loss over its 0.5 miles. You'll finish at the western edge of the parking lot.

The descending trail that continues across the ridge from Antidote is Skin Shredder. It will take you down to the XC riding loop Skin Shredder trail starts at the dirt road on top of the ridge and descends 0.6 miles to a trail fork with the main loop. The orientation of the fork suggests that the trail-builders intended for you to keep straight and ride the loop counterclockwise.

At the trail fork where the Skin Shredder trail ends in a T intersection, keep straight and right onto the Grit trail. The singletrack will head north and east before looping back to the west and southbound. If I understand corrently, this lower side of the loop is now the Penicillin trail. At mile 0.9, there's a soft new trail on your right (see below). This connects down to the dirt road on the west. For now, keep straight and cross the dirt road just ahead. The singletrack now becomes the Stitches trail.

The Stitches trail will turn downhill and wind around until it drops you onto a dirt road at mile 2.2 of the loop. This dirt road is Enema. Keep straight and left on the dirt road.

After just 1/10th mile on the doubletrack, turn left onto a smaller dirt road that climbs toward the hill. After another 0.4 miles, fork right on an even-smaller dirt road. In another 1/10th mile (mile 0.7 from the singletrack, mile 2.9 of the loop), turn left onto singletrack.

The loop singletrack will now turn back to the north. You're now on the southern end of the Grit trail. In 0.2 miles it will cross a dirt road at the base of the mountain. (This is the dirt road you were climbing before you forked to the right.) You'll now enter the most technical terrain of the ride, but it's none too techy.

Keep working north on the singletrack, and cross a second dirt road at mile 0.7 from the doubletrack, mile 3.6 of the loop.

At mile 4.1 of the loop, you'll arrive back at the loop fork, where keeping straight give you another lap, and a hard right turn takes you home.

This trail is still new and hasn't had the riding lines and finish work completed. It's soft, but is rideable. At mile 0.9 of the main loop when riding clockwise (see above), this trail forks away on your right, just before the loop crosses a dirt road.

You'll make a backwards "S" ride down and to the north for 1.4 miles. The singletrack will then end on a dirt road. If you keep straight and left, this road will take you to where the main loop dumps onto doubletrack in 0.7 miles, forming an alternate version of the loop ride.

The frontside tech trail Bone Breaker has long stretches of intermediate riding punctuated by absolute expert challenges. This trail makes up for the mellow flavor of the trails on the backside of the hill.

The trail is 1.6 miles long (the longest in the system). Starting at the ridgeline above the parking area, it will roll up and down as it heads south, then drop down to the dirt road to the "G" at the southern end. It can be done in either direction, but the challenges are significantly tougher when you take them uphill -- which happens when you're riding from the southern end.

The trail ends on the dirt road that goes up to the top of the G hill. If you want to make a loop to avoid cranking back uphill through the tech sections, you can coast down to Gunnison streets and take 2nd West northbound back to the trailhead.

Getting there:
At US-89 (Main Street) in Gunnison, go west on 300 North. Turn right (north) on 200 West. The road will turn to gravel, and a short bit later (0.4 miles from 300 North), a road turns left into a gravel parking area. The outgoing trail is at the northwest (right, uphill) corner of the fenced parking area. The trail that crosses the wash into the west side of parking is the returning downhill trail.

Two new trails are planned for 2024. For now, I've tried to apply the trailnames to the segments as best I can.

No bathrooms, water, or services at trailhead.
Commercial campgrounds in Gunnison.