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6.1 miles
Distance
976 ft
Climb
-397 ft
Descent
01:21:31
Avg time
580 ft
Altitude change
4,925 ft
Altitude min
5,504 ft
Altitude max
4,925 ft
Altitude start
5,505 ft
Altitude end
1.8%
Grade
-24.7%
Grade max
24.2%
Grade min
4 miles
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
2,044 ft
Distance flat
01:21:31
Avg time
Butterknife Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaThird Flats
Grand Junction, Colorado -
Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity65 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 90 in E-Biking
- 5 in Trail Running
- 40 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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State Ranking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeAM
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DirectionBoth DirectionsPopular In Reverse
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Climb DifficultyBlack Diamond
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Physical RatingHard
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike AllowedYes up to Class 3
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Land OwnerBLM Grand Junction Field Office
The Butterknife singletrack trail is a motorized, motorcycle trail that was built with state motorized funds and is a great example of a motorized trail that is a great mountain bike trail. Please be aware that you may see motorcycles on the trail, but both user groups happily coexist.
source: Grand Valley Trails Alliance
Trail Supporters
BLMLand Manager
Local Trail Association
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Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 23 rides
- 25 miles avg distance
All
- 144 rides
- Last: Oct 6, 2026
Butterknife Trail Reports
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3D
Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
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- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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- popular
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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
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US Cell Coverage
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Radar Time
Activity Recordings
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Activity Recordings
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Winter Trails
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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Slope Aspect
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Directions to butterknife trailhead
(39.018060, -108.553290)
Photos
2 more »
Videos
4 more »
mtb
29:22 |
336 |
Apr 28, 2025 , Grand Junction
mtb
17:49 |
1377 |
Jan 22, 2018 , Grand Junction
mtb
3:56 |
105 |
Dec 18, 2018 , Grand Junction
mtb
3:51 |
3592 |
Jul 14, 2015 , Grand Junction
Routes with this trail
43 miles • 5,320 ft • 11 •
Grand Junction Rides and Vibes Filthy 40 2024 Race Route
★ 3.0 • 31 miles • 3,459 ft • 29 • Out & Back •
First itinerary in Grand Junction. Combo of Third Flats' 'Butterknife' and Lunch Loops' 'Gunny Loop...
33 miles • 3,455 ft • 12 •
2022 GJ Rides and Vibes dirty 30 course
6 Reviews & Comments
Heinous1
This is an extraordinary trail in both directions. Moto has had very little influence on the singletrack. There are no ruts and the line remains single and narrow. This trail is a solid expert level trail from end to end. You must be able to climb and negotiate continuous steps and ledges. The sand is barely a factor.
bkxc
I had a blast on this trail, ridden in the "downhill" direction (west to east) on an eBike. This trail on a normal bike would be absolutely brutal. It has TONS of fun techy climbs, but dear god, after the 10th one you'd be thinking "Can't be many more!" and you'd be wrong. Great eBike trail!
mysticmountainadventures
As grandvalleydave noted this is a moto trail and there are better options for mountain bikes to choose from in the area. Some nice views and neat sections but give it a miss unless you've got a thing for riding moto trails on a bicycle.
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- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #12135 - 10,662 views
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