Area Trails

World renown trails like Gooseberry Mesa, JEM trail, Little Creek Mesa, Wire Mesa, Guacamole Mesa and the 2010 IMBA epic ride Hurricane Loop await us just outside of Hurricane. A few hours away are Thunder Mountain in the Red Canyon just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, the 33 mile point-to-point Virgin River Rim Trail and the Brian Head downhills Bunker Creek and Dark Hollow. A special treat are the Rainbow Rim Trail and sections of the Arizona Trail in the Kaibab National Forest on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Most trails can be ridden year-round since they are at low elevations.
The mesas can get some snow in the winter but are seldom unridable for more than a few days each winter.

The Brian Head trails, Thunder Mountain and the trails on the Kaibab Plateau have a shorter season in the summer and early fall.

Gooseberry Mesa

Well known trails on Gooseberry Mesa include the South Rim, North Rim, Hidden Canyon, Windmill and Bowls and Ledges. Gooseberry offers fun slick rock riding for intermediate riders who seek to improve their skills.. Several trails with varying degree of difficulty allow you to pick your own brand of awesome. Gooseberry Mesa mixes slick rock and firm dirt among pinions and junipers. The South Rim slick rock areas are advanced intermediate in difficulty but the beauty of the mesa makes it a great ride even for those who might walk the more difficult sections. We can easily spend 2 days up on Gooseberry Mesa.

Little Creek Mesa

Called by some locals “Gooseberry light” Little Creek offers great views and scenery less techy than Gooseberry but with plenty of slick rock challenges and fun single track to please riders of all skill levels. Amazing views of the Hurricane Valley and Zion National Park.

Guacamole Mesa

One of our favorites! Guacamole Trail is located near Zion National Park on top of a mesa overlooking the Virgin River. The trail is a mix of undulating open-rock riding plus singletrack through pinion, juniper, and brush. The trail is intermediate in tech requirement, with a short area of advanced tech at the southeast corner of the loop. For the expert techies, there are ledges and stunts just a few feet away from the main trail, plus two side-dish trails that are significantly more challenging. Fun mix of single track and technical slick rock on top of the mesa with amazing views of Zion National Park for a back drop.

JEM Trail

One of the most fun non-technical downhills you will ever ride. Just hang on to the bike and have fun! Everyone finishes this one with a big smile on their face! With the recent additions of Dead Ringer, More Cowbell, Cryptobionic and Goosebumps this trail system is a great place for beginners to ride and learn new skills!

Hurricane Loop

This 23 mile loop was designated as one of IMBA’s epic rides in 2010. This one is not to be missed. The full loop includes Gould’s, Gould’s Rim and Hurrican Cliffs trail with a fun final downhill on the Jem trail.

Barrel Roll& Rim Trails

Barrel Roll and Sidewinder trails are intermediate fun single track routes in the Santa Clara River Preserve. Sidewinder Trail is a short but fun intermediate singletrack which forks off Barrel Roll and we do it as an additional in and out.. Barrel Roll and Sidewinder can be combined with the Rim trails which are equally fun and challenging. Rim Reaper and Rim Rambler are easy trails, suitable for beginners. Rim Rock and Rim Runner are intermediate, with a couple of slightly steep spots and some rock rollovers that may challenge less-skilled riders for a great workout and fun. As always, amazing views await us here. We also get to see Barrel cactus in this particular area which are not found on any of the other trails.

Prospector & Church Rocks

One of our best trails for beginners and still fun for experienced rider. A fun single track and the short Church rocks loop on red slick rock makes this a perfect 15 mile lollipop loop with an in and out on Prospector and a 3 mile loop on Church Rocks.

Arizona Trail-26 switchbacks

This trail starts at Jacob Lake Lodge and is a fun 25 mile single track through Ponderosa Pine forest finishing up with 26 switchbacks down through the sagebrush descending 1000 feet in 2 miles with amazing views of the Vermillion cliffs.

Thunder Mountain Trail

This is one of Utah’s best single track trails. We start out on the new paved bike path in the Red Canyon and then climb to the top of Thunder Mountain on single track through pine forest. The descent among the Red Canyon’s hoodoos is a blast as we ride along knife ridges and switchbacks back to the trailhead.
Check out our video on Vimeo!

Casto & Losee Canyon Loop

Casto Canyon is like a miniature Bryce Canyon. Spires of orange rock rise above you on the canyon walls, among pine and cedar. All except for 2 miles of fairly technical single track, the trail is an ATV path that’s easy to ride. Many creek crossings will hold your interest while you gawk at the awesome rock formations. We use part of the Cassidy Trail and the Losee single track for a great 15 mile loop. The loop finishes out with a super fun and equally scenic downhill on Losee trail.
Check out our video on Vimeo!

Virgin River Rim Trail

This trail is a high-altitude alpine single track skirting the edge of Utah’s high southern plateaus. The trail offers excellent forested single track riding and some awesome views of the Pink Cliffs, an eroded rock formation similar to Bryce Canyon.The trail is 33 miles long and tough and only for those who have strength, stamina, and are acclimatized to high altitude. With over 4200 vertical feet of climbing, at an average altitude of 9300 feet, the trail winds through forests of pine, fir, and aspen as it climbs to the ridgeline.
Riding the trail from Strawberry Point, we’ll encounter some fairly stiff climbs, particularly from Cascade Falls to the top of Navajo Peak at 9700 feet.This is by far the toughest half of the ride, but it’s also the most scenic. This section includes the amazing Pink Cliffs. The ride culminates with a fun descent to Woods Ranch, the end of the route.

Navajo Lake Loop

This trail is in the Dixie National Forest as well below the Virgin River Rim and offers an easier 12 mile loop in this area. This ride is especially worthy in the fall with the golden aspen colors.

Rainbow Rim Trail

Completed in the late 1990’s, the Rainbow Rim Trail is a 24 mile long epic single track route along the edge of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon through aspen and fir forest on the Kaibab Plateau. We ride the entire trail from Parissawampitts Point to Timp Point at elevations between 7500 to 8000 feet.
Fantastic views awaits us along this trail, sure to be a highlight of the trip for everyone!

Brian Head downhills

Bunker Creek & Dark Hollow are fast technical downhills better suited for advanced intermediate riders. Ridden as shuttle rides both can be done in one day by riders craving a large dose of fun and adrenaline.