Good Water Rim Trail
This is one of the best rides in Utah. The 15 miles of singletrack follow the edge of Good Water Canyon. It's upper-intermediate level riding that seems to go on forever. Plus great views, coming so often you'll stop looking! As a loop, the entire ride is 21 miles. Intermediate riders can cut the loop in half for a shorter ride. There are no sustained climbs, but the trail has frequent little dips and endless twisting turns.

The ride is shaped like a cancerous maple leaf, because the singletrack hugs the edge of the many side-channels that feed into Good Water Canyon. Good Water is a short steep-walled side canyon off The Little Grand Canyon of the San Rafael River.

Overall, the ride has only about 300 feet of elevation difference between the south end (at the San Rafael gorge) and the lower north end where you curve around the tip of Good Water. Top elevation is 6250 feet.

Riders can have different reasons for liking a trail:
     Gut-busting climbs
     Downhill that goes on forever
     Challenging technical stunts
     Smooth mindless pedaling

This trail offers none of the above. But if you like cross-country singletrack that's interesting to ride and also offers great views, this is your trail. For that type of riding, it might just be the best in Utah.

The trail is fun to ride, with almost constant turns and up-and-downs. There are some rock ledges to bump over; nothing scary or particularly tricky. Countless times the trail comes to the edge of the cliffs and slams you with amazing views.

The ride starts at the Little Grand Canyon Overlook just east of The Wedge overlook. You can drive to the trailhead, or ride from one of the many campsites along the loop road.

The trail starts as doubletrack heading north along the cliff edge of Good Water Canyon. After about 2/3 mile, the DT heads away from the canyon and the trail becomes singletrack. Watch for rock cairns as the singletrack trail rejoins the DT very briefly a few times during the next mile.

In general, if you're in doubt you should always try to stay right, and as close to the canyon as you can. Any singletrack to the left is usually a bailout route to a group campsite. At mile 4.9, you'll run across the first connector trail that goes to a campsite. Just stay R and watch for rock trail markers.

At mile 6.8, you'll skirt another primitive campsite. Keep right, and don't be suckered into going to the main road.

At mile 8.2, the trail crosses a campsite road. Turn R on the road, go about 50 feet east, then find the continuing trail on the LEFT side of the road. This is probably the only time you'll ever do "left anything" on the ST. You'll skirt the campsite and quickly find yourself on the rocky edge again. Now return to your "keep right" rule.

The road at 8.2 is a good breakout-point for riders who're planning a short ride. To quit, go left until the campsite road hits the main road. Go left, then left again in 1/4 mile. You're now on the main road, and will be back at your car in 2.9 (uphill) miles.

The riding surface is orange dirt mixed with limestone ledges of the Carmel Formation. The harder Carmel protects the Navajo sandstone. Once the Carmel limestone layer breaks down, the underlying rock quickly turns into a chasm. (If you're wondering where the Entrada is, it's in the occasional red dirt under your tires. Unlike Moab, the Entrada here doesn't sit right on top of the Navajo layer.)

The eastern half of the singletrack is about 1.5 miles shorter. When the trail brings you back to the Little Grand Canyon, you'll turn east for the last time. When you hit a row of big purple rocks, find the doubletrack heading east.

The dirt road is a fast ride. It's 6 miles back to the car. It took me about 1/2 hour. The road curves in a big semi-circle. Occasional smaller campsite roads fork off. Just stay on the main road.

After 3.1 miles, you'll reach the Wedge kiosk and fork left for the final uphill 2.9-mile push back to the overlook.

Riding notes, clockwise ST, counterclockwise road return,
from the Little Grand Canyon Overlook parking loop:
0.0   From the eastern overlook, north on DT  N39 05.731 W110 44.937
0.9   You should be on ST now, watch cairns
4.9   Keep R  N39 06.544 W110 45.370
6.8   Keep R  N39 06.996 W110 45.305
8.2   R onto road, immediate L onto ST  N39 07.524 W110 45.044
        (Bailout option here: L on road)
15.0 East on DT  N39 06.734 W110 44.029
15.9 Keep L (R=campsite and views)  N39 07.080 W110 43.292
16.4 Keep L  N39 07.400 W110 43.587
18.1 L on main road  N39 07.377 W110 45.431
20.4 L along canyon edge  N39 05.582 W110 45.537
21.0 At parking

Getting there, from the north:  Exit US-6 in Price, southbound on highway 10. Go through Huntington. (In Huntington, there's an alternate road that ends up at the trailhead. I haven't tried it.) As you approach Castle Dale 28 miles from Price, watch for a sign that says "San Rafael Access" and a broad dirt road on the left (heading east). There's a huge corral near the start of the road. Once you're on the dirt road, go 12.2 miles. Turn right at an X intersection where you'll see a trail kiosk and a bathroom.
West trailhead:  Drive 7 miles south, staying on the main road. When the road hits a cliff edge, turn left and go another 1/2 mile to the Little Grand Canyon Overlook. Park here. Start your ride on the small doubletrack on the north end of the circle.
Main trailhead:  Drive 4.4 miles, then turn left at a kiosk. Drive 1/3 mile east to the main trailhead. This trailhead lies in the middle of Good Water Rim.
East trailhead:  At mile 4.4 of the Wedge Overlook road as above, turn left. Drive 3.1 miles to a camping area and trailhead at the far southeast end of Good Water Rim.