The Rusty Cliffs trail starts on the edge of St George, running to the northwest along Highway 18. Embedded rocks, stiff climbs, and a stretch of deep sand make it an upper-intermediate ride. The payoff is nice views of orange Navajo Sandstone cliffs and a trail that's relatively free of other riders. But -- let's say this right away -- few riders go here, and of those who do, the "reviews" are usually negative.

An out-and-back ride on Rusty Cliffs is 1000 feet of climbing and 7.5 miles round trip.

At the bottom of Rusty Cliffs, you can take City Creek out to the paved trail and climb uphill on pavement. (There's a spot on the paved path along Highway 18 where you can cross to the highway near the Rusty Cliffs trailhead, making a loop ride.) Or ride the City Creek trail before climbing back up Rusty Cliffs.

From the northern trailhead (see directions below), the trail drops through volcanic boulders to a sandy wash crossing 1/10th mile later. If you're a good sand rider, you can float through this one. It then climbs through brittle sage to a low ridge. Watch the trail. This is a spot where it's easy to lose it.

Once you've climbed out of the wash, however, more sand awaits you. The next 1/3 mile is deep and soft. There may be some spots that you can float, but it's hardly worth it. Expect a long slog.

Next comes another stretch of volcanic boulders to weave through and bounce over. The trail will curve away from the road and down through a wash called Twist Hollow. On the far side you'll dip through a ravine that screams for a ride-around. We're at mile 1.4 as you pass through Twist Hollow.

Head into the culvert and pass under the road. On the other side of the culvert, there's a steep bench-cut to get up above the road. The trail then turns east.

I first rode Rusty Cliffs around 20 years ago. I did only the lower mile and decided it wasn't worthy of an independent write-up and included it as a "well, there's this but don't bother" on the City Creek trail page. I've changed my mind. Yes, the upper end of the Rusty Cliffs trail has problems. And those problems keep riders away, resulting in a trail that's hard to follow. But the lower 2.5 miles is fine riding. And if more bike tires get onto this trail, maybe the Desert Preserve folks would authorize some work to make Rusty Cliffs awesome. So, bottom line is, at this time Rusty Cliffs would be one of the last trails you'd ride in the St George area, after you're bored with everything else.

Rusty Cliffs could become an excellent ride if the trail were to be tweaked. Well, two or three short tweaks and one long re-route. The tweaks are needed where the trail plunges straight down the fall line into a wash, then straight up the other side (this is a "my horse prefers to take the slope head-on and it's the shortest path" alignment and is erosion prone and dangerous to riders and trail runners). For example on the eastern side of Twist Hollow, about 200 feet of new trail could contour around one problematic ravine crossing, creating a more sustainable and rideable lie. The big re-route would involve taking the trail to the northeast around the big half-mile sand pit. Running along the edge of the hill above the flat would create 3/4 mile of new trail that would be awesome for bikes and hikers. The current lines could be designated as the equestrian option, similar to what Kanab did with Tom's Canyon.

Pioneer Hills trailhead (connecting via City Creek): From St. George Blvd (the main drag), head north on Main Street (towards the "Dixie" painted on the big rock above the cliffs). When you reach Hope Street, turn right, then immediately take the left fork and climb Skyline Drive to the top of the cliffs. Turn left on Red Hills Parkway (labeled Skyline Drive on some city maps, and still called Turtle Road by many locals). After the top of the hill, turn right into the parking area. The trail starts across the road. Find the paved (cement) trail descending north and crossing under the parkway. Turn left (back uphill) on the Red Hills Parkway Trail. After 1/10th mile, look for the stepover gate. Pedal City Creek trail to mile 2.5, then veer to the left at an unmarked fork. If you arrive at the paved parkway trail, backtrack 1/10th mile.

Trail entry from the Red Hills Parkway trail:  At the intersection of Red Hills Parkway (where it becomes Snow Canyon Parkway) and Bluff Street, exit the Snow Canyon paved trail to head east uphill on the paved Red Hills Parkway Trail. After 1/4 mile, find the step-over gate to the City Creek trail. Pedal 1/10th mile, then make a hard 150-degree right turn onto a smaller trail, which is Rusty Cliffs.

Bathrooms:  None
Water:  None