 | Little Creek Mountain - West Mesa Loop Little Creek Mountain is a flat-top mesa 18 miles east of Hurricane, 10 miles south of its more famous twin Gooseberry Mesa. Like Gooseberry, Little Creek has technical singletrack mixed with areas of open rock. There are two well-traveled interconnected loops of around 9 miles each that can be linked together for 15 miles of advanced riding. At 5600 feet average elevation, there's little vertical change over the course of the trail. This guide is for the West Mesa Loop. If you're going to venture on alternative trails, we suggest you have either (A) a guide, or (B) a GPS unit and lots of time! |
| Ride Notes, West Mesa Loop with Magic Carpet clockwise (easier), 9.5 miles: |
| 0.0 Continue west on doubletrack from parking 0.2 R uphill on ST into trees N37 03.582 W113 13.664 0.5 Cross faint doubletrack, arrive at open rock Fork L at N 37 03.821 W 113 13.606, westbound (Straight = to North Loop) 0.8 Marked fork in flat washbottom Go straight N 37 03.737 W 113 13.994 R = Return trail (Magic Carpet Ride) 3.6 Reach western edge of mesa, north along cliffs N 37 04.166 W 113 15.154 5.0 Trail veers eastward 6.0 Southbound | 6.9 Drop into fork of Gould Wash
briefly N37 04.701 W113 13.602 7.3 Trail fork, R to Magic Carpet Ride N 37 04.488 W 113 13.405 (L = to north loops or larger loop, see below) 8.2 Trail crosses open rock canyon to your left 8.4 Join doubletrack, straight downhill N 37° 03.797' W 113° 13.792' 8.6 Back at trail fork (0.8) N 37 03.737 W 113 13.994 L in bottom of wash, follow slickrock 8.9 Back at first trail fork (0.5), R on original path 9.5 At parking |
| Full Main Loop, clockwise (about same distance, but significantly harder), 9.6 miles: |
| Follow
West Mesa Loop (above) to mile 7.3 7.3 Fork L toward North Loops N 37 04.488 W 113 13.405 7.6 Open rock area, trail sign N37 04.552 W113 13.162 R (straight) southeast 7.7 Trail drops steeply into bottom of rock wash N37 04.520 W113 13.081 (follow washbottom) 7.8 Waterfall, cross Gould Wash, steep climb out | 7.9 Critical spot! Fork R just
after finishing climb N37 04.418 W113 13.004 (L = occasionally marked alternate routes) 8.4 Alternate rejoins on L N37 04.129 W113 13.271 9.0 Keep straight (L) at original trail fork N37 03.818 W113 13.599 9.6 Back at car |
 | Getting there: On Highway 9 at the east end of Hurricane, turn south on US-59 and zero your odometer. One block later, turn left (east) and begin climbing up out of the Hurricane Valley. 13.2 miles later, turn right on gravel road. 14.1 turn right; 14.9 keep right; 16.0 keep left; 16.4 keep left; 18.5 continue straight across cattleguard; 19.5 turn right (critical turn where corral is on your left, leave the main road); 20.1 bear left. At 21.0, cross 3rd cattle guard; 21.5 road reaches slickrock, park here (GPS N 37° 03.586' W 113° 13.528'). Begin the ride by heading down the road (the singletrack forks off on the right 0.2 miles later). Copyright 2002 Mad Scientist Software Inc |