Hurricane Cliffs Riding Area
Trail summary page
This trail climbs from the southwest corner of Hurricane City up to the doubletrack leading to Gould's Rim. Bypasses highway traffic for bikers riding directly to or from town to do the Hurricane Rim Loop ride, or headed for More Cowbell, Dead Ringer, or other mesa area trails.
Gould's Rim runs between the radio tower Highway 59 Hurricane Rim trailhead (just uphill from Hurricane) and Highway 59 at the upper JEM trailhead. Point-to-point it's 8.9 miles, starting at 3600 feet and climbing to 4350. From lower TH, connect via highway, then longish doubletrack climb, then singletrack with views into Gould's Wash, and finally undulating badlands singletrack. Top end connects to JEM. Part of the classic Hurricane Rim Loop ride.
The original high-speed desert singletrack, JEM starts at the doubletrack of the upper Highway 59 trailhead to the lower JEM trailhead on Sheep Bridge Road off Highway 9 near Virgin. 6.9 miles with 800 feet of elevation change to 3400 at bottom. Connects to JEM DT, Dead Ringer, Goosebumps, China Wash, Cryptobionic, and Hurricane Rim. Part of the classic Hurricane Rim Loop ride (loop skips final bottom section). Note that the top 2.1 miles and the bottom 1.5 miles of JEM are now one-way downhill-only.
Carne Asada is the one-way climbing route from the lower JEM trailhead. On the way uphill, you'll bypass the one-way DH lower section of JEM. Carne Asada is 2.5 miles long, joining the two-way section of JEM at the Hurricane Rim turnoff.
The uphill end of Hurricane Rim starts on JEM about 1.8 mile uphill from the lower trailhead off Highway 9. On the loop ride, that's 5 miles downhill after leaving the doubletrack at the upper trailhead on Highway 59. Downhill, the trail starts at the Hurricane Rim (radio tower) trailhead on 59. 7.3 miles long, with 1000 vertical feet of climbing but only 200 feet absolute elevation change. Part of the classic Hurricane Rim Loop ride.
Connecting trail leaves JEM 3.5 miles downhill from the upper trailhead, following a wash to Hurricane Rim 2.8 miles from the Hurricane Rim (lower 59) trailhead. 1.1 miles long. Can be use to dramatically shorten the Hurricane Loop ride.
Cryptobionic's lower end is at the bathroom (hiking trailhead) on the Hurricane Rim trail. From there it flows quickly south and uphill to end on Goosebumps at the mesa skirts. It's 3.6 miles with 350 feet of elevation change. Singletrack in gradually rolling sage flats.
Goosebumps is a rolling twisting singletrack that hugs the lower skirts of Gooseberry Mesa. It starts on upper JEM as the spur from Dead Ringer crosses. The singletrack along the mesa is 3.7 miles long, after which you can climb up on the JEM Doubletrack circling to the JEM upper trailhead, or descend on a combo of ST, DT, and washbottom back to Cryptobionic at Sheep Bridge Road near the JEM crossover.
Dirt road starting at the upper JEM trailhead on Highway 59. Runs along the mesa skirts just above the first escarpment 3.2 miles to intersect the eastern end of Goosebumps (a nice loop ride). Connects down to Sheep Bridge Road.
Starts across the doubletrack from JEM at the upper Highway 59 trailhead. Descends downhill with a spur over Goosebumps on upper JEM, then crosses JEM near Sheep Bridge Road before ending on Cryptobionic. Five miles long with 500 feet of elevation change. Good climbing or descending. Dead Ringer is now the climbing route to the top of JEM, which is one-way downhill-only once it crosses Dead Ringer near Sheep Bridge Road.
Easy (beginner-level) singletrack above limestone ledges just downhill from the upper JEM trailhead. This 2.5-mile loop is accessed off the first part of Dead Ringer. Great views. Midpoint of loop has spur to JEM just above the cliff plunge.
Hurricane Hill trailhead: As above, turn south in Hurricane on US-59 Follow the road uphill 0.9 miles, then turn left into the trailhead parking near the cell phone towers. GPS N 37 10.740' W 113 16.601', Alt=3650'. The Hurricane Rim trail begins along the fence, heading northeast. To get to Gould's, roll down the highway (caution!) 0.1 miles then veer left to the steep doubletrack.
Upper JEM trailhead: In Hurricane, turn south on US-59 (towards the Grand Canyon). Drive exactly 5 miles uphill. Turn left on cindered doubletrack right as you approach the base of Gooseberry Mesa. Drive another 0.3 miles to the parking area and head northeast on JEM.. N 37 08.329' W 113 14.527'
Sheep Bridge Road trailhead: Found half-way along gravel Sheep Bridge Road, which connects US-9 to US-59. Drive toward the upper JEM trailhead on Highway 59 as above. But at mile 3.3 (while still on the flat area), turn left into a fenced parking area. This trailhead has a bathroom. Cryptobionic and northern Dead Ringer can be found here. If you're coming from US-9, it's 2.9 miles from the highway. Option, roadside parking off US-59: If you turned onto Sheep Bridge Road from Highway 59, immediately park on the right, just inside the fence. Pedal 0.4 miles northeast to where the JEM singletrack crosses.
Camping/Competition parking: On Sheep Bridge Road from US-59, drive 3 miles and turn left. (The first road is to the camping area and the second one above it is competition parking.) If coming south from US-9, it's 1.8 miles.
NOTE! There is no longer parking for mountain bikers at the bottom of JEM. That trailhead has been closed by the nature conservancy.
