JEM Doubletrack with Box Car and Steak Knife

The JEM Doubletrack (JEM DT) is a dirt road along the northern skirts of Gooseberry Mesa. It begins at the upper JEM trailhead. In the past this dirt road was the uphill part of the old classic JEM loop ride. Now it connects you from the trailhead to the singletrack alternate paths Box Car and Steak Knife before it delivers you to eastern Goosebumps.

The doubletrack is now closed to public vehicle traffic.

Original photos and review of the JEM DT route by Bruce in 2002, updated in 2015. Box Car and Steak Knife added September 24, 2026.

These rides are quite easy, but do involve riding near cliffs. The views -- almost constant -- are the big draw.

The JEM Doubletrack follows a zone of gently sloping clay, midway between the steep slopes of Gooseberry Mesa to the south and limestone cliff edges that drop down to the lower levels of the Hurricane Cliffs riding area to the north.

Because upper JEM is now downhill-only, the DT is again being used as a climbing route. It's also found new life as a downhill for a loop route that combines Goosebumps and upper Dead Ringer (with a side tour of More Cowbell.) And with the creation of Box Car and Steak Knife in 2026, there's going to be more riders and hikers on the JEM DT.

Box Car is 2.1 miles in length, found on downhill (left) side of the doubletrack 0.7 miles from the trailhead. Steak Knife begins 0.2 miles after Box Car ends, also on the left side of the doubletrack. It's slightly shorter at 2.0 miles.

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. Cross the cattle guard at the gate, then immediately turn right on singletrack. When you cross the cattleguard, just keep straight on the broad doubletrack.

An alternative route is to take the JEM trail for the first 0.4 miles as a more-interesting alternative to the doubletrack. (JEM is found next to the fence on the uphill side as you go through the gate.) This section of JEM is one-way only, so you can't do it on the way back.

This trailhead with bathroom and bike stand is found half-way along the 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 on gravel Sheep Bridge road. Drive 2.9 miles on Sheep Bridge road to a fenced parking area with a bathroom. Cryptobionic and northern Dead Ringer can also be found here. To get to the JEM DT, keep to the left on lower Goosebumps and follow it southeast. It will cross a dirt road at the base of the lower mesa. That's the DT. Turn left and climb through a shallow canyon until you're above the lower cliff-line.

In the east you'll see the sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. The monoliths are Navajo Sandstone from the Jurassic Period.

To the left the escarpment breaks to a broad valley, with the granite Pine Valley Mountains in the background.

At mile 3.2, the dirt road pulls leftward and out of the wash. At the crest of this little hill, Goosebumps crosses.

Older children should be able to manage the right turn onto lower Goosebumps down to Sheep Bridge Road. If in doubt, stay on the dirt road.

If you decide to ride laps around the trail, you'll add 0.7 miles of doubletrack between the ends of Box Car, for a ride of 2.8 miles. The DT does some up-and-down riding, so it's not as easy as you'd think. The loop will require just under 200 feet of climbing.

There are no trail signs in 2026, and the trail is not obvious. In fact, after a rain has erased tire tracks, it's almost invisible. You simply must know where it lies. Memorize the curve and the low bluff in the photo and you're good!

In the clockwise direction, Box Car starts with a gentle descent through rolling clay soil. The terrain here is sage and ephedra with an occasional juniper. You'll descend this not-interesting slope for around 0.2 miles before you settle onto relatively flat trail along the cliff edges.

The trail is surrounded by brittle sage, yucca, and brigham tea. Again, there are occasional junipers and gooseberry.

At this second viewpoint, the trail will turn back to the southeast, following the edge of a deep wash for 1/2 mile. It will then reverse and head north to the 3rd viewpoint at mile 1.7.

Now you'll follow the rock cliffs of the eastern edge of the mesa on the return toward the end of Box Car on the doubletrack.

At mile 2.0, with 1/10th mile to go, you'll pass the head of the wash and climb a switchback to the upper level. The climb has a fair slope that will challenge beginners. The surface of the climb was solid for my ride, but I'm sure the climb is harder if the trail has turned to powder.

The next singletrack, Steak Knife, is 0.2 miles east on the JEM DT.

Steak Knife is a two-way trail, but most riders will do it clockwise as a continuation of a ride from the upper JEM trailhead. If you came directly from the trailhead, it's at mile 1.6 of the doubletrack. If you rode around Box Car on the way, your mileage will be 3.0 as you reach the entry to Steak Knife.

In 2026, there's no trail marker. Not even a pile of rocks. You'll need to watch closely. (The eastern end is even more obscure. It's 0.4 miles further along the JEM DT, in a flattish area before the DT veers to the right to descend through a wash. I rode three days after a rain, and the trail there was invisible.)

Most riders should choose to ride Steak Knife in the clockwise direction, starting from the western end.

Here's the almost-invisible western entry to Steak Knife. Believe it or not, the eastern entry is even harder to spot!

The first viewpoint is at mile 0.6 from the DT. The trail surface here is mostly dirt and pebbles, with some rock slab.

Because the eastern end of Steak Knife is 50 feet lower than the upper, there's no climb during the final portion of Steak Knife. Unless, of course, you decided to ride it east to west. Then there's a short but tough climb.

The singletrack trails put this upper doubletrack in competition for your riding time! The riding is easy and the views are awesome.

For intermediate to advanced riders, I'd suggest you hit the mesa singletracks, then drop down to Goosebumps for the westbound ride to Dead Ringer and a climb back to the trailhead. Add a lap around More Cowbell if you like!