Bruce climbs the twisting Kiln-It trail up through the power line corridor. Vide...
Bruce climbs the twisting Kiln-It trail up through the power line corridor. Video, photos, GPS and ride description September 13, 2019 with latest update June 2021.
Pahvant Trail System
Lower mountain trails including Kiln-It, Cairn-Age, Telegraph Area

The Pahvant system lies on the hillside west of I-70 in Richfield. The singletrack trails are fun and well-built, ranging from easy to expert. For Wasatch Front riders, this system is worth the trip. The expected riding season would be mid-May through October. This page covers the trails on the lower mountain that can be accessed from the top of Kiln-It. The upper-area trails, accessed from the top of Faulty, are described on upper Pavant web page .

The trails are well-marked and easy to follow once you get there. It's obvious a lot of TLC went into crafting these trails, with good alignment choices and well-engineered bermed turns. You can do several loop rides of differing lengths or shuttled downhill rides. A great eight-mile starter ride is to climb Kiln-It to the ridgeline, then turn onto Cairn-Age for the downhill.

Other trails discussed on this page include Snakebite, Big Red, Telegraph, and Tank Run. The Cottonwood Kids Loop is discussed in detail for parents on another page.

Rolling downhill on Cairn-Age.
Rolling downhill on Cairn-Age.
Looking southwest from the parking area just off the northern Richfield I-70 exi...
Looking southwest from the parking area just off the northern Richfield I-70 exit. On weekends, this will be your parking spot. The trail begins as gravel road just across from the parking lot.
The north trailhead is at 5500 feet elevation, right off the northern Richfield I-70 exit. Go west as you exit the interstate (away from the city) and the pavement will end in around 100 yards. Turn left on cindered road. Immediatelly to your left is a large gravel parking lot, which is the official Pahvant trailhead.

Local riders drive down the small gravel road parallel to the freeway for 1/2 mile and park where the road splits. There's room for a couple of cars to park here on the side of the road.

There's a right-hand arrow on a carsonite post where the larger road splits into two smaller ATV tracks, directing the bike traffic to turn 90 degrees right. About 50 yards uphill, the Kiln-It singletrack connector trail drops to cross Cottonwood Creek, then meanders over to the bottom of Kiln-It at the doubletrack. The Cottonwood Kids Loop is a bit further uphill on the DT.

Starting uphill on Kiln-It. Unless youre doing a shuttle, Kiln-It is your best r...
Starting uphill on Kiln-It. Unless you're doing a shuttle, Kiln-It is your best route to the other trails in the Pahvant system.
Climbing away from Richfield on Kiln-It. First the white dirt and next comes the...
Climbing away from Richfield on Kiln-It. First the white dirt and next comes the red dirt.
The main trailhead is on 300 North in Richfield, where you'll pass under the freeway to the gravel Forest Road 096. There you can find your way uphill on either FR096, ATV trail 70, or the Tank Run trail just uphill from the water tank on FR096.
Quick Look!

FR 096: Gravel road for shuttle or climbing.
Cottonwood Kids: easy loop for true beginners and kids.
Kiln-It: Two-way trail, usually used as a climbing route. Quickest access from the north trailhead.
Tank Run: Two-way trail usually used to bring you back from the southern DH trails (Telegraph and Spinal Tap) to Big Red or Kiln-It to climb up again.
Cairn-Age: Downhill
Snake Bite: DH alternate off Cairn-Age
Big Red: Two-way trail, usually used to climb from Tank Run to upper Kiln-It.
Telegraph: DH trail
Hi-Line: One-way, used to connect to Telegraph
Dos Equis: Short DH from lower Big Red to Tank Run.
Faulty: Route uphill to higher trails

Map of the lower Pahvant trails
Map of the lower Pahvant trails
Two-way and Climbing Trails  (lower mountain)
Kiln-It Trail

Kiln-It is 4.1 miles long, with a climb of 1000 vertical feet. It starts on the doubletrack along the freeway and ends on FR096. It's two-way traffic, so you can do any portion of the trail as an out-and-back.

Heading up Kiln-It in the lower white dirt.
Heading up Kiln-It in the lower white dirt.
Rolling a big berm while climbing Kiln-It.
Rolling a big berm while climbing Kiln-It.
Kiln-It has a connector to the midpoint of Cairn-Age at mile 2.0, with a second fork to the top of Cairn-Age at 3.3 miles. If you climb to the top of Kiln-It, you can continue uphill on either FR 096 or the Faulty singletrack -- discussed on the upper Pahvant trail page .
The lower 2 miles of Kiln-It is non-technical. A strong beginner should be able to climb this first half of the trail, perhaps with a rest break or two.
Red dirt, then white dirt. More red dirt to come.
Red dirt, then white dirt. More red dirt to come.
Bruce passes the short connector trail to mid Cairn-Age.
Bruce passes the short connector trail to mid Cairn-Age.
Lower Kiln-It and Cairn-Age can be combined for an easy four-mile loop by taking a short connecting trail at mid-mountain. Climb Kiln-It to mile 2.0, then turn right on the signed trail fork to the Cairn-Age connector. The connector hits Cairn-Age after around 100 yards, where you'll turn to the right downhill.
Waypoints when climbing Kiln-It:
0.7   Cairn-Age joins on L (do not enter)
1.0   Cross Cairn-Age
1.4   Tank Run on L (2-way)
2.0   Connector to lower Cairn-Age R
3.0   Big Red on L (2-way)
3.2   Cairn-Age on R
3.45 Connector to lower Faulty on R
3.5   Hi Line joins on L (do not enter)
4.1   Bottom of Juniper Drop then FR096
Upper Kiln-It is significantly more difficult than the lower half, both in climb...
Upper Kiln-It is significantly more difficult than the lower half, both in climbing grade and bumpiness.
Threading through the rocks on upper Kiln-It.
Threading through the rocks on upper Kiln-It.
After passing the connector to the middle of Cairn-Age at mile 2, Kiln-It gets a bit steeper and you'll hit some more-technical stretches of rock. The 1.3 miles of Kiln-It between the Cairn-Age connector and the top of Cairn-Age would rate upper-intermediate in difficulty.
For a moderate XC ride, just climb Kiln-It to the top then descend via Cairn-Age for 9.1 miles with around 1050 feet of climbing.

For an expert-level ride, continue uphill from Kiln-It on Faulty then take One-in-a-Pinion and Spinal Tap to the bottom (see upper Pahvant trail page ). 

Drone view as Bruce crosses from Kiln-It over to Cairn-Age, with Richfield in th...
Drone view as Bruce crosses from Kiln-It over to Cairn-Age, with Richfield in the background.
Note the trail between cliff and tank. Thats a shortcut to the top of Tank Run.
Note the trail between cliff and tank. That's a shortcut to the top of Tank Run.
Tank Run

Tank Run is a traversing trail that gently climbs 150 feet over 1.5 miles. Its primary purpose is as a return trail from Telegraph, or an access trail to Big Red or Kiln-It when starting from the main trailhead at FR096. The lower end of Tank Run is on FR096 at mile 0.6 from the 300 North trailhead.

As you climb FR 096, you'll note a trail skirting the water tank on the uphill side. That's not actually Tank Run, but it will take you there. The official entry to Tank Run is around the next bend in the road. It's well-marked. It's oriented to receive traffic coming down FR 096 from the bottom of Telegraph, which is just uphill.
Official start of Tank Run, looking east toward the valley.
Official start of Tank Run, looking east toward the valley.
Climbing up and around the hill. Tank Run is fairly smooth, and climbing grades ...
Climbing up and around the hill. Tank Run is fairly smooth, and climbing grades are usually gentle. If you're looking at something steep, it's not the right trail -- it's a DH trail connecting in.
Tank Run climbs around the hillside, with frequent views over the valley. You'll pass a couple of descending trails that join (unmarked as of June 2021). Just stay on the main trail. If you don't see a trail sign, you're not there yet.
Tank Run is a two-way trail. The highly banked turns function well as climbing turns or as a swooping roller-coaster downhill.
Looking in the downhill direction toward Richfield. Its a beautiful S-turn.
Looking in the downhill direction toward Richfield. It's a beautiful S-turn.
Big Red is on the left here, as seen coming from FR 096. Theres a second entry t...
Big Red is on the left here, as seen coming from FR 096. There's a second entry to Big Red just past the tree for downhill riders. Keep right if you're headed for Kiln-It.
Tank Run has some gentle descents as it gains 100 vertical feet over 0.9 miles to Big Red. The trail fork is plainly marked, and will be on your uphill left.
If you continue beyond the entry to Big Red, you'll get into a white-clay zone with some rough embedded rock, plus a bit more of the red dirt. The goal, for most riders, is to have an easier climb up Kiln-It.

You'll reach Kiln-It at mile 1.5 from FR096. Tank Run splits to connect smoothly for both uphill and downhill riders.

Heading toward Kiln-It.
Heading toward Kiln-It.
Entry to Big Red, as seen when descending (going southbound) on Tank Run.
Entry to Big Red, as seen when descending (going southbound) on Tank Run.
Big Red

Big Red is a two-way trail that extends from Tank Run on the bottom end to upper Kiln-It. It's solid intermediate as a climbing route and easier-intermediate as a descender. It's 2.4 miles in length with 500 feet of elevation change.

As a climbing route, Big Red is reached via Tank Run. Climb from FR 096 (0.9 miles) or traverse over from Kiln-It (0.6 miles). As a descender, you'll find Big Red around a mile down Kiln-It.
Big Red winds back and forth, with frequent views of both the valley and the mou...
Big Red winds back and forth, with frequent views of both the valley and the mountains.
Typical trail on Big Red, smooth banked turns, and a bit of rock to navigate bet...
Typical trail on Big Red, smooth banked turns, and a bit of rock to navigate between turns.
Big Red is a somewhat harder climb than Kiln-It, both in terms of grade and tech. It's more of the fun stuff you came here for!

As you climb, the short DH trail Dos Equis crosses Big Red at mile 0.6 from the bottom. The entry to Dos Equis is at 0.7 -- otherwise there are no trail forks until you join Kiln-It.

When combined with the first portion of Tank Run, Big Red is often used as a climbing route uphill from the Spinal Tap trail (see upper Pahvant page ),
Fun spot on Big Red. Three bridges span boulders.
Fun spot on Big Red. Three bridges span boulders.
Winding through a boulder field.
Winding through a boulder field.
If you choose to descend Big Red, you'll find it at mile 1.1 from the top of Kiln-It. If you're doing a loop ride up Kiln-It and down Big Red, you'll reach the top of Big Red at mile 3.0 of Kiln-It.
The top of Big Red is at 6800 feet elevation, where it joins Kiln-It at a hairpin turn.
Big Red joins Kiln-It.
Big Red joins Kiln-It.
Downhill Trails (lower mountain)
Heading downhill into the trail fork between Kiln-It and Hi Line shortly after l...
Heading downhill into the trail fork between Kiln-It and Hi Line shortly after leaving FR096.
Down from the top of Kiln-It...

To shuttle the ride, leave one car at the bottom. Now go back under the freeway and drive into Richfield on Main Street. Turn right on 300 North. Pass the ATV parking lot and go under I-70. Now stay on the broad gravel/dirt road for 2.2 miles. Watch for the small trail sign on your right. Find a spot for your car and begin pedaling north on Kiln-It. You will begin your ride on Kiln-It, but you can hit Hi Line (with its connection to Telegraph), Cairn-Age (with option of Snake Bite), Big Red, or Tank Run on your way down.

Hi Line Trail

When heading downhill from FR096, your first trail option is at mile 0.3. Left on singletrack is Kiln-It. Right continues ATV track for 100 feet, then you'll drop to the right on singletrack Hi Line. This trail can be short techy alternate when descending Kiln-It, or it's your route over to the Telegraph DH trail.

Hi Line has two expert-level rock drops in the middle of easier cruising. The first drop is a bit more dangerous, and intermediates may want to walk this one. Hi Line rejoins Kiln-It after 0.3 miles.
Looking down a rock drop on Hi Line, with an initial 3-foot vertical down to the...
Looking down a rock drop on Hi Line, with an initial 3-foot vertical down to the bumpy ramp.
View north from the upper Kiln-It about 1/2 mile from FR096 after Hi Line rejoin...
View north from the upper Kiln-It about 1/2 mile from FR096 after Hi Line rejoins.
Just over 0.1 mile down Hi Line, the Telegraph trail forks away on the right. This is an expert-level downhill-only trail. See the description below.

If you elect to take Kiln-It all the way to the bottom, it will be 4.1 miles. This is a popular shuttle option for early-intermediates and experienced beginners.

Cairn-Age

At mile 0.9 from the top of Kiln-It, Cairn-Age forks away on your left. Cairn-Age has some expert sections that can be managed by confident upper-intermediates. It's 1.9 miles down Cairn-Age before it rejoins Kiln-It.

A paver-stone highway on the ridgeline heading away from Kiln-It.
A paver-stone highway on the ridgeline heading away from Kiln-It.
Heading into a fun and scenic ridgeline section of Cairn-Age.
Heading into a fun and scenic ridgeline section of Cairn-Age.
The first half mile of Cairn-Age is the most technical. Skilled intermediate riders can manage this upper portion of the trail with a few walk-overs. This downhill is a lot of fun.

After the Snake Bite fork, Cairn-Age is a bit more tame. But watch out. Between the swooping turns are many rock-drops. Most of them have ride-arounds. Some drops you'll simply have to hit. Intermediates, keep up enough speed that you don't drop your nose over a rock and endo!

Cairn-Age ends on Kiln-It. The trail fork aims you downhill, but you can whip the bike around for another trip up the mountain on Kiln-It. Or you can coast 0.6 miles down Kiln-It to the bottom.
Hitting the banked turn just before Cairn-Age ends on Kiln-It.
Hitting the banked turn just before Cairn-Age ends on Kiln-It.
Handlebar view looking down Snake Bite. Lots of ledges and roll-overs.
Handlebar view looking down Snake Bite. Lots of ledges and roll-overs.
Snake Bite

Snake Bite is a detour off Cairn-Age, 0.7 miles downhill from the top. Like Cairn-Age, Snake Bite is one-way downhill. It starts as a long straight rock-fest. Keep your butt off the seat and work the bike intelligently, or you will -- surprise! -- flatten your tire with a snakebite.

After getting through the top rock 'n bang 'n jump section of Snake Bite, the trail settles into a blazing fast downhill dirt ribbon. Snake Bite rejoins Cairn-Age after 0.8 miles. Keep straight and continue downhill on Cairn-Age. Your first chance to turn around and head back uphill will come at the end of Cairn-Age.
Drone shot as Bruce flies down lower Snake Bite.
Drone shot as Bruce flies down lower Snake Bite.
Entry to Dos Equis as seen when descending Big Red. The trail was just finished ...
Entry to Dos Equis as seen when descending Big Red. The trail was just finished when I rode, so it may look a bit different for you.
Dos Equis

Dos Equis is a very short DH trail that drops from the lower part of Big Red to Tank Run. It's 0.6 miles long with only 100 vertical feet of elevation drop.

Dos Equis is rated expert because of multiple drops and steep spots. There's a bvit of ridgeline cruising in between.
Heading along the first ridgeline before dropping down toward the Big Red crossi...
Heading along the first ridgeline before dropping down toward the Big Red crossing.
Looking uphill from Big Red at the rock drop. Watch for riders here! Not a lot o...
Looking uphill from Big Red at the rock drop. Watch for riders here! Not a lot of room to apply brakes if you weren't paying attention!
When descending Big Red, Dos Equis forks away from Big Red at mile 1.6 after leaving Kiln-It.

Dos Equis crosses Big Red again in just 0.1 miles. Watch out for riders here, because the crossing comes just 30 feet after you take a rock drop.

Dos Equis ends as it drops onto Tank Run, with a trail split that puts you into the correct direction as you approach Tank Run.

Note that there's a short downhill trail lower down on Big Red. This trail also crosses Tank Run but then joins it from below. It's only 1/10th mile long and I mention it only because you might confuse this (unmarked as of June 2021) trail with Dos Equis.

Fresh tire tracks on brand new trail as we roll eastbound toward the final plung...
Fresh tire tracks on brand new trail as we roll eastbound toward the final plunge.
Entry to Telegraph from Hi Line.
Entry to Telegraph from Hi Line.
Telegraph

Telegraph is a one-way downhill trail, 2.1 miles long with an elevation loss of 850 feet. It begins in the middle of Hi Line just off the top of Kiln-It and ends on FR096 just 0.2 miles west of the freeway. This trail is advanced in tech requirement.

To descend Telegraph, get onto upper Kiln-It and turn onto Hi Line. Then 0.1 miles later fork right. At first, it will be simple cruising through the junipers with a gradual climb.
Crossing the ridge. Theres a bit of dusty sand here that can bog you down as you...
Crossing the ridge. There's a bit of dusty sand here that can bog you down as you climb across. Aim for the rock slabs.
Just getting started, and here are the first two drops.
Just getting started, and here are the first two drops.
After crossing a ridge, Telegraph begins descending. It motors right along. There are ledge drops that come fast and furiously.
Most, but not all of the drops will have ride-arounds. Some you just have to ride over -- or look both ways to be sure no one sees you, then sneak down to the bottom.
Timid riders may want to do a scouting run first. But theres only one drop (lowe...
Timid riders may want to do a scouting run first. But there's only one drop (lower down) where blindly dropping could easily get you hurt. There's an off-camber weird 2nd ledge below the drop that can send you off the trail.
Its not all techy. There are long stretches where you can just let the bike fly ...
It's not all techy. There are long stretches where you can just let the bike fly and enjoy riding.
There will be frequent views of the Richfield Valley whenever the trail breaks out into the open.
A couple of fun spots. Here there are two lines. but each one has two two-foot d...
A couple of fun spots. Here there are two lines. but each one has two two-foot drops. The right line gives you more time.
This rock face is probably the biggest tech feature on Telegraph, but it's not t...
This rock face is probably the biggest tech feature on Telegraph, but it's not the trickiest. Just aim the bike straight down and go.
As you approach the bottom of Telegraph, the trail splits. If you hook to the left, you'll descend to FR096 above the water tank, where a short run down the gravel road delivers you right to Tank Run, if you're on your way to Big Red or Kiln-It for another go.
At the trail fork near the bottom. A hard left turn takes you to the road just a...
At the trail fork near the bottom. A hard left turn takes you to the road just above the entry to Tank Run.
This is the final drop to the road if you go straight down. As you can see, most...
This is the final drop to the road if you go straight down. As you can see, most riders have voted to drop off the fin and go around.
If you continue straight down the ridgeline, you'll hit FR096 near the freeway. The main trailhead is downhill right. If you wanted more riding, you'll need to turn left uphill and crank back up.

Loop ride with Kiln-It, Cairn-Age and Snake Bite...

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Getting there:
Pahvant (northern access) parking:  At the north Richfield exit from I-70, turn north (toward the mountains). As the pavement ends, turn left onto a gravel road, then left again into the Pahvant parking area. Start the ride either on the small gravel road heading southwest parallel to the freeway, or on the singletrack near the trail sign (the two routes will rejoin after 0.3 miles). After 1/2 mile, follow the trail sign by turning right on a smaller gravel ATV track. (Note there's room for a couple of cars here where the doubletrack splits.) Veer left onto singletrack after 0.1 mile to head for Kiln-It, or continue uphill on the doubletrack for the Cottonwood Kids Loop.
300 North (FR 096) parking:  From Richfield's Main Street, turn west on 300 North. As you approach the freeway, turn left into the ATV parking lot. Pedal under I-70 to head uphill on FR096 to reach the top of Kiln-It.
Shuttle:  Top of Kiln-It: Drive uphill on FR 096 2.2 miles and find DT on your right with a carsonite trail marker. Top of Faulty: continue to mile 4.1 of FR096 and find marked ATV track on the right, with singletrack across the road on the left.
Bathrooms and water: none at trailheads (businesses nearby)
Riding resources for this trail:
GPS track files and route (right-click and "Save as..."):
    GPX 9.1 mile loop ride Kiln-It and Cairn-Age
    Multi-track area file
Map to save or for printing in new window:  2021 map
Lodging, camping, shops:
    Links to Cedar City area resources     Bryce area
last updated 2021