 | Little Creek Mountain - Big 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! |
| Big Loop clockwise, West Mesa and North Point (tough), 14 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 6.9 Drop into fork of Gould Wash N37 04.701 W113 13.602 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 Fork R (northeast) find ST at corner of slickrock 7.8 Ridge, looking at slickrock ahead and on R N37 04.694 W113 13.046 Keep L and climb into trees on ST (R = two shortcuts E and NE) 9.6 North Point, trail turns south N37 05.697 W113 12.386 10.5 Trail more tech, harder to follow | 11.4 L to cross bottom N37 04.787 W113 12.816 Climb uphill east 11.5 Shortcut rejoins on L, stay straight and uphill N37 04.740 W113 12.767 Turn 90 degrees R at top of hill 11.7 Confusion of cairns. Stay southbound near trees 11.8 Veer L and downhill N37 04.633 W113 12.949 (R up = cheater route to fork at 7.8) Cross to opposite side along treeline 12.0 W along edge of slot canyon until it's shallow Cross over N37 04.531 W113 13.096 After crossing, turn L (east) 12.1 Drop into slot canyon N37 04.520 W113 13.081 12.2 Waterfall, cross Gould Wash, steep climb out 12.3 Critical spot! Fork R just after finishing climb N37 04.418 W113 13.004 (L = occasionally marked alternate routes) 12.8 Alternate rejoins on L N37 04.129 W113 13.271 13.4 Keep straight (L) at original trail fork N37 03.818 W113 13.599 14.0 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 2011 Mad Scientist Software Inc |