 | Zen Trail This trail is probably the most technical ride in the St. George area. It has quite a few little rock tricks that challenge the rider. I recommend it for advanced riders, or for intermediates with a good attitude and a sense of adventure. It doesn't take that long to walk your bike through a spot that spooks you. The ride has much to offer. It's much like Gooseberry Mesa, if Gooseberry were tilted onto a slope. The trail starts at 2700 feet, just off the road to the northern Bearclaw Poppy trailhead. You can take either of the first two doubletracks to climb -- I strongly recommend the first DT, because it's much more fun, and offers some tech riding before the two routes join. Top altitude is 3450. There will be about 1100 feet of climbing during a loop ride that returns by the lower singletrack. The loop is 6 miles. |
| Riding notes, counterclockwise loop: 0.0 Cross to the left side of wash N37 05.412 W113 37.898 Start up the DT, L of the canyon 0.8 Veer L onto ST, or keep on DT for view N37 05.044 W113 38.540 ST and DT rejoin 150 yards Trail enters enters rock area 1.0 Just after steep ramp and pedal-scratch slot, Keep L uphill (R=more high-tech option) N37 04.902 W113 38.654 1.1 Routes rejoin N37 04.833 W113 38.660 1.2 "T" fork, go R uphill N37 04.747 W113 38.646 (L=connector to DT) 1.3 Fork either way R=hill, L=flat N37 04.701 W113 38.66 1.4 Routes rejoin 1.8 Keep straight (R=into rocks) N37 04.311 W113 38.751 1.9 Fork L (hard R = trail to grotto) N37 04.278 W113 38.706 2.4 Finish climb, view of Roller Coaster N37 04.198 W113 38.776 2.9 Fork L (R=?) N37 04.021 W113 38.380 4.2 Exiting wash. N37 04.429 W113 37.823 Keep L and turn uphill for ST Straight to return on DT | Returning via DT: Head for middle of valley, telephone poles 4.4 Turn L on DT under poles N37 04.524 W113 37.624 5.2 Retaining wall and construction N37 05.066 W113 37.653 Find a way around it 5.8 Back at parking Returning via ST: Hold L and watch for ST climbing sharply out of wash +0.6 ST dumps onto DT N37 04.766 W113 37.995 +0.8 Fork L N37 04.860 W113 37.838 +0.9 Merge downhill N37 04.937 W113 37.855 +1.0 Watch for track N37 04.992 W113 37.823 +1.1 Veer L off DT onto ST N37 05.042 W113 37.773 +1.5 Cross DT 6.0 Back at parking (+1.7) Copyright 2008 Mad Scientist Software Inc
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 | Getting there: Take the Bluff Street I-15 exit in St. George and turn west. Immediately turn south (left) at the first light. Go over the hill and at the T intersection at the bottom of the hill turn right. Head northwest about two miles on Dixie Drive. Turn left at Canyon View Road, heading uphill toward the Green Valley Spa. (If you reach a "Green Valley Market" with gas pumps, you just passed it. Turn around and backtrack to the second road on your right.) Drive past the spa onto dirt at the end of the road. Turn right at the top of the mesa, then immediately left to drive down into the deep valley. Head for the big road that goes up the bluff, on the right side of The Gap -- the sandstone canyon. But just before that road starts to climb, mosey to the left and park where you can start riding up the doubletrack on the LEFT (south) side of the sandstone canyon. |