Warner Valley Loop

Gary cruises by a cholla cactus on the Honeymoon Trail, at the south end of the trail system. Photos March 28, 2003.

Warner Valley Loop
Includes Honeymoon Loop - Temple Trail

This route is located in Warner Valley, south of Hurricane and east of St. George. There are two separate loops: Loop 1 ("Honeymoon Loop") is six miles of fast roller-coaster terrain. Loop 2 (Warner Valley Loop) is eleven miles of singletrack full of whoops and wash crossings. At an altitude of 3100 feet, this area is only marginally cooler than St. George. In mid-summer, we recommend an early morning start time.

The Honeymoon Loop is a fast ride, with only 200 feet of elevation change. There's about 2 miles of singletrack, 4 miles on ATV-width trail, and 1/2 of tougher riding in a wash-bottom. Technically, this ride is fairly easy, and could qualify as a family ride with older children and teens.

This area doesn't see much bicycle traffic unless the trails are being used for a race. Most of the time, it's just motorcycles. So trail conditions -- and navigation -- will vary a lot from year to year.

Outward bound on the larger Warner Valley Loop, Bruce heads towards multicolored cliffs. The trail will run along the base of the red mountain.

Here's a cholla, a multi-branched "tree" cactus. Blossoms are large pastel green.

The "Honeymoon Trail" is the old Arizona Road. It became known as the Honeymoon Trail because LDS (Mormon) couples would come from Arizona and New Mexico to be married in the St. George temple. The honeymoon would take place during the two-week wagon ride home.

The Warner Valley Loop is almost all singletrack. There are a few short connector-type links on doubletrack. This trail is significantly more technical than the Honeymoon Loop. There's one spooky steep plunge into a deep wash, and several whoop-it type wash crossings. There are a couple of ledge-drops, and a few rougher spots. Overall, this loop would be mid- to upper-intermediate technical. Elevation gain is 300 feet.

Two racers fly towards the finish line. We're looking northward.

Gary pauses in the late evening sunshine to take in the view.

The trailhead area, and a sand dune area 3 miles west along the Warner Valley Road, are open to on-site primitive camping. There's no water or plumbing. It's bring-yer-own and pack it back out.

Honeymoon Trail (Loop 1) Riding Notes:
0.0 Through gate, trail is DT, 2nd trail from L
       GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430' Alt=3150
0.5 Fork R on DT
       100 feet, then L on ST
1.0 Cross DT
1.3 Keep straight (L)
2.4 Veer R (don't drop into wash)
       GPS N 37° 00.611' W 113° 19.685' Alt=3300
2.5 R on DT
3.3 Continue past stock tank

3.7 Fork R at 4-way
GPS N 36° 59.692' W 113° 20.206'
3.8, 3.9 Keep straight
4.6 Pass Honeymoon/Temple Trail marker
5.4 Fork R (north) towards trail kiosk
Trail kiosk GPS N 37° 00.031' W 113° 22.015'
5.8 R off DT into wash bottom
6.0 L fork of wash GPS N 37° 00.328' W 113° 21.876'
6.4 Climb out of wash
6.6 Back at trail head

Warner Valley Loop 2 Riding Notes:
0.0 Passing through gate, trail is leftmost, ST
       GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430' Alt=3150
1.9 Pass through wash, then L on DT
       Through fence
       GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430' Alt=3300
2.3 Fork R on DT
2.7 Keep straight (L)
2.8 Veer R onto ST as DT meets road
       GPS N 37° 01.286' W 113° 19.460'
       Turn back E into wash
3.0 Leave wash on R
3.1 Turn L uphill on DT
4.1 Turn R on road
       GPS N 37° 00.922' W 113° 18.306'
4.4 L on ST just before cattleguard
5.2 Cross DT, steep plunge into wash
5.4 Exit wash on R

6.5 L on road N 37° 01.766' W 113° 18.405'
       100 yards, then L on DT before cattleguard
7.0 Drop into wash
7.3 Out of wash on R
7.5 Cross road N 37° 01.816' W 113° 19.172'
7.6 R on DT 100 feet, then wide U-turn
       Head west down wash
7.7 Stay R (in wash bottom)
8.4 Out of wash on R
       N 37° 01.500' W 113° 19.902'
9.0 L and down into wash at water trough
       N 37° 01.263' W 113° 20.442'
       Head down wash bottom
9.8 L out of wash on ST
       N 37° 01.184' W 113° 21.067'
10.2 Cross road onto DT
10.6 Back at trailhead

Map of the loops.

Getting there (Southbound, through Hurricane): Get off I-15 at the Toquerville/ La Verkin exit and head south to Hurricane. Turn south at the Chevron Station in Hurricane (700 West). Go south 2 miles and turn right at 2060 South. (If you arrive at a T-intersection, with a right turn going into the airport, you went too far.) Follow the road west of the airport and past the Sky Ranch to end of the pavement at a cattleguard. (About 6 miles, GPS N 37° 05.425' W 113° 18.696'.) Keep straight on the biggest and leftmost of 3 roads that fork after the cattleguard. RESET your odometer. Continue another 2.2 miles on gravel to a junction at GPS N 37° 03.501' W 113° 18.375' and turn right. At mile 5.0 (2.8 from the right turn at GPS N 37° 01.266' W 113° 18.478') the road veers right. Ignore the smaller roads that go straight and left! At mile 7.1, spot an open area on the left at GPS N 37° 00.728' W 113° 21.472'. See the gate in the fence about 100 yards from the road? That's the trailhead, GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430'.

Riding resources: Honeymoon Trail (Loop 1) Ride Guide Warner Valley (Loop 2) Ride Guide Cholla 2 (Cholla Challenge Race Course) Loop Lodging, camping, shops: Links to St. George area resources

Getting there (East from St. George): Caution: this route uses dirt road with some areas of deep sand. 4WD recommended. Head south on River Road in St. George. (River Road is reached by turning left at the St. George Blvd exit from I-15, then right at the light. Or from the Bluff Street exit, turn left and drive about 1/2 mile on Riverside Dr, turning right at the light where it intersects River Road.) Immediately after crossing the Virgin River, at 1450 South on River Road, turn left (east).

About 2 miles later, the road turns 90 degrees right onto 3000 East. Turn left again immediately (there should be a "Warner Valley" sign here, but it's missing - summer 2001) on 3650 South. Head east almost to the hills. Turn right on KD-JO Lane (830 E). After 1/2 mile the road will turn left, then right again to head south. At mile 5.4 from River Road, turn left on the gravel Warner Valley Road. Zero your odometer here! From this turn drive eastward over the ridge. At mile 5.4 on the dirt Warner Valley Road, keep straight. At 5.8, keep straight (R goes to Ft. Pierce). At mile 7.3, turn right at GPS N 37° 00.832' W 113° 22.632' (straight takes you to the dino tracks). At mile 9.2, spot an open area on the right at GPS N 37° 00.728' W 113° 21.472'. See the gate in the fence about 100 yards from the road? That's the trailhead, GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430'.

Riding resources:
Honeymoon Trail (Loop 1) Ride Guide
Warner Valley (Loop 2) Ride Guide
Lodging, camping, shops:Links to St. George area resources