Zephyr Trail

The Zephyr Trail offers a dirt-and-rock connection between the Brand Trails and the south Klonzo trails (and, thereby, on to north Klonzo ). The riding is easy (although two sandy washes may challenge your pedaling). The ride is very scenic with long views of cliffs, mountains, chasms and rolling rock. 

The Zephyr Trail itself is 4 miles long, but you have to ride your bike to it. It's about two miles from parking lot to trail at either end. (It's legal to drive your car northbound on the gravel Bar M, which is actually the old abandoned highway. Go through a gate -- close it after you -- and find a spot to park where the doubletrack turns to the right.)

There's little altitude change on the trail. The north end is about 100 feet lower in altitude than the south, but you'll add 100 vertical feet of climbing as you pass through Courthouse Wash. But except for the wall of the wash itself (which may be a short hike if the riding surface is loose), it's a very gradual slope.

At the south end, Zephyr starts at the north-northeast corner of the Bar M loop. From the main parking area, pedal east (straight in the direction you were driving as you entered the parking lot). Keep straight as you pass North 40 and Lazy-EZ. When you hit the Bar M Loop, go left. Stay straight on Bar M as you pass the fork to Circle O and the North 40 connector.

The next fork is cliff-side singletrack vs main Bar M. Go either way. (Beginners are encouraged NOT to take the cliff-side trail. It's a bit spooky.) As the trails rejoin just west of the chasm, find the trail sign for Zephyr on your right.

Immediately, you're presented with a broad sandy wash. This is Seven Mile Wash before it cuts into the Entrada sandstone below you. Look across and see the white paint spot on the sandstone. That's your target. Sandbars will change with every storm, so you may be able to pedal across cleanly, or you may hike.

On the east side of the wash, doubletrack awaits. The southern 3.2 miles is old jeep road. It's about 30% rock and 70% firm dirt.

You're east of the Moab fault here, so the Entrada sandstone you're riding on lies 1000 feet higher (and out of sight above the cliffs) west of the highway. The doubletrack skirts a layer of red shale with chunks of agate eroding out of it. (Do not harvest rocks. It's against the law.)

The easy pedaling lets you take in the scenery. To the south are cliffs of the Moab fault. To the southeast, the La Sal Mountains loom over rolling sandstone that plunges into Seven Mile Wash.

Entrada sandstone spires within Arches National Park are seen in the distance to the east. Back to the west, skirts of Chinle formation shales lead to Wingate sandstone cliffs.

The first fence is the border of Arches National Park. Because this old jeep path is classified as a "designated roadway," you're allowed to pedal your bike on rock and dirt within a national park. Cool, huh?

At the second fence, you'll leave the park. Good turn-around spot for beginners.

Go through the gate, then drop down and across Courthouse Wash. Continue uphill in the wash-bottom about 200 feet, then turn right to find singletrack climbing up and out of the wash.

This singletrack is (as of November 2014) a sea of soft slop. But I was able to crank through it both directions, no problem. Northbound takes a bit more leg because it's slightly uphill. After 0.8 miles of this singletrack, you'll find yourself on the southern end of the Midway Trail of Klonzo.

Southbound from Klonzo: From your car, the quickest route to the north end of Zephyr is via the Midway trailhead (see the driving directions). Just stay on Midway southbound until you hit Zephyr. From the main (Dunestone) trailhead, take The Edge to Midway.

If you're on the north trails, head for Zoltar. Then at the Redhot/Houdini trailhead, either take the 4x4 connector through Carousel to Midway, or rocket one-way down Redhot and Roller Coaster. The fork to Zephyr is just a little bit down Midway from the end of Roller Coaster.