| Broken Mesa Rim Trail |
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When the guys at the local bike shop say "This is the
most fun trail I've ever ridden!" you have to pay attention. Of
course, their definition of "fun" includes a tough initial
climb, tricky spots involving rough bone-jarring lava boulders, and a
half-mile plunge that's truly steep and dangerous. Located 5
miles north of St. George, the Broken Mesa Rim trail should be reserved for strong
and adventurous riders. The trail can be ridden year-round.
Bryce, Ryan, and Zack ride along Broken Mesa Rim. In the distance is Gooseberry Mesa and the Virgin River Rim. Photos June 11, 2002 by Bruce. |
| The downhill singletrack is 7 miles, with an initial uphill
mile that climbs 600 vertical feet. It can be done as an 8-mile
point-to-point with shuttle, or as a 14.5-mile loop. If you do the loop
option, you'll climb a total 1300. There are a lot of small ledges and thread-the-needle passages through
volcanic rock. The trail is best done with a plush full-suspension bike,
but a skilled rider on a hardtail can still have fun. The lava boulders
create a different type of "technical" than you're used to, so
-- forewarned -- many riders don't like this trail. The lava is also very
good at flatting your tires, so come prepared. Bryce grinds up to the rim. Sage and juniper, with a smattering of embedded lava, are typical for the uphill ride. |
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The trail starts at the northern end of the Red Cliffs
Desert Reserve. The first part of the singletrack climb is fairly smooth,
then it gets steeper and rougher. At 0.5 mile, the trail reaches a doubletrack with a
pipeline on the far side. Find the continuing singletrack trail on your
right, just across the pipeline. The climb gets a bit more technical,
with frequent basalt rocks to negotiate, and depending on the season,
occasional loose babyhead rocks.
Bryce rolls a ledge as the trail winds through huge lava boulders. Endo here and you WILL get hurt. |
| At mile 1, the trail reaches the Broken Mesa Rim. It twists
through juniper and brush, with more basalt boulders to keep things
interesting. At mile 1.6, the downhill begins. You'll drop onto a broad
treeless mesa as the trail twists towards the edge of the cliffs at
Washington. At the edge, you'll drop at a 20% grade through the broken
lava. Just hang your
butt way back and aim the front tire straight down the trail. Keep the
bike moving. If the bike hangs on a boulder, bail off the back end.
On the bare mesa-top, we stop at the intersection of the Ice House trail to hear a bit of local history. |
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Reaching doubletrack at the bottom of the hill, you can turn
right to complete the loop. 2.4 miles takes you back to the water tank,
where you turn right uphill to follow the road back to the trailhead.
Nearing the mesa edge, the town of Washington spreads out below.
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| Or, you can turn left and look for one of several trail options that
take you down into Washington. (I may have more on this after I explore a
bit more.)
Although the Broken Mesa Rim is a few degrees cooler than St. George, it gets plenty hot here in the summer. I'd suggest you make the initial uphill climb in the morning, perhaps starting at the water tank if you're doing the loop. Here Ryan makes the turn and begins the steep descent off the mesa.
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| Depending on recent weather and trail maintenance (and the effects of a fire in 2006), parts of the trail may be quite rough with large loose rocks. In 2002, the initial climb was beautifully buff, with a few rock fixed obstacles to throw the wheel over. In 2008, the trail was littered with babyhead boulders, making a clean climb almost impossible. The steep descent off the mesa at the end of the ride was also 10-plus technical due to loose rock. If bike control through loose cobble isn't your thing, check with a local bike shop for trail conditions before doing Broken Mesa. |
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Getting there: From the St. George Blvd exit of I-15, turn
towards the city (west), then immediately turn right on 10th East. Zero
your odometer here. Take the next right on Highland, then next left onto Industrial Road. Turn left
at 0.7 on Red Rock Road. The road will turn to gravel. Keep left at the next
fork, continuing north uphill on Cottonwood Road. (At 3.3 miles, you'll pass a water tank on your right. The return trail for the
loop option comes back here. You can park here and bike up the road if you
want to.) Pavement ends at 3.7. Keep left at the next fork at 5.4. Watch for a sign "Red Cliffs
Mesa Rim Trail" at mile 8.8 and turn towards a fenced parking area
at a stock watering trough at mile 9.0. GPS N 37° 13.451' W 113° 34.197'
Shuttle option: Leave a car on Buena Vista Blvd, just off I-15's Exit 10 in Washington. As you leave the trail, turn left on powerline doubletrack, right at second pole, then work your way downhill through the golf course and into town. |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."): Garmin GPX High-res topo (800 KB): View |
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For lodging in the St. George
area, as well as travel guides and information on other activities, may we
suggest: |
Special thanks to Bryce, Zack, and Ryan of Red Rock Bicycle for taking an old man along on this trail!
