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Bull Run Trail The Bull Run trail is an excellent slickrock and singletrack ride along the cliffs on the northern edge of Bull Canyon. The actual trail is 4.7 miles in length, with a vertical change of 1000 feet. But the shortest ride without shuttle is 10 miles. Riding season is April through mid-November. Derek rolls a tech spot on his racing hardtail. Photos and ride description November 2, 2011 by Bruce. Some photos April 13, 2011. |
| The top altitude is 6000 feet at Highway
313. Riders heading downhill should park where the Gemini Bridges Road
turns off Highway 313. (There's no parking where the singletrack Bull Run
forks off the road a mile later.)
Starting out the ride from the parking spot on Gemini Bridges Road. The La Sal Mountains form the skyline on this crisp (37 degree F) November day. |
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This trail can be ridden as an out-and-back from either
direction. It's not that tough as an uphill. You can start from the top as
described above, or park at Gemini Bridges and head up from the bottom.
You can ride also Bull Run as a loop from top or bottom. Use the Gemini Bridges road for the uphill. At mile 1.1, here's the singletrack trailhead. Ready to rumble? |
| My ride description starts from the top, where the Gemini Bridges
road meets Highway 313. That's to keep the mileage and directions
consistent for riders who are doing a shuttled ride such as the Magnificent
7.
We're skirting the head of a slot canyon. We'll be heading east on a finger of rock between this canyon and Bull Canyon to our right. |
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Bull Run is the first segment of an epic 26-mile point-to-point ride called the Magnificent 7 or Mag
7. This ride finishes on the Potash Road at the bottom of the Portal
Trail. You can make a road return, but it's 25 miles of road and paved bike
path with 1900 vertical feet of climbing.
Sneaking along the edge of the cliffs, with ledges uphill and down to make the riding fun. |
| Begin Bull Run by heading down the Gemini Bridges road from
Highway 313. Ride 1.1 miles. At the marked trailhead, turn right for 100
feet on doubletrack, then right again onto singletrack at the kiosk.
This section of trail is well-designed and is great fun. It opened at the end of October 2011 -- the paint is still fresh. View to the north. The two buttes at mid-right in the photo are Monitor and Merrimac. |
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Bull Run heads south on red dirt through pinion and juniper. The trail
starts on dirt and rock of the Curtis
Formation, then drops onto the top of Entrada sandstone.
The trail is easy to follow, with logs and rocks to corral you in, and yellow paint stripes to mark the riding line. |
| Bull Run curves around a small canyon, then follows the
canyon rim eastbound. The canyon will be to your left. This isn't Bull
Canyon yet. The ride is mostly slickrock with short stretches of red dirt. Derek watches for rock cairns and marking paint as he heads east downhill. This is the spot where the trail drops temporarily into Arth's Pasture to avoid bighorn sheep habitat. |
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You'll flirt with the cliff edge on a mildly technical
sandstone surface. The trail is well-marked with yellow paint stripes on
the rock. Route-finding is quick and simple, so even a first-timer on this
trail can motor right along.
The clouds are moving up on the La Sals, and the shadows are getting longer. I'm riding with three layers on my core, and another three emergency layers in the Camelbak (racing shell jacket plus two plastic ponchos). Plus a foil blanket. Heavy thermal tights. Plus a headband. Riding alone on cold days means you come prepared to spend the night. |
| At mile 2.7 from 313, the trail comes to a narrow spot with
cliffs to your left and your right. A fence crosses this spot at N38 35.230 W109 45.502.
Step over the gate and continue. Bull Canyon will now be to your right.
Typical riding view along the edge of Bull Canyon, with waves of undulating Entrada sandstone. |
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About 1/10 mile after the fence, the trail temporarily drops
away from cliff edge (and from the old unofficial "green dot"
route) to avoid a bighorn sheep area. At 3.1, you'll head into a pasture
and join doubletrack for 1/3 mile. By 3.5 you'll be back at cliffside with
Bull Canyon to your right.
Gene cruises the edge of the cliffs with the Entrada sandstone slopes of Bull Canyon in the background. |
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The sandstone is now more continuous, and a bit smoother than on the upper singletrack. Stop and enjoy a few looks into Bull Canyon on your right. Looking west towards Crips Hole from the trail. |
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After crossing the Crips Hole road, the trail becomes dirt
singletrack with occasional rock. After a mile it veers north across a
meadow and joins the Gemini Bridges road about
1/4 mile uphill from the arches.
Derek hits a steep rock ramp with a 90-degree right turn at the bottom. |
| If you're doing the loop ride (see below), fork right on the
Gemini Bridges Road, then fork right again 1/4 mile later to visit the
bridges. Bike parking is on your right as the little road loop curves to
the left above the bridges.
View to the east with the La Sal Mountains in the background. |
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If you're riding the Mag 7, you'll go Gemini Bridges, then continue downhill another 1/4 mile east to find the Arth's Corner singletrack on the left side of the road. Bull Run is my favorite section of the Mag 7, and I recommend it highly as a stand-alone ride as well. Derek and Gene take in the view. |
| Bull Run Loop from 313 (or Mag 7 to mile
6.3): 0.0 Start east on dirt road N38 34.407 W109 47.507 0.6 Pass road on R, keep straight (alt = R, then L on DT before green tank) 0.9 Pass old DT N38 34.679 W109 46.678 1.1 Right to trailhead N38 34.900 W109 46.592 100 feet then R on ST N38 34.921 W109 46.580 2.7 Cross gate N38 35.230 W109 45.502 4.6 Cross Crips Hole Rd N38 35.379 W109 43.511 5.7 R on Gemini Bridges Rd N38 35.292 W109 42.873 6.0 R toward Gemini Bridges N38 35.306 W109 42.589 |
6.1 Park bikes N38 35.233 W109 42.605 Walk to bridges (0.2 mile each way) Leave parking to east, pass viewpoints 6.3 Hard L on main road N38 35.252 W109 42.408 Mag 7: R and downhill on road Catch Arth's Corner ST on L, 0.15 miles down road 6.5 Pass spur to Gemini, keep straight 7.4 Pass Crips Hole Rd on L, keep straight N38 35.517 W109 43.464 8.3 Keep straight (Metal Masher in from R) 12.0 Back at car |
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Getting there: From I-70 and Crescent Junction, drive south on US-191 for 20 miles (about 9 miles north of the Colorado River if you're driving out from Moab) to Highway 313. Drive 13 miles on 313 to the Gemini Bridges sign and turn L onto dirt road. Find a spot to park if you're doing the Mag 7 or doing the loop ride from uphill. If you're riding uphill to Bull Run from Gemini Bridges, drive down the gravel road 6 miles to the Gemini Bridges parking area. |
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Riding resources: |
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