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Grafton Mesa With connections to Wire Mesa and Big Fatty Mesa Grafton Mesa is part of the same mountain as Gooseberry Mesa, located just west of Zion National Park. Most riders come here for the gnarly advanced-technical singletrack, which can be done either as a shuttled DH ride or a loop. The loop ride is 9.5 miles. It features a boring but strenuous climb and a terrifying technical descent. Altitude change 1100 feet, to 4850 at the top. Seriously, it's for experts only. But you can also do the traditional easy out-and-back on doubletrack to a viewpoint overlooking the Virgin River valley as it rises into Zion Canyon. The out-and-back is easy technically, and not too much work at 4.2 miles. Nearby, there are shorter doubletrack rides to views on Wire Mesa and Big Fatty Mesa. |
| Clockwise loop ride: 0.0 Start up Scenic Byway N37 09.090 W113 03.542 1.5 Big Fatty Mesa DT on R N37 08.047 W113 03.845 (0.75 miles to viewpoint) 2.0 Wire Mesa DT on R N37 07.881 W113 04.179 (1.5 miles to viewpoint) 3.8 Pass DT (Grafton Mesa DT) N37 07.847 W113 05.894 4.0 Pass another DT 4.1 DT on R, keep on road 4.2 Turn hard R on DT, downhill N37 07.569 W113 06.170 4.4 L onto ST N37 07.683 W113 06.131 Reset mileage Continuing on the Singletrack! |
0.0 Start ST N37 07.683 W113 06.131 0.2 Cross DT at angle, find continuing ST N37 07.828 W113 06.059 0.25 Critical fork, keep L uphill N37 07.846 W113 06.043 (R down = goes to mesa road) 0.4 Trail splits, R = easier N37 07.972 W113 06.025 0.45 Trails rejoin N37 07.996 W113 06.029 1.4 ST ends on DT, go L N37 08.629 W113 05.700 (R = return to main road) 1.8 Keep L at DT fork N37 09.032 W113 05.596 2.4 Viewpoint on cliff N37 09.432 W113 05.319 ST on L on side of cliff, go steep downhill 3.2 L on DT near wash bottom N37 09.456 W113 04.977 3.6 Pass cemetery, R on Grafton Road N37 09.817 W113 04.826 5.1 Back at car (9.5 miles from start of loop) |
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Getting there, from Rockville: In La Verkin, turn
toward Zion National Park on Highway 9. When you get to Rockville, drive
until you're seeing the end of town then turn south (right) on Bridge
Road. Cross the Virgin River on the old bridge. Follow the road as it
veers right (west). At the fork in the road 1.5 miles later, turn left and
park near the wash. Start riding south uphill on the Smithsonian Butte
Scenic Byway (may or may not have a sign). If you're shuttling to the top,
it's the last doubletrack (on your right) before the top of the mountain,
4.4 miles up, just after the road has turned south again. N37 07.683 W113 06.131 Getting there, from Gooseberry: From the spot where the Gooseberry road leaves the Scenic Byway, proceed north 1/2 mile. Just after you start more steeply downhill, watch for the first doubletrack on your left. Copyright 2007 Mad Scientist Software Inc. Trail conditions change. Use this trail guide at your own risk. |