| Exploration page. For internal use only. This page contains information saved for possible future trail designations. It is NOT part of the web site, and is NOT approved for public use. The trail shown is not a sanctioned route. |
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Grafton Mesa Singletrack Grafton Mesa has some nice non-official singletrack with multiple riding options. It can be done as a shuttled DH ride, a mesa-only figure 8 or a loop. You can also connect to these trails via Grafton Wash from Gooseberry NE Rim. This page has information for adventurous off-the-map riders. For the official ride, see the Grafton Mesa page. |
| Above: Get onto the rock, work around the cleft (it's possible to roll it if you've got the perfect line, but I had to use a little hop of the back end) then head along the "balance beam." Near the top of the 1st segment, west singletrack. Photos by Bruce on April 1st and 22nd, 2011. |
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West side singletrack: Much of the upper-mesa singletrack hugs a steep side-slope just below the crest of the mesa. There are smoother spots like this, but plenty of rock-drops and tight spots. We're looking south in the middle of the first section of west-side singletrack. |
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There's no corresponding singletrack east of the mesa road,
so all riders take this first section of western singletrack. When they
read the mesa road, they either continue with the next section, or more
likely, backtrack about 200 feet on the mesa road and catch one of the
eastern trails.
View to the north, early in the second section of the west-side singletrack. |
| Downhill navigation: Stay on the ridgetop though the
first 1/3 mile, ignoring small branching trails. (The trail that heads
downhill to the left dips through Grafton Wash
to Gooseberry NE Rim.)
One spot deserves mention: The first time the singletrack reaches DT, the continuing trail is straight ahead. About 100 feet after that crossing, there's a spot where an obvious trail heads downhill. Don't go there. Turn left and ride along a rock ledge to find the continuing trail northbound on the ridge. (If you head downhill here, the trail will become fainter, and will end on the mesa doubletrack.) Quirky up-and-over. A rockpile on each side of this pinion branch form the ramps. |
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The first section of the mesa singletrack drops about 200 feet over 1.5 miles. It hugs the west side of Grafton Mesa. On the Tech Meter, it's a few notches up from Gooseberry Mesa. After cruising along the edge of the mesa, the singletrack turns east, drops through a small wash, and joins the mesa road. A drop down a sharp rock face -- and it's hard to spot the tire traps in the shadows. |
| The second section of west-side singletrack has some very
technical spots. A few of them were way beyond my comfort level. Even good
trials riders may first need to scout the lines. There are sections of
mellow cruising interrupted by some really tricky stuff.
In the middle of a very long section of balance and bike control challenge. I stopped to take this photo after the, oh, 10th time I'd fallen off the rocks. |
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East side singletrack: There are two sections of singletrack east of the mesa road. Both start a bit south of the where the first western singletrack connects to the mesa road. The trail splits into two trail options that rejoin later. One trail climbs up the hill and becomes a DH challenge; the eastern arcs around the hill. They rejoin after about 3/4 mile, and this trail continues to the rim of the mesa where the main mesa dirt road reaches the cliff edge at the coach road. Looking east on the DH option of the east-side singletrack. We're almost through climbing around the hill. That's Smithsonian Butte on the right. |
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On this eastern side of the mesa road, the leftmost (western) limb involves a brief push-a-bike up a small hill followed by DH fun. The eastern alternative is a longer cruise with less-intimidating tech features. Make your choice. One of several fun little ledge drops on the DH route. 29-inch wheels placed for size comparison. |
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Now here's the tricky part!
To find the continuing singletrack, you need to go back south on the mesa road. (Turn right.) The first trail, about 50 feet south on your left, is the push-a-bike route to the top of the DH (western) limb of the trail. The second trail, about 300 feet south on your left, is the route to the flatter, longer eastern trail option. Zippy high-speed turn on the DH route. |
| Western DH option:
The trail rapidly becomes a steep loose push-a-bike climb up a hill. After
about 200 feet, it levels out and you can start pedaling. (A connector
from the lower trail enters on your right.) After cresting the hill,
you'll begin a swooping tech descent with many jump opportunities. There
are ride-arounds for most of the tech challenges. Entering the slickrock area. Cairns mark the way. |
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After 0.6 miles, you'll be joined by the alternate trail,
but you probably won't notice. The trails join in a slickrock area, and
the cairns are arranged so you don't accidentally enter the alternate
trail and go the wrong way.
One of the steeper ramps. The trail enters at the arrow and drops this 60-degree ramp. Near the end of the DH route. |
| Eastern (longer, easier) option: From the end of the first singletrack
section, turn right and ride about 300 feet south on the DT. Fork L on DT that becomes ST. About
300 feet later, you'll come to a trail fork. On the left, a trail heads
uphill to join the DH route on the hill. Go right and follow the cairns
through a slickrock area as you generally descend to the east.
Another little ledge drop. |
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The trail will turn north and follow the cliffs on the
eastern edge of the mesa. This option is moderately technical. It doesn't
offer the big jumps of the DH route, but there's plenty of fun stuff.
The trail will turn west and enter a slickrock area. It will join the DH route at mile 1.1 from the mesa road. The trail now continues north. It will cross a small doubletrack. View into South Wash from the eastern side of Grafton Mesa on the eastern trail option. |
| Another tricky spot:
There's a hard-to-spot fork 0.6 miles from where the trails
rejoin. (New, faint trail.) Here's how you find it: First, miss the fork
and arrive at doubletrack heading north. If you don't see a cliff in front
of you, you're not there yet. Turn around and ride back on the singletrack
exactly 250 feet. Find the trail. Get on the right trail, which will
circle back a bit to the south and east before dumping onto the cliff face
at the end of the mesa road.
A really fun section. Rock bridge to marshmallow, wheelie across cleft to pillow, turn and catch next rock bridge to slickrock. |
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| Sample ride: Mesa-top Figure 8 This is a very fun option that avoids the steep plunge off the end of the mesa down to Grafton (and the grind back uphill to your car). This ride is 6.8 miles. Assuming you take the flatter (eastern) option when the trail splits, total climbing will be about 500 feet. Consider doing it twice, once on the eastern limb and once using the DH route on the west. (See the map.) The figure 8 ride starts at the top of the singletrack and heads north. When you hit the mesa road 2 miles later, jog back south about 200 feet and find the continuing singletrack. Stay low and eastbound on the flatter trail option. When you arrive at the viewpoint, find the singletrack across the mesa road, just to the left of an old doubletrack. When you arrive back at the trail fork, continue to the mesa road and ride back on the doubletrack. |
| Sample ride, shuttled downhill plunge! 0.0 Start as DT N37 07.569 W113 06.174 0.05 Stay R (L descends into Grafton Wash) N37 07.662 W113 06.158 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 1.5 ST ends on DT, go R (south) on DT N37 08.629 W113 05.700 1.5 330 feet from turn onto DT, fork L N37 08.583 W113 05.671 Keep L at next fork 200 feet |
1.6 Fork R downhill (L = up to
DT route) Note: see Grafton Mesa page for coach road description. |
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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. Parking areas: Just to the northeast of the intersection of the mesa road with the Smithsonian Butte road, plus right along the trail on the next doubletrack. Camping: Primitive along ridge |
| 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. |
| Riding resources for this trail: GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."): GPX all area trails Courses: Figure-8 Loop DH Topo map for printing: Grafton Mesa Wider area Lodging, camping, shops: Links to St. George area resources |
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