| Green Valley Raceway Trail |
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The Green Valley Raceway Trail is southwest of St. George in Green Valley. It lies just north of the Bearclaw Poppy Trail northern trailhead. It interconnects with the Barrel Trail. It's an upward path to the Stucki Springs Trail. If you follow the route we describe below, you'll do 6.5 miles and about 1400 vertical. (Absolute altitude change is only 650 feet, but you'll drop practically back to the bottom again in the middle of the loop. But there are many different ways you can ride. |
| Photo above: Dominic Bria fights up a
ledge and into a turn on the uphill. Here we're headed UP the downhill race
track. August 4, 2000. |
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UtahMountainBiking.com for bike trail info, repair instructions, feature articles, first aid, fitness, and goodies. |
| The loop is strenuous aerobic, intermediate technical with a smattering of advanced technical. This trail is the site of a popular Intermountain Cup spring race and of the Huntsman World Senior Games mountain bike race. This is a great trail to play on, anytime. However, because brainless ATV-jockeys started following the singletrack, the trail is a shadow of its former self. If you're looking for pristine narrow desert singletrack, look elsewhere. It's also much harder to follow. (Seriously, stupid self-centered ATVandals: What makes you think you should force your vehicle, which is really just a stinky noisy car without air conditioning, on an 18-inch wide singletrack that's been lovingly constructed and protected by bicycle riders? And yes, I know you're just a tiny minority of the huge number of law-abiding ATV enthusiasts, but please get a clue.) |
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The trail starts north from the huge parking area on a boring dirt road. After 3/4 mile, you hit singletrack (on the left side of the DT, just before the road ends) and the fun begins. Roll up and down. Yes, the trail's been widened to a big fat road by ATVs, but if you can get past that, it's still good riding. From the top of the mesa at the end of the Downhill Race Course, this is the view back towards Green Valley, February 19, 2000. |
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Turning downhill on the DT for about 100 yards, the trail leaves DT on the left and heads on singletrack over to Keyhole Wash. There are two rock-bottom washes on this loop, and they're a riot to ride. Exiting Keyhole Wash, you'll climb a winding course up to touch the DT near the top of the cliffs. Here you turn left and head over to the ridgeline downhill. (At the ridgeline, there's a fork. Right takes you up to the DT along the cliff edge. Turn left and start downhill!) After dropping to the bottom of the hill, the trail turns into Rock Wash. Fork right uphill in the wash bottom. Climb up the wash. Bruce rolls down the rock ramp on the DH portion of the raceway. Photo March 2006. |
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When the trail reaches doubletrack and climbs to the saddle, continue uphill and ride to the viewpoint at the top. It's worth the climb. GPS N 37° 05.355' W 113° 39.947'. Right at the saddle, there's a 4-way intersection of doubletrack. Just south of the DT intersection (uphill), the downhill singletrack takes off. There's a second trail about 150 yards uphill (on your left) that connects to the DH raceway. Head downhill and just after the BIG PLUNGE -- you'll know it when you ride it -- select a route back to your car. Picture: Mike heads up keyhole wash in the 2005 race. |
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| Riding notes, ICup race loop
(counterclockwise): 0.0 North on doubletrack N37 05.542 W113 37.967 Keep straight (R) as DT's fork 0.3 Veer R at fork N37 05.743 W113 38.149 (L = 9-and-under loops back) 0.5 Follow DT up small hill 0.7 L off road onto ST N37 06.034 W113 38.345 1.0 Trail hits forking DT, go straight across N37 06.086 W113 38.618 1.0 Next DT, straight across N37 06.102 W113 38.636 1.3 Straight across DT N37 06.273 W113 38.781 1.4 Drop L down into Keyhole Wash Head up wash 1.5 L out of wash, then keep R, join DT N37 06.253 W113 38.853 2.0 L off DT N37 06.141 W113 39.200 2.2 L uphill on DT N37 06.073 W113 39.300 2.3 Straight on DT for ICup N37 06.032 W113 39.342 (L = classic ST ride) 2.6 L at top of cuesta 2.9 L on ST, head downhill N37 05.712 W113 39.553 |
3.0 Classic joins on L, keep
straight N37 05.727 W113 39.503 3.7 Drop off ridge, hard R up Rock Wash N37 06.024 W113 38.767 Stay in wash bottom 4.4 R on DT uphill N37 05.727 W113 39.315 4.6 L at DT intersection at top N37 05.656 W113 39.538 drop straight through dip then up 4.7 DT intersection, go straight to ST N37 05.607 W113 39.533 4.9 DH ST joins on R, keep downhill N37 05.519 W113 39.447 5.0 Connector from Barrel joins on R N37 05.574 W113 39.300 At dip, keep R to avoid cheater routes 5.8 Steep drop toward slickrock area 5.9 DH ST joins on R, keep L N37 05.607 W113 38.443 6.0 Veer L on DT N37 05.603 W113 38.390 Keep L at fork, cross wash N37 05.612 W113 38.373 (R = classic finish) 6.1 R on DT, over small hill N37 05.665 W113 38.348 Follow this DT to finish 6.5 Back at start |
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Getting there: Take the Bluff Street I-15 exit in St. George and turn west. Immediately turn south (left) at the first light. Go over the hill and turn right when you reach Dixie Drive. Drive about two miles. Turn left at the sign for Green Valley Spa. (If you reach a "Green Valley Market" with gas pumps, you just passed it. Turn around and backtrack to the second road on your right.) Drive past the spa onto dirt at the end of the road. Turn right at the top of the mesa, then immediately left to drive down into the deep valley. Park in the open area in the valley bottom and pick your route west uphill. (Note: the staging area is private property with a plan for development into homes. This area may change, making these directions invalid.) |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."): Garmin GPX High-res topo (200 KB): View map Lodging, camping, shops: Links to St. George area resources |
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