By Lukas Brinkerhoff — The light is breaking from the east catching the tall, dry grass and making it glow a warm hue of yellow. The tread of the trail is dry and dusty and I’m in the middle of the group. The riders in front of me are kicking up dust and the light is catching it, so it appears that the air is glowing with the morning light.
The trail winds its way through a grassy field before returning to the Junipers. That light cast across the field is already starting to warm the air and the cover of the trees is welcomed. The grade is pleasant and while there is little to no tech, the sweeping turns and views keep us interested as we make our way up the climb. To the north sits Pine Valley Mountain, the US’s largest laccolith. West of us, we can see the red and white sandstone that composes the cliffs in Snow Canyon State Park. And to the east, barely visible, the sun is rising over the Zion skyline.
To say it’s a beautiful morning is an understatement.
As we reach the higher points of the climb, I notice a white spot to the right of the trail. It’s a couple of feet in size. At first, I’m a bit confused but as I ride by, I realize what it is and think to myself “Wow! That is so cool.” And then I keep riding and just around the next corner there was another one. This second one is even bigger and more defined. I think I should stop and take a picture, but I am enjoying the pedal too much. Then I see another and another and eventually I stop and pull out my pocket-sized supercomputer that also doubles as a camera and snap a photo. There are dozens of funnel webs bordering the trail.
It’s the start of August and as expected, St. George is hot. We arose early, got our gear sorted and headed up to the newest trail system in Washington County, the Cliffrose Trails. It’s about a 20-minute drive from downtown. Accessed either from the dirt Cottonwood Springs Road (Turkey Farm if you’re a local yokel) or from Forest Road 901 (shorter section of dirt) from Diamond Valley. There are several spots to access the trails, but currently most riders are starting at the junction of Cottonwood Springs and FR 901. There is a small, makeshift parking area that is being used as a trailhead.
As I mentioned, the Cliffrose Trail System is the most recent addition to the already hundreds of miles of trails in Washington County. These trails are unique in the area for three reasons.
First, they are relatively high. Sitting at the base of Pine Valley Mountain, the area is about 2,500 feet higher than downtown St. George putting them at 5,000 feet. Of course, with that elevation comes a slight relief from the summer heat making them a must-do for locals. From my house in the center of town to the trailhead, my 4Runner measured an 11 degree drop in temperature. It was still warm for sure, but the difference was a pleasant contrast.
Second, due to that elevation, there’s trees, lots of them. The trails wind their way through the Juniper and Pinions popping out occasionally to grassy meadows. The trees bring shade which also helps with the temps.
Third, the entire system currently only has green and blue trails. Unlike most everything else in the area, the trails are machine built. This lends itself to trails that are less technical. While most of these are flowy and smooth, Rick’s Ridge (blue downhill) is a riot of fast flow that links up multiple boulder obstacles and small jumps. It still sits solidly in the blue category, but it’s a rowdy fun time.
The system isn’t finished yet. The trail builders will return this fall to add more miles, but there is enough to do a 10.5-mile loop that doesn’t repeat. If you get creative, you can do lots of variations.
The big loop is accessed from the junction mentioned above, head west climbing the green trails. As these get higher up, they get a bit more interesting and start to loop back to the east. At the high point, you will reach Rick’s Ridge. This section parallels a small basalt canyon. Built as a downhill, there are several A/B options. All roll nicely, but you can get lots of speed and have a blast. This section brings you back to the main dirt road, cross it and the singletrack continues for another mile or so in much the same style as the ridge, but it is more rolling hills than just straight descent. This brings you right back to that parking area.
We all regroup at the top of Rick’s Ridge. A few of us have already ridden the trail and have been planting stoke the whole ride so the group is ecstatic and ready for the well-earned downhill.
The Ridge starts with a benched in trail to drop off the top and then winds itself through the trees and around basalt boulders. As I said, there are several A/B options. All of them are fun and totally rollable. The group hoots and hollers down the trail and makes it to the main roadway too fast. Stoke is thrown around before we finish out the last mile before returning to the cars.
The energy is high, and the group finds itself in the parking area telling the stories. Most riders had enough fun that they refuel and head out for another lap.
Note: Thanks to Washington County, Dixie National Forest and the Trail Alliance of Southern Utah for making these trails possible.
How to get there: from downtown St. George, head east on St. George BLVD, turn left onto 1000 East and then right onto Red Hills PKWY heading east. Next turn left onto Cottonwood Springs. Once you pass the water tank, the road turns to dirt. Follow this road to the junction with FR 901. The road can get quite washboardy, but the County has been regularly maintaining it.
