Utah Biking May 2022
Richfield and Cedar City
La Grande/Boise || St George and the Mesas || Red Canyon || Escalante Hiking || Grand Junction and Navajo Rocks
Richfield is 167miles, 2.5 hour drive from Salt Lake City on the I70. Richfield sits at an elevation of 5280ft/1610m with temperatures ranging from mid teen’s Celcius Nov – Feb, 20’s oC in Oct/April to mid 30oC May to September. Newly built (circa 2022) it’s not that well known yet but we’re here to #doomthespot. The Pahvant trails are more than acceptable. Standard desert terrain with ledgy square edged hits. Trails are routed exceptionally well. Quite incredibly Sevier County paid for the system to attract bike tourism. The local high school students and locals then helped to build and maintain the trails. Trailwork is so popular that there are tryouts for the school maintenance club IMO this system is an inspiration and will succeed. It’s money well spent.
The Pahvant Trail system was developed by the Richfield City Trails Committee using federal funding. Accessed off Exit 40 you can shuttle or climb a dedicated climb trail to into the network. The trails here are fast and flowy. Will be dusty in summer. In 2022 the 18mile, 4650m descent Spinal Tap trail was completed.
In Richfield we camped in the middle of the trail network ~5km up Rd 096->1018 off 1197E, easy access unless you have a really big trailer that can’t get around tight switchbacks.
Cedar City is 115m, 1hr 40 min drive from Richfield. There are places to camp here but we stayed at the Best Western since a storm system went through.
The Iron HIlls Trail System are maintained by the Iron TrailCraft org. Donate to show your appreciation!
Cedar City trails have some interesting variety due to their Volcanic composition at the foothills of Cedar Breaks National Monument. With well built uphills (we’re sort of expecting this now out of Southern Utah towns), interesting singletrack with challenge on ups and downs so you have to pay attention.
Superb rockwork and routing on trails like BoulderDash, Boneyard and Lava Flow. If you crash consequences can be quite high.
Also enjoyed how the downhills weren’t mindless plowfests but had enough jank that you have to think. There’s probably a good 3 days to ride and explore in the area. We scratched the surface.
There is camping heading 5km up Hwy 14 towards Cedar Break. Or North West of Cedar City in the Three Peaks Rec area. As well, at the Shurtz Canyon trailhead at the western side of the Iron Hills Trails System the trailhead is located roughly 5 miles south of Cedar City, near the intersection of Old Highway 91 and Tipple Road. Camping exists here at the Pyramid Ridge Campground.
Richfield
Our Trailforks ride logs are HERE and HERE
Spinal Tap Map
Lower XC Trail Map
Our Campsite
Climb up Lower Faulty
Spinal Tap
Optional jump on Spinal Tap
Climb back up Big Red
Campfire at night. Got REALLY windy the next night so we bailed.
Cairn-Age
Lower Cairn-Age
Cedar City
Trailforks Ride Log is HERE
Iron Hills Overview Map
Parking Lot
Climb up Lichen It.
Boulderdash
Boneyard – really fun!
Black ops
We were then off to St George and the Mesa’s!