Broken Mesa Rim Trail
When the guys at the local bike shop say "This is the most fun trail I've ever ridden!" you have to pay attention. Of course, their definition of "fun" includes a tough initial climb, tricky spots involving rough bone-jarring lava boulders, and a half-mile plunge that's truly steep and dangerous.

Located 5 miles north of St. George, the Broken Mesa Rim trail should be reserved for strong and adventurous riders. The trail can be ridden year-round. The downhill singletrack is 7 miles, with an initial uphill mile that climbs 600 vertical feet. It can be done as an 8-mile point-to-point with shuttle, or as a 14.5-mile loop. If you do the loop option, you'll climb a total of over 2000 vertical feet.

There are a lot of small ledges and thread-the-needle passages through volcanic rock. The trail is best done with a plush full-suspension bike, but a skilled rider on a hardtail can still have fun. The lava boulders create a different type of "technical" than you're used to, so -- forewarned -- many riders don't like this trail. The lava is also very good at flatting your tires, so come prepared.

To say this trail is "rocky" is like saying water is wet. There are loose chunks in the trail's riding line, big and small. There are inconveniently-placed embedded boulders. You will bang your pedals.

There are great views from this trail. To the north are the Pine Valley Mountains. On the east are the mesas near Hurricane.

Although the Broken Mesa Rim is a few degrees cooler than St. George, it gets plenty hot here in the summer. I'd suggest you make the initial uphill climb in the morning, perhaps starting at the water tank if you're doing the loop.

The trail starts at the northern end of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The first part of the singletrack climb is fairly smooth, then it gets steeper and rougher. At 0.5 mile, the trail reaches a doubletrack with a pipeline on the far side. Find the continuing singletrack trail on your right, just across the pipeline.

Here you'll encounter dead trees from the fire in 2006. The shrub vegetation has recovered well, and is now beginning to encroach on the trail's riding line. Here also the climb gets a bit more technical, with frequent basalt rocks to negotiate.

Depending on recent weather and trail maintenance, parts of the trail will be quite rough with large loose rocks. If bike control through loose cobble isn't your thing, reconsider whether you want to try this trail. Check with a local bike shop for current trail conditions.

At mile 1, the trail reaches the Broken Mesa Rim. It twists through juniper and brush, with more basalt boulders to keep things interesting. At mile 1.6, the downhill begins. You'll drop onto a broad treeless mesa as the trail twists towards the edge of the cliffs at Washington.

At mile 6.2 you'll reach the edge of the bluff. Here you'll drop at a 20% grade through the broken lava. Just hang your butt way back and aim the front tire straight down the trail. Keep the bike moving. If the bike hangs on a boulder, bail off the back end.

Reaching doubletrack at the bottom of the hill, you can turn right to complete the loop. 2.4 miles takes you back to the water tank, where you turn right uphill to follow the road back to the trailhead.
Alternatively, you can go straight across the powerline doubletrack and follow the faint singletrack down to Washington and hit the city streets.

To get to the top of Icehouse, go northeast from the Broken Mesa trailhead turnoff. Drive 2.2 miles, keeping right at the road fork. Then fork southeast on FR 092 for 1.1 miles on primitive dirt road. The trail starts at the gate, about N37 13.71 W113 32.11. See the Icehouse Trail page.

Icehouse has 3.5 miles of downhill before it hits Broken Mesa. If you continue all the way to Washington (see the GPS track file), that's 6.8 miles of downhill cruising.

Getting there:  From the St. George Blvd exit of I-15, turn towards the city (west), then immediately turn right on 10th East. Zero your odometer here. Take the next right on Highland, then next left onto Industrial Road. Turn left at 0.7 on Red Rock Road. Keep left at the next fork, continuing north uphill on Cottonwood Road. (At 3.3 miles, you'll pass a water tank on your right. The return trail for the loop option comes back here. You can park here and bike up the road if you want to.) Pavement ends at 3.7. Keep left at the next fork at 5.4. Watch for a sign "Red Cliffs Mesa Rim Trail" at mile 8.8 and turn towards a fenced parking area at a stock watering trough at mile 9.0. GPS N 37° 13.451' W 113° 34.197'
Southbound (Washington): Southbound on I-15, exit in Washington at Exit 10 (Green Springs Drive). Turn right as you exit, then immediately turn left on Red Hills Parkway. Drive 1.5 miles, then turn right on Cottonwood Road.