Broken Mesa Loop

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Technical · Views

This is one of the most fun trails in St. George. You can ride this as a loop, like it's mapped here with a dirt road climb, or a point to point with shuttle. The trail includes a pretty mellow initial climb leading to a fun, long downhill. There are technical sections with rough lava boulders, and a half-mile section of descent that's extra steep, promising a challenge for expert riders.

Assuming that you're doing the entire loop as it is mapped here, pedal up the road for roughly six miles until you reach the Broken Mesa Rim Trail. 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. The climb gets a bit more technical, with frequent basalt rocks to negotiate, and depending on the season, occasional loose babyhead rocks.

Follow Broken Mesa Rim Trail until you come to a junction with Icehouse Trail. Enjoy the 6 miles of almost non-stop downhill, descending 2000 vertical feet. There are occasional, very short gentle climbs to keep you honest. Intermittent pumice boulders situated in the trail surface raise the overall technical level to upper-intermediate. The final 1/3-mile plunge off the mesa is advanced technical and requires good skills.

At mile 13, turn right onto a dirt road and follow it the rest of the way back to the parking lot.