Blowhard Trail

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps · Views

The stats speak for themselves: Blowhard is a 7-mile downhill trail with a 3300-foot descent--best experienced via shuttle. Expect rowdy loose sections, raw roots, rock gardens, and switchbacks that your long-travel bike will barely fit through. A beautiful flow trail exists between the challenging sections, giving you some time to appreciate the majestic views of red rock cliffs, towering hoodoos, and whispery wooded singletrack.

This is an advanced trail and should be ridden with caution, as some sections are a little unpredictable.

Getting There:
The bottom trailhead is located on the left side of Cedar Canyon, at a pullout 8.6 miles up the road. Leave a vehicle here for a shuttle and drive up Cedar Canyon road 8.7 miles, then take a left on State Route 148. Drive 2.1 miles before taking a left on a dirt road, following it for under a mile to the small roundabout and Upper Blowhard Trailhead.

The Trail:
Start with a short climb on the obvious trail leaving the parking lot. Pedal a few hundred meters before reaching the top of Blowhard Trail (#32047). Once reaching the top of the trail, be prepared for some steep, butt-scrubbing riding. Right off the bat, follow a series of short steep switchbacks leading 1.1 miles into a beautiful viewpoint of Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Continue down the obvious trail through the hardest part of Blowhard, with more hairpin switchbacks and steep skidding through clutter of loose rock, washed out roots. and sharp rock outcrops. The trail slowly changes from rowdy downhill to alpine flow, with fun fast sections and less steep riding. Once reaching Crystal Springs, a large meadow, expect the riding to ease up for a bit.

Cross the meadow and follow the well-marked trail up a short climb before reaching the second section of downhill. This 2.8-mile stretch is full of flowing trail through pine trees, and offers a much smoother ride compared to the trail above. From here, follow the trail into a doubletrack steep road that follows a fence line downhill. After the steep doubletrack, an obvious singletrack gate stands out on your left.

Follow this trail down the remainder of Blowhard. The trail is higher speed here, but has a few hard rock slabs to ride over before ending at a janky rock garden that leaves you in the parking lot.