Father and Son

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Features Drops/Jumps · Views

This is a fun pair of loops (large and little) that features long singletrack climbs with amazing views and ripping descents down Father of Ginormous and Ginormous.

Large Loop: Father of Ginormous

• From the parking lot, head up Prince Creek Trail for 1.8 miles
• Left on Christmas Tree for 0.5 miles
• Left on North Porcupine for ~1.1 miles
• Right on Innie for ~1.4 miles
• Hard right on Undie for ~2.8 miles
• Right on Father of Ginormous for 2.4 miles

Little Loop: Ginormous

• Left on Monte Carlo for ~1 mile
• Left on BLM Road 8320 for ~0.2 miles
• Right on Highline Trail for 0.8 miles
• Straight on Plunge for 0.2 miles
• Right on South Porcupine for 75 yards
• Left on Ginormous for 0.3 miles
• Right on Monte Carlo to Lower Monte Carlo and back to the parking lot (about ~2.2 miles)

The directions for the ride start from the "Bull Pen" trailhead parking lot. The lot can fill up on weekends and holidays, so try to carpool or ride from Carbondale which just adds a couple of miles of pavement on either end.

Start on the Prince Creek Trail singletrack which gently climbs and winds through dense scrub oak and offers some nice cover on sunny days. For bikes it's mostly an uphill-only trail, but be on the lookout for runners and hikers who may use the trail going up and down, as well as two-way bike traffic in the meadow section. The trail borrows Prince Creek Road for a bit so you can cross a cattle guard, pass by the exit of Lower Monte Carlo (downhill only), and get right back on singletrack by turning left at the next Prince Creek Trail sign. You get a brief glimpse into your future as you look across the barrier Styx (ha!) to the Lower Monte Carlo trail and again as you pass by the exit of Father of Ginormous (downhill-only). Shortly after that, turn left to climb on Christmas Tree which is generally ridden uphill. The beginning is tight and twisty with a rocky section that may require a little attention to keep from putting a foot down, but otherwise offers some very pleasant climbing.

At the top, turn left on to North Porcupine and enjoy ~1 mile of rolling terrain before turning right on Innie to begin climbing again. After ~1.4 miles through the scrub oak and sage, Innie begins to head downhill. You top a couple of short punchy uphills before you hit a steeper downhill. Keep your eyes open and turn right on Undie - it would be easy to blow past. Enjoy the long easy climb and lovely valley views. ~1.5 miles in you come to the first of two fun switchbacks - not an oxymoron! Instead of the usual slo-mo wobble-fest getting around a super-tight uphill turn, there's a fun half-figure-eight bowl thing that does the work for you. It's so nice they built it twice: there's a second one ~3/4 of a mile later that just might give you case of deja swoop.

~0.5 miles later, just after you cross BLM Road 8322, drop in to Father of Ginormous on your right. The trail flows like a giant waterslide - big wall rides, sweeping turns, and little hip jumps. The whoop-force is strong with this one. Use caution as the trail crosses South Porcupine after ~1.8 miles and Christmas Tree ~0.2 miles later. Continue all the way down to the intersection with Monte Carlo and Prince Creek Trail.

After you wipe the massive grin off your face, and assuming you're willing to climb again for a little more fun, take a left to head up the Monte Carlo singletrack. Preview the car feature and pass by the exit of Ginormous (downhill-only) to continue climbing for about a mile to the intersection with BLM Road 8320. Turn left on BLM Road 8320 for just a bit and then right on the Highline Trail (unmarked road leads to the trailhead about 50' away) for some more singletrack climbing through the sagebrush. At the end of the trail, cross over BLM Road 8320 to Plunge for a tight, steep and somewhat ugly shortcut over to South Porcupine. Turn right and ride for maybe 75 yards before dropping in to Ginormous on your left.

Ginormous is another awesome romp down an old wash. As the name implies, it's in the same family of fun as Father of Ginormous, but in a pint-sized package. Warning: wall rides, sweeping turns, and hip jumps may cause serious deja whoop. When the fun ends, turn right on the two-way Monte Carlo and enjoy the cruise downhill. When you see the hubcap, you're about to hit the one-of-a-kind car feature which is also a great InstaTokBook photo op. I mean, if you don't post, did it really happen? Ride a little farther down the two-way Monte Carlo until you hit the downhill-only Lower Monte Carlo. Enjoy the swoops, turns, and pops, but use caution on the two-way sections of trail. Before you know it, you'll be back right where you started wondering when you can come back to ride it all again!