Grafton Shuttle Ride

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps · Views

Square edges, drops, and a road gap make this one of the must-do downhill trails in the area. The route comprises a linkup of Grafton Mesa trails, and with unique hand-built trail this ride is like no other. Prepare for extremely technical terrain with square edges, off-camber rocks, and optional drops. While predominantly downhill, be ready to exert effort navigating through square rock edges and pedaling up technical slabs. This trail serves as an excellent precursor to the local Flying Monkey Trail, offering slightly less challenging terrain.

You can access this route in a couple of different ways. To ride a 10-mile loop with a healthy climb, park at Grafton Cemetery or at the bottom of Smithsonian Butte Rd, then pedal up this road AKA Cry Baby Hill. Alternatively--and what I recommend--can set a shuttle and drive this hill, either with two cars of your own or by hiring a shuttle service.

This route has high consequence sections with significant fall exposure, so it's recommended only for advanced riders who have experience riding steep, technical, and exposed terrain.

Getting There:
Start by parking in a small pull-off on Smithsonian Butte Road, located 3.9 miles up the road when driving from Springdale on the right side. (37.12945, -113.10115) Pedal north a few hundred meters on a doubletrack road until a trail on your right marks the start of Lazy Money. Behind you lies Pocket Change, another fun trail worth riding.

The Descent:
Begin on Lazy Money, taking an immediate right to avoid the first section of Show Me the Money. Lazy Money is a singletrack that flows downhill through technical rock sections and off-camber rocks. Everything on the trail can be rolled and some dropped. This is a black trail and is a good indicator of what the rest of the ride will feel like. The trail naturally flows into Show Me The Money, where you'll continue on similar terrain until reaching a small junction. Here, take a left (west) down More Money.

This is where the difficulty steps up a notch, with harder rock gardens and one of the first high-consequence features--an exposed rock spine. Tread carefully here, and follow the trail into a high-speed downhill section before climbing a small hill to the start of Grafton Mesa Downhill.

This significant descent is filled with square edges, steep rock rolls, and narrow exposed sections. Halfway down the trail, it transitions into desert flow with a few smaller rock gardens. It ends with a big drop into the road, where you'll then pedal the dirt road back to Grafton Cemetery, riding under the Grafton Gap—a huge road gap worth hitting if you have the courage!

The Return:
From this point, take your vehicle back to top or pedal the road dubbed Cry Baby Hill, up 5.6 miles and 1400 feet of elevation back to your car.

The small Grafton ghost town cemetery sits at the base of this mountain bike trail. It is worth taking a look around and checking out the cemetery (right at the base of the trail, before reaching the main dirt road that takes you back into Rockville), as well as the old buildings of the ghost town.