Flying Monkey Shuttle

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E-Bikes Not Allowed

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One of Southern Utah's gnarliest downhill trails, Flying Monkey is extremely high-risk and frankly rather terrifying. But for those with the skill and the stomach for it, his ride offers a hootin' hollering good time on a bike!

Flying Monkey Trail cuts steeply down the side of the mesa, full of janky rollers on a narrow trail with long drop offs. Some sections run the risk of washing out completely after rain, so don't take anything for granted here. It is highly recommended to stop before dropping any of the features to evaluate the required skill level, and contemplate your life decisions before proceeding.

That said, if you are an advanced mountain biker with the experience and the head for riding exposed terrain, don't let the description deter you. This is an amazing downhill that remains raw and exciting. Those with the knack may even find some sort of flow on this burly trail.

This is an extremely dangerous trail with technical maneuvers over big, exposed drop offs -- for experts only! Full face helmet and padding is highly recommended.

Getting There:
Drive up Mesa Road to access the trailhead. When the pavement on this road ends, turn right (there will be a fenced area on your left, follow the road right to avoid the fenced property) then go about .4 miles on the dirt road. Just before the road starts to bank left, there is an obvious right turn with a big dip, turn right here and be careful going over the dip. Immediately after turning, park in the pull outs on the left or right (be sure to leave enough room for cars to drive on the dirt road).

Starting the Ride:
Bike east along the doubletrack road among Juniper trees. When you reach the cattle gate, choose to jump the barbed wire fence with a small kicker on the left, or open the gate and close it behind you. Continue down the doubletrack past the memorial on your right. At the bottom of a chunky section of road, you'll see an obvious trail and a sign marking the start of the Flying Monkey Trail.

The Downhill:
Follow the exposed singletrack through technical rollers and off-camber sections with high consequence fall zones. One of the scariest features comes early on, with a near vertical rock roller into a sharp left corner. Going off the trail here could be catastrophic, and it's only the beginning of the descent! Keep in mind that many of the rollers are blind and should be scouted before riding. Loose rocks tend to fall in the trail and can alter the course.

Return:
Once you have completed the gnarly descent and reached the valley floor, follow the singletrack to your left through a series of washes before kicking out onto the final section of dirt road. Follow this downhill back to the Virgin BMX track, where you can leave a vehicle or call for a pick up. If you are instead biking back to your car at the top, you can navigate dirt roads to return to Mesa Road or pedal pavement via Kolob Terrace Rd and Hwy 9 to Mesa Rd.

How did Flying Monkey Mesa get it's name? The fenced area at the top of Mesa Road was once a base used to test fighter pilot ejection seats. Some of the test subjects were monkeys, get it!? Flying Monkey.