Dogs Leashed
E-Bikes
Not Allowed
Features
Drops/Jumps · Views
Overview
This 13.5-mile loop takes you through technical slickrock features and offers breathtaking views of the Hurricane Valley, Zion National Park, and Gooseberry Mesa. The trail navigates between intermediate and advanced level riding, with optional rock rollers that will test even the most experienced riders. Much of this mesa offers more "flow" than nearby Gooseberry Mesa but is also considerably more challenging to navigate. This route links together some of the best riding of the
West Loop and
North Point Loop.
Description
Park at the Little Creek Mesa Trailhead (37.05969, -113.22555) and start pedaling west down a road for a short section before taking a right onto the trail system. You'll be immediately greeted with a punchy climb, reaching the top of the short hill and following the singletrack trail into your first rock slab.
On the slab, work left following the well-marked cairns west towards the west loop. Cross a road 0.7 miles into the trail and navigate through more slickrock via cairns until reaching more sustained singletrack.
West Loop showcases unbelievable views of the surrounding valleys.
The trail encroaches within mere feet of the mesa's cliffside and even has a feature where a stacked rock lets you roll over a void of the valley below. Once the singletrack of west loop ends, you are greeted with more slickrock and sandstone. The sandstone generally has marked cairns, though you'll likely stray off route a few times. Luckily, finding your way back onto the path is not too difficult. After 6.8 miles of riding, you reach the beginning of the North Loop. Go left here for 0.5 miles before reaching an intersection of the
North Point Loop.
The
North Point Loop Loop is 4.1 miles long and can be ridden in both directions, I prefer to ride it counterclockwise as it makes the slickrock more enjoyable. Immediately upon starting this trail, the cairns become more sparse and navigation more difficult. Keep your head up and follow the fun slickrock, exploring where you can, until you reach a more obvious trail of the
North Point Loop h Loop. Ride around the rim to another iconic viewpoint until you loop back to the intersection where you were before.
At this point you'll be nearing the end of the ride. hop back on the
West Loop for one of my favorite sections: the Waterfall. This is a narrow path that takes through a dry fall that sometimes is filled with water. This is probably the hardest single descent of the entire trail. Watch your bars as you smash down the chute, it's easy to clip them. Once at the bottom, you'll face the hardest climb of the day. Push through 1.2 more miles until reaching the initial trail you climbed in on. Work your way over the last hill and you'll find yourself back at the car.
History & Background
Lots of native artifacts and petroglyphs can be found out here if you look closely. Please be respectful - don't touch or ride over them!
Contacts
Shared By:
Wild Mesa Marley
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