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Hurricane Rim Loop - IMBA EPIC

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.0 (122)
  1. Areas
  2. UT
  3. …Southwestern Utah
  4. …Hurricane and La Verkin
  5. Hurricane Cliffs Trail System
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“A popular loop that combines three fun trails with easy climbs, fast descending, and great vistas. ”

Kevin Christopherson
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Map Key

20.8

Miles

33.5

KM

90%

Singletrack

4,318' 1,316 m

High

3,484' 1,062 m

Low

1,326' 404 m

Up

1,329' 405 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

16%

Max Grade (9°)

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

This route has been edited to use the Sheep Bridge TH (Spring '23), cutting out the northeastern section of the JEM Trail.

Overview

One of the best link-ups in Southern Utah! This loop includes the Hurricane Rim Trail, Goulds Rim, and JEM Trail for 20+ miles on mostly singletrack.

This loop is a roller coaster ride with great vistas, easy climbing, fast flowing descents, and some technical sections. It combines many of the trails in this network.

Need to Know

There are bike tools and a pump at the kiosk.

Description

Because it links three different trails, you can start from any one of a handful of trailheads. The route mapped here starts from the Sheep Bridge TH, passes the Jem TH around highway mile 16, and access to the Hurricane Cliffs TH around mile 18.

The Sheep Bridge trailhead can be a little tricky to find, but the mobile app should lead you right to it. Turn south off of State Road 9 onto Sheep Bridge Road just outside Virgin, Utah. Cross the Virgin River and continue across the cattle guard. Follow the dirt road past the Hurricane Cliffs BLM Rec Area to the parking area (this is the trailhead).

The Cryptobionic trail starts as you leave the parking lot heading north. Look for the brown trail sign to get onto the singletrack. Within a hundred yards, you'll come to the JEM Trail junction - turn right onto the JEM Trail. Continue northeast until the Hurricane Ridge Trail, turn left (west), and you're on your way.

Follow this fun, rocky trail along the rim above the river to the Hurricane Rim trailhead. From the Hurricane Rim trailhead around mile 7.3, go down the highway about 1,000 feet. (Be careful on the highway because the shoulder is very narrow.) Turn onto the doubletrack on your left and climb for about two miles and then, as you reach the top of the hill, watch for the singletrack branching off to the left.

Follow the Goulds Rim trail's flowing climb until you cross a well maintained gravel road, and look for corrals across this road. Head toward the corrals and follow the dirt road, passing the corrals on the south (right). You'll see another brown sign marking the singletrack just past the corrals.

Follow the trail until it crosses State Road 59 again (this time heading north). After crossing the highway, take the short dirt road south to the upper JEM parking lot.

Ride through the parking lot and look for the singletrack on your right (east) immediately after crossing the fence on a small bike cattle guard. Get ready for one of the best xc descents anywhere. Simply follow the JEM Trail singletrack back to the Sheep Bridge TH parking area (and your car).

Contacts

Local Club: Trail Alliance of Southern Utah (TASU)

Land Manager: BLM Utah - St. George Field Office

Shared By:

Kevin Christopherson with improvements by Evan Springer
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.0 from 122 votes

#1

in Hurricane Cliffs Trail System

#144

Overall
  4.0 from 122 votes
5 Star
38%
4 Star
41%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
5%
1 Star
3%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Hurricane Cliffs Trail…

#20

in Utah

#144

Overall
283 Views Last Month
64,779 Since Sep 12, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
0%
3%
45%
19%
33%
1%
Add a Photo

Photos

This is the part where JEM really gets rockin'
Apr 2, 2015 near Hurricane, UT
Here comes a storm...
May 3, 2016 near LaVerkin, UT
Riding between canyon sections on Goulds Rim.
Apr 2, 2015 near Hurricane, UT
Teena bombing it down the JEM trail back to the Sheep Bridge trailhead. You can see the town of Virgin, and Zion National Park in the background.
Aug 11, 2013 near LaVerkin, UT
Mother Nature in all her red-rock majesty!
Dec 18, 2015 near Hurricane, UT
Shredding a little Ridge on Jem, Guided mountain bike trips @ https://www.wildmesamtb.com/.
Jul 21, 2022 near Hurricane, UT

20 Comments

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 29 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Nov 24, 2024
Dan 60D5H411
With Owen, Eliana, Tina
May 21, 2024
Rick B
Windy out here, but the views can't be beat. HT rough, FS preferred.
Apr 12, 2024
William V
Started in Hurricane up 3 Falls trailhead to bypass road. Detoured to Falls Park for river plunge. Got closer to 3k vert doing. Good riding 30mi
Mar 22, 2024
Atsuko Ohtake
Dec 17, 2023
Brigham Reese
May 21, 2023
Jorge Pachon
Nov 9, 2022
Cameron Schwab
24mi — 3h 00m
Oct 31, 2022
A E
The JEM trail is one way for those first few miles and starting from the suggested start make you go the wrong way. 25mi — 3h 00m

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Supported by IMBA EPIC
Stewarded by Trail Alliance of Southern Utah (TASU)
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