Southwest Utah: Dual Sport Riding from St. George

This route is all legal. Lots of ground has been incorporated in the Red Desert Reserve (Tortoise habitat) or the Santa Clara River Reserve, but there is still a "path" from Bloomington (Navajo Drive) through the White Hills to Santa Clara.

A year to ago there was a fence you had to "work around" at the top of the pass through the White Hills. Now the fence is removed and there is nearby signage (and fences) showing the boundary of the Desert Reserve. Didn't have to cross any downed fences to complete this ride. Looks like a slight adjustment was made to the boundary and the pass through the White Hills is legal again. At least that's my story.

Here's a map of the area. Benchmark as usual.



- The main dirt road leaves Bloomington at Navajo Drive. Similar starting point for lots of rides. Post #3, #95, #142.
- At first dirt intersection about 1 mile in, bear right, following signs to Bloomington Cave.
- After a few miles following along wash, the main dirt road starts to rise toward Bloomington Cave (with sign). At intersection near small cattle reservoir make distinct right turn onto smaller, less maintained road.
- This road/track is much more uneven. Follows contours fairly abruptly. On map it is shown as thin red line following Cottonwood Wash.
- I continued high up on Cottonwood Wash, fairly ledgy to connect with other roads I know before retracing and going north up through the White Hills. Marked in yellow on map, but no track shown by Benchmark. The path is there, but it is moto and ATV only. No trucks and probably not any jeeps. Too narrow with a few tight turns.
- Once on top of the White Hills the network of tracks generally improves and follows a wash past Boomer Hill before returning to "normal" dirt roads above Santa Clara.
- Dropping in to Santa Clara and crossing the river via bridge to the main street is easy.
- Could also return to Green Valley from Santa Clara on dirt (never touching pavement), last ride, post #263. Went home on pavement today. Time was running short and my son would be home from school soon.

Here is the first dirt intersection. Bear right, following signs to Bloomington Cave. Recent maintenance of this road, although some loose gravel is a few corners. :eek1




At the second dirt intersection turn right. Don't follow the Cave signs up the hill. Stay low.




Road immediately narrows and starts to look more like a jeep trail. Follows sharp contours up and down. Small cattle fences nearby. Generally in the direction of the White Hills.




Notice the wind on the surface of the water. Really windy today. TW is very stable on side-stand. Otherwise I think it might have blown over. :huh




I didn't want to make the ride too short. Instead of going straight for the pass through the White Hills, I rode higher in Cottonwood Wash. Here's a view of the White Hills with Pine Valley Mountain as backdrop. Some snow on upper part of Pine Valley Mountain from a few days ago. Perhaps our last bit of snow this season.




Some of the trail/road up here gets kind of ledgy. Not much traffic, pretty out of the way. A truck/jeep could get through here, but it would be a slow, bouncy ride. Good terrain for a TW.




Exploring up a side wash.




Near the top is some smooth double track and few cows.




Big views back down to the White Hills with Pine Valley Mountain in background. This photo is taken from just south of the word "Cottonwood" on the map. Very pretty spot. Easier to get to from the Hollow Wash Road or Joshua Tree Scenic Backway.




Glamour shot of the TW.




My effort to capture the wind. This tumbleweed was bouncing along. Easy to block for a minute with the bike.




Here's the road/track that cuts directly north to the White Hills. Marked in yellow, but not shown by Benchmark.




The look as you approach the cut/pass up through the White Hills.




A few ruts and scrape marks as things get a bit narrow and steeper.




The narrow track is easier than the rocky uneven wash. As always, steeper than it looks. Looking back down.




One or two more final turns and you're up on top of the White Hills.




Some small adjustments have been made to the boundaries. Previously, there was a downed fence in this area. It has been removed and there is new nearby signage (and fencing) showing the Desert Reserve. Very easy to work north towards Boomer Hill on various tracks which eventually consolidate between fence lines (Desert Reserve and Santa Clara River Reserve). Pics of this area in my last ride (Post #263 Green Valley to Santa Clara on dirt).




Saw this roadside attraction just before reaching Santa Clara. Newly created. Some one has a good sense of humor and a creative touch.




View just above Santa Clara. Bike in almost same spot as last ride. Pine Valley Mountain with snow in background. Red cliffs of Snow Canyon. White cliff band in distance is above Winchester Hills.




Bike is in same position. Different angle. Background is red cliffs of Ivins. Asphalt road leaving Santa Clara and climbing hill on the way to Kayenta is visible just beyond farmer's field. Scenic spot.




Thanks for checkin' in. Ride safe, ride often.

I didn't know a person needed a permit to crawl on their hands and knee's at night with a headlamp. Looks dangerous to me! Giggle, I know it's for the cave's, but couldn't resist. Ah, those pesky tumbleweeds, I hate 'em. With our recent and on-going spring winds, my fence is loaded with tumbleweeds.

Looked like this ride had a bit more technical riding going up the White Hills. Still, very pretty. Last fall I had to find a downed part of a fence to get to the other side, no gates nearby. Ended up finding a broken wood fence post about the size of a 2x4 and rode over it with the wire still attached to the post. Sprung back upright after I passed. No harm no foul. Hope no one was looking! I love the humor in the "face paint". I hope it's humor. Could be a warning, or perhaps a hula dancer missing her upper body!

As always, thanks for sharing pictures of this wonderful riding area.

Thanks, Admiral. I've never been interested in caving either. My nephews used to play paintball in that area. I think there are a few other inmates who grew up in St. George and frequented the cave in their high school days.

Yeah, the last bit riding was more technical. The TW is great for crawling along some parts of it; for other parts the suspension is lacking. A few of the ledges had me thinking carefully about the stock "skid" plate.

Enjoyed your videos of Georgie on back. Cool dog! I assume you're starting to have Spring weather also. Look forward to seeing more mining ruins or whatever else is in your travels. --- RRR.

Nice new pics, thanks!
I just drove thru on Sunday, I couldn't get a pic of Snow Mtn, because of all the snow.
On a different subject, did you find out where the bakery moved to? I could have used some extra sugar for the drive home.

Really beautiful place you have out there! I am loosely planning a UT trip this summer

Hey Bob - hope you had a good trip. We'll try again next time you are through St. George. Perhaps I'll be able to tag along for a ride. No, haven't found the bakery. Waiting for inmate Quota to resurface and give some guidance.

Lots of activity around St. George this Spring. Not quite a return to boom times but things are happening. The local moto stores say they are doing strong business, mostly side-by-sides to recent retirees relocating to area. Good for them.

I'm biased, but I have to say the Utah, especially south of I-70, has lots of great riding. Pavement, dirt, cross-country, and everything in between. If you're coming from CA, you'll probably come through St. George. Give me a heads up if you're going to be in the area. If it's hot spend time at higher elevations.

Enjoying your DV RR. Utah has some stretches that are similar. Watch your gas. Don't want to come up short.

RedRockRider, I love your post and been following for a while. I was wondering how your TW does on the steep and rocky single track. I am thinking about adding a TW to my quiver.

Welcome aboard, ssmschulz!

My WRR has a much better suspension and acceleration. But the TW is tough to beat for rock crawling. The gearing is low. Easy to creep without feathering the clutch. Seat height is low. You can always put a foot down, even on uneven (steep) terrain. Best part is the fat back tire. Some local trails have lots of loose steep rock. The fat tire does well. Seems to either grip or float as needed. I've dug some ruts on steep loose stuff with my WRR's back tire. TW handles it more easily. West Mountain Peak by Hell Hole Pass for locals, Post #121 top of page 9.

An interesting bike would be Yamaha's concept XTW250 Ryoku if they put it into production. Needs a large tank. Would be nice to see a 350 Ryoku with fuel injection, 6 speeds, disc brakes, and full protection and racks.

http://blog.motorcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/11611-yamaha-xtw250-ryoku-concept.jpg

Yesterday afternoon. Wife was still out of town. My son and I take advantage and ride 2-up for frozen yogurt. He wants to ride on the big white bike, the one with the backrest.

Here he is getting ready to go.




Straight shot down St. George Boulevard to his favorite frozen yogurt place. You get to add your own toppings. For a 10-year old, this is an opportunity not to be missed.




Enjoying his reward for doing homework, and not missing his mommy too much!




Personal note: I really enjoy watching my son enjoy his treat. I was diagnosed with diabetes about a year and a half ago. Always been relatively healthy (weight, diet, exercise etc). Just some bad genetics. Original A1C number was 13+, off the charts. :huh Now A1C is under 6.5. All good. Still can have an occasional sweet, but not often. Strangely, all this has made me really enjoy taking my son out for frozen yogurt or ice-cream. Super fun to watch him. Must be love. Wife (doctor) has also been great on helping get diabetes under control. All-in-all, still a very lucky guy!

Gearing up for the ride home.




Son doesn't want to go straight back home. We cruise around the old airport and take in the views from some of the bluffs surrounding town. No extra pics, but lots of quality father and son time. Kids are great, especially my kid!

Out with my dad on motos today. More on that tomorrow.

One day they are eating frozen yogurt, next thing you know it, they're asking to borrow the helmet and keys! Kids grow up way too fast!

Frozen yogurt tastes yummy!

RRR, we just got back home from five days in Sand Hollow. We were four-wheeling in the Sand Mountain OHV area. I was amazed at how many trails there were. We picked up the BLM map of the area around St George and there sure is a lot of riding.....you have only touched on a small amount. I enjoy your reports.

TheAdmiral -- really appreciate the positive comments!

Ol Man -- Yeah, Sand Mountain is great for OHV. Good to do before it gets really hot. Coral Pink Sand Dunes just east of Kanab (2 hours from St. George) is also fantastic. HIgher elevation. http://www.utah.com/stateparks/coral_pink.htm Lots of nearby BLM land. Dunes and extensive trail riding. Thanks for the heads up on the Bar 10 Ranch. Never been. On my list to at least stop in on way to Whitmore Canyon Overlook. Amount of trails/roads in southwest Utah is really amazing. Tons of territory, almost all open access, and very moto-friendly culture. Not many people and great scenery.

I'm doing my best to cover as much ground as possible!

1stgear -- Thanks for posting on the thread. At least one inmate in Cedar. Some really strong local knowledge!
Post up a pic or two if you do a ride. Not sure of my schedule yet during April 15-18, but always good to entertain options. Should be very nice riding weather. Perhaps leave a bike at your place in Cedar? Think it's possible to connect almost all riding areas around St. George, perhaps with short bursts on asphalt.

There is a bike inspection place just across from the side parking lot of MotoZoo in St. George. Took my WRR there today. Total inspection time: 3 min 15 sec. Light, high beam, blinkers, brake light, license plate light, tires, brakes. No horn this time. $9 cash. 5 minutes for write-up. Small, informal operation. Could be a wait if busy, but easy to go to MotoZoo for a few minutes, then come back. Not sure how they might handle dirt bikes, but very easy with my dual sports.

Photo from a few months ago. Look for the red door, just west of MotoZoo. Richard is the main man.

Very good thread and info,we are planning a trip in Sept. for a week and hope to stay on trails and unpaved rds. for most of the week.Probably ship bikes to Vegas and work our way to your area and on to Moun. valley and etc. Mabe we can look you up when we get there.Thanks for the thread and info........................

Warmer weather, longer days, and no mud. It's time for the AZ Strip.

A warm-up pic. Here's me near the headwalls of Black Rock Gulch on Rt #1009 working south towards Maple Canyon. This road is straight south of the active Gypsum mine at the Black Rock Road exit of I-15, just 1-2 miles south of the AZ/UT border. #1009 is a slower route than nearby #1069 (Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse express), bet generally more scenic. More rock, less mud.




Benchmark Map. South on #1009, east on #1004, back to St. George on #1069. Total loop was 70-80 miles. Marked Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse as many inmates have been there. Provides a sense of scale.




Benchmark (AZ) is great, but this little map from the BLM also very useful. It shows the route numbers as they are actually signed in the field.




Close-up of the Grand Canyon-Parashant map. Route highlighted. Many, many smaller roads not shown on this map. Mount Trumbull School house is ~60+ miles from the closest gas station in St. George, so out and back (no side exploring) is a minimum 120 mile roundtrip. Near capacity for many smaller dual sports. Need larger tanks or carry substantial gas to go to "overlook" points. Essentially no services anywhere on Strip. Awesome, vast country.




Starting out. Just blasted down I-15. You can take dirt tracks from Sun River south just west of I-15, but easy enough to do a few freeway miles. Not crowded and generally courteous drivers.




Just past the UT/AZ border. Black Rock Road exit. No services.




On the south side of the exit. Heavy duty graded gravel/dirt to the Gypsum mine. Here's where we are going. It is 18 miles up through Black Rock Gulch and Maple Canyon to Black Rock Road, #1004.




The mine. Road goes right through it. Been through here on several other rides. See posts #2 and especially #207 (p. 14). Same area.




Dad's along on this ride. Awesome. Here we are just above the Gypsum mine. The red sand of Sand Hollow OHV is visible on the horizon just above my TW. Warner Valley is below that red sand.




It's the desert. Here we are at about 3,000 ft. elevation. Already it's starting to look hot and dry.




Good signage. The Low Mountain Road goes to the AZ (South) overlook down into the Virgin River Gorge above Cedar Pocket (I-15). First ride in this thread. Post #2.




Road is in good condition. Dad in "Honda Red" climbing along side of Black Rock Gulch. We play constant leap frog to try and catch a few pics in scenic spots. Actually quite easy since it is scenic almost everywhere.




I stop to get a pic of the #1009 marker. Dad riding on past.




Eventually the road drops down off the side slope and follows the main wash up into Maple Canyon. Very scenic. Some wash-outs with recent repairs. Higher elevation so a bit more forest like. Lots of camping options if you like. Very unlikely to see anyone else. Much, much less traffic than #1069, the main road from St. George to Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse and Toroweap.




Intersection with Maple Canyon and Tombstone Canyon. Both routes good. Maple is the "main" route. See Benchmark.




At the top of Maple Canyon. South from here is the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument. Lots of roads in the momument have been "upgraded" or at least maintained. More $$$ available with National Monument status.




Older sign. Lots of character. Looking back the way we came.




Now we are on #1004. This is like a gravel/dirt highway.




Going east. Time-wise this is the fastest way back to St. George. Also more fun to do a loop. See more territory.




Cattle gate at the top of Little Wolf Hole Pass. Black Rock Mountain, Mount Bangs and Elbow Canyon (to Scenic, AZ) is behind us. Have to go that way soon. Elbow Canyon Road is steep and rough, not a dirt highway.




TW 200 at Little Wolf Hole Pass. Elevation wise, this is the high point of this loop. Overall, not really much of a pass, more a high point.




Blasting along #1004 heading east. Easy to make time here.




Lots of roads out here. Here's one heading south. Haven't been to any of these places yet. Lots of historical ranching operations and some mining. Mud mountain. I'm sure it is appropriately named. Mud on the Strip will stop you.




Typical sign. Kind of like "caveat emptor". People in the BLM office in St. George (Riverside Drive) usually have decent information on road conditions. http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george.html




In Wolf Hole Valley. A little patch of purple flowers. Overall not that much color compared with prior years. Looks like a dry hot summer.




Intersection of #1004 with #1069. 30 miles back to St. George. Toroweap is 94 miles from St. George via Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse. Shorter access from Hildale/Colorado City, but not as scenic.




Grabbed this photo at top of Quail Canyon. Pretty major cut to build the road. View looking north. Red cliffs of Ivins and Snow Canyon faintly visible in distance above bike.




Passing by some cool eroded rock on the way back down in late afternoon light. Pine Valley Mountain in distance.




Back down towards St. George. Great ride with Dad. Highly recommend this loop. Black Rock Gulch and Maple Canyon #1009 are less prone to mud than #1069. Much slower and more scenic. Almost no traffic. #1069 can feel a little busy, especially close to St. George.




Appreciate all the positive comments. Thanks. Get out and ride. Rubber side down.

Latest ride looks awesome! Appears you need to bring gas however. BTW, I rode the loop behind Motozoo over to Silver Reef last Saturday. Fun ride, a few water crossings about 26 miles or so.

Out camping with family and friends over Easter Weekend. Cathedral Gorge State Park is adjacent to Panaca, NV. Just north of Caliente (old railroad town) and south of Pioche (old mining town). Interesting. Several other Nevada state parks are nearby, but Cathedral Gorge is the best. Excellent facilities. And the small slot canyons (caves) are excellent for kids to explore!

Been over here on motos several times. Highly recommend this park.




Most of our gang was on bicycles! Very convenient for getting from the campground over to all the caves!




Lots of erosion. Dozens of small slot canyons, all easy to explore. Also fun to climb up pinnacles! Somewhat similar to Goblin Valley, but even more exciting for kids. Fun to go into the "caves" at night with headlamps!




Wife peeking out from one of the caves!




Mud walls and erosion patterns. Lots of vertical chimneys at the end of most caves.




Great scenes. All very accessible. Extremely easy to visit. Uncrowded even on holiday weekends.




More moto action soon. Thanks for checkin' in.

After dinner ride. Later evenings. Interesting clouds in St. George today. Here's a pic taken from just above Green Valley Spa, about 10 minutes from my house. 7:30 pm.




Silhouette of the graceful WRR!




Just had new rubber put on the back. Original tires were done after 5,500 miles. Opted for exact replacements of the stock tires -- Bridgestones. Good dual sport tire.




And the front. Wasn't as worn, but it was time. Also had new tubes put in both tires. Looking forward to the next 5,000 miles.




Climbing higher the views get better. Layers of multi-colored cliffs. Western "suburbs" of St. George in valley.




Favorite pic of the evening. Pine Valley Mountain is obscured by clouds in the distance. The cliffs in the foreground drop down towards the extension of Navajo Drive in Bloomington. Red and white cliffs of Snow Canyon area in middle.




Quick self-portrait on top of the bluff (dead-end) before turning around to go home. Backdrop is looking down on area between Navajo Drive and Santa Clara.




Final shot descending towards St. George. The white cliffs in the sunshine on the horizon run between the MotoZoo area all the way up to Sliver Reef. Shoulder of Pine Valley Mountain is on left. Great evening light!




Rubber side down, my friends!

The Mountain Meadows Massacre Site is ~30 miles north of St. George on Highway 18. Scenic drive just past Central. The site was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 2011.

In 1857 Mormon militia men killed 120 emigrants traveling in a wagon train from Arkansas to California. Some nasty history. Only 17 children under the age 7 were allowed to survive the attack. Best to have no witnesses. Website: http://www.mtn-meadows-assoc.com/the_association/association.htm. Also some interesting books on the topic.

A few pics from my ride on Sunday (late afternoon). Heading north on 18. Recent snow on Pine Valley Mountain. Vulcan 900 very smooth on the open road.




Sign alerting you to the turn-off. Dramatic sky. Recent snow, about 5,000 ft elevation.




The gravesite memorial. Several different markers over the last 150 years.




Tribute to ancestors that were killed.




A few hundred yards further north on 18 is a second, newer memorial site. More explicit signage.










Ground where the men and boys were killed.

A few photos from Dad, my favorite and most frequent riding partner. Also a great photographer.

Here's Dad. I took the pic, but his camera, plus a bit of touch-up back at his desk. Above the Virgin River Gorge.




I'll let the rest speak for themselves:








































Thanks Dad, for lots of great rides and many more to come!