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Confluence Park
La Verkin's Confluence Park lies where La Verkin Creek joins the Virgin
River. While primarily a hiking destination, the main trail is used by
local riders. There would be little reason for a hard-core biker from outside the
area to ride this trail. Maybe if you're staying close by, and it's a
recovery day, and your younger kids want to pedal to a spot where they can
play in the Virgin River.
Looking down at the Virgin River on the climb up the
basalt cliffs. Photos and trail review by Bruce
on February 13, 2022.
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| Confluence Trail, south
The primary trail is a broad doubletrack that has been graded and
improved for much of its length. It's 1.7 miles long. This is the southern
Confluence tail. I found it fairly heavily trafficked by strolling
couples, runners, and families.
Getting started down the graded broad main trail.
Plenty of bike tracks, so people DO ride this.
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The only bike riders I saw were kids who pedaled their cheap
department store bikes to their favorite spot to play in the river. There
were a couple of spots that looked like a lot of fun.
Rope swing (there are several) over a deep hole in
the Virgin River. |
| The trail exits the southwest corner of the parking loop.
For the first 1.5 miles, the trail is almost flat, with a rise of only 25
feet.
Getting to the cliff area. The massive basalt cliffs
are impressive!
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At mile 0.8 there's a 4-way intersection. The trail along
the Virgin River now has an alternate path (also a cindered doubletrack)
as a bridge is under construction going across the river from the old
path. Keep left to stay out of the construction zone. The paths will
rejoin in 0.3 miles.
On the far left, a doubletrack called Cactus Cliff heads up to the top
of the cliffs. It's 0.3 miles long, plus a bit of dirt road after the
step-over gate. It rises 170 vertical feet to end in a subdivision. The
cliff at the bottom of this trail is worth a look. Giant cactuses are
growing out of the basalt rock face.
Entry to the Cactus Cliff trail from Confluence. |
| Around mile 1.2, you'll pass the old hydropower station, a
historic landmark. It used water in a pipeline from the top of the cliffs
to drive generators to produce electricity for the town.
The old power building, viewed from uphill.
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A big further along, the character of the trail changes
temporarily, as you weave through a grove of trees on dirt.
A little bit of real dirt. |
| At mile 1.5, the trail begins climbing up the cliffs. Over
the next 1/4 mile, it will gain almost 200 vertical feet. With the loose
cinders on the surface of the doubletrack, that's a pitch most bike riders
can't handle. But there are nice views up there, so do it.
Looking down-river (to the northwest) as we climb
out.
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At any of the higher spots (Confluence or upper Cactus
Cliff), you'll be able to see the literal confluence, where La Verkin
Creek meets the Virgin River.
At the top, the Confluence trail exits between two motel buildings into
a private parking lot. I'm not aware of any dedicated public parking at
the top of the Confluence trail.
View up the Virgin River. |
| Confluence Trail, north.
At the northwest corner of the parking loop, a singletrack
"Confluence Trail" heads north. This trail is 0.3 miles. It ends
at a step-over gate on the gravel road into the parking area.
When 150 feet of gravel road on the west side of the parking loop is
added to the doubletrack main Confluence Trail and the singletrack
northern Confluence Trail, the result is 2 miles of trail.
On the northern singletrack version of Confluence.
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La Verkin Creek trail
The La Verkin Creek singletrack allows bikes but doesn't see much
traffic. It forks away to the right from the main Confluence Trail at mile
0.2 and rejoins at mile 0.6. The singletrack is 0.5 miles long with no
significant elevation change. There are two downed trees to contend with:
one is a step-over and the other is a duck-under. Parts of the trail will
be soft during the summer.
Looking north on the La Verkin Creek trail. |
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Getting there:
On Highway 9 at the northern end of La Verkin, turn onto 900 North.
Keep straight, and the paved road will turn into the gravel trailhead
road. At 0.8 miles from Highway 9, the gravel road will enter a one-way
parking loop. Go right and find a place to park. To begin your ride, pedal
around the loop in the same direction you entered and find the step-over
gate for the main Confluence Trail at the southwest corner. (The entry to
the northern singletrack Confluence trail is at the northwest corner of
the loop near the exit road.)
There is a bathroom at the trailhead but no water.
GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."):
Area multi-track file
Maps of trail system for printing: Aerial
as at left
Lodging, camping, shops: Links to St.
George area resources
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