This singletrack trail follows the northeastern edge of Gooseberry
Mesa. It starts at the Windmill Trailhead and heads east to connect to the
mesa road near Smithsonian Butte. The length of the singletrack
is around 10 miles. A loop ride using the mesa road to return to the
trailhead would be about 14.5 miles.
Looking east from the rim toward Zion
Canyon. Photos and ride description by Bruce,
based on a ride November 17, 2010.
There are a lot of quick ups and downs, from a high of 5100 to
a low of 4600 feet elevation. Total climbing at about 1300 for the full
loop.
The trail is typical Gooseberry singletrack meandering through the
pinion and juniper, with lots of crunchy Shimarump conglomerate rock to
navigate. It's advanced technical, but can be handled by an intermediate
with some short judiciously-chosen hikes.
One of the straighter sections of
cliffside singletrack.
The many quick little turns, but not as many up-and-downs as
other trails on Gooseberry. The riding is not as technical. Compared to
other rides on the Goose, it's a cruiser. However, the track is narrow,
and the brush is a little close to your arms. Arm warmers might be a good
idea if you have tender skin.
Looking east about half-way into the
ride. We'll follow each little side-canyon south, then return north to the
edge again.
To reach the Windmill parking area, fork right at the
outhouse and drive a mile north. The Windmill parking is usually
near-empty while the Cattle Grate trailhead is overflowing with cars. (You
can also park at the toilet to begin this loop.)
Gene Poncelet rolls the rock edge
along the northern cliffs of Gooseberry with the Pine Valley Mountains in
the background. February 2011.
Start the ride by heading toward the windmill, then turn 90 degrees
right (north) on the singletrack. 0.4 miles later, the trail turns left
along the rim. Don't go left. Notice the fainter singletrack heading east
on your right. That's your trail.
View northwest.
Critical navigation! At the viewpoint (the wide area where
the mesa road ends), cross over and take the middle doubletrack. (The one closer to the
cliffs (furthest left) seems the logical choice, but it doesn't connect to the
singletrack. It goes to the Gooseberry rental
yurt -- see our review page.)
Within 0.1 mile, find the singletrack heading south. It crosses the
doubletrack three times. Once you're on the ST, just
keep riding.
The singletrack alternates between
rough orange conglomerate, while sandstone, and a narrow dirt ribbon
winding through the trees.
The trail constantly returns to the cliff edge for 8 miles,
then begins a descent into a fork of Grafton Wash. Now you have a navigation
decision. You can bail out on the DT at mile 8.5, or descend toward Grafton
Wash for a slightly longer ride. The shortcut via the DT cuts a mile off
the loop, and eliminates a tough climb up to the corral (see below). NOTE:
Until land-permission issues are worked out, I suggest you take the
shortcut above and bypass the corral. This gives you a 12.5 mile ride,
missing only a tiny bit of the singletrack.
Bruce rolls around a point with Zion
in the background. February 2011. Photo by Gene.
At the bottom of the wash,
cross over, hike uphill. (On your left, cairns mark
a trail that continues left downhill. That trail crosses Grafton
Wash to Grafton Mesa, with connections
to the Grafton Mesa singletrack
"social trails.") Another trail starts uphill by the
end of the fence on your right. That's the one you want for the loop.
Continue on DT after the
corral. When you hit the mesa road, pedal 4.1 miles back to parking.
Getting there. This is the right fork
of Grafton Wash. The band of Moenkopi slope is called Pastry Ridge.
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Getting there -- North: As you approach Zion National
Park in Rockville, turn south (right) on Bridge Road. After crossing the Virgin River, the
dirt road winds up the mesa. Keep left at the fork at 1.5 miles. Continue to a total of
6.2 miles, where you turn right at a sign "Gooseberry Mesa." Another 3.6 miles
after the turnoff, take the right fork as you pass the outhouse. One mile
later, you'll see a windmill on the left side of the road. Turn into the
parking area at the windmill GPS N 37° 09.090' W 113° 09.973'.
Getting there -- South: As you pass through Hurricane
heading east, turn right at the Highway 9 sign. (If you start exit town
without making a right-turn, you went past it.) One block later, turn left and drive out
of town. About 15 minutes later, you'll pass a gas station on the left-hand side, then
some fields. Watch for a "Scenic Byway" sign, and turn left onto a dirt road.
Two miles later, just as you reach the mountain, the Gooseberry Mesa road turns off on
your left. Another 3.6 miles
after the turnoff, take the right fork as you pass the outhouse. One mile
later, you'll see a windmill on the left side of the road. Turn into the
parking area at the windmill GPS N 37° 09.090' W 113° 09.973'.
Riding notes, clockwise loop:
0.0 West from parking N37 09.090 W113 09.940
Turn right at the sign N37 09.091 W113 10.004
0.4 Right as trail turns 90 degrees L
N37 09.346 W113 10.112
0.6 Cross view area, take middle DT
N37 09.424 W113 09.993
0.7 Leave DT for southbound ST
N37 09.414 W113 09.921
1.5 Straight. DT on R bails out
N37 09.165 W113 09.505
4.9 Cross fence
N37 08.581 W113 08.213
4.9 Cross fence
N37 08.581 W113 08.213
8.5 Cross DT for long loop, R on
DT for 12.5 mi loop
N37 08.366 W113 06.607
9.1 Cross wash, R uphill (9.0 by GPS)
N37 07.953 W113 06.496
9.6 Pass through or around corral (9.4 by GPS)
N37 07.706 W113 06.798
10.4 R on mesa road (10.2 by GPS)
N37 07.225 W113 06.935
11.2 Pass bailout DT (from mi 8.5) N37 07.826 W113 07.190
13.5 R at bathroom
14.5 Back at parking
Option: Tour
de Rim. The Whole Gander. This will
give you a ride of over 30 miles. It's brutal. Begin the ride as above. When you reach
the outhouse, keep left and ride to the Cattle Grate trailhead on the
White Trail. Turn left onto the Cattle Grate trail. Keep going into God's
Skateboard Park, then turn east on the Secret
Trail. Connect to the South
Rim and head to the Point. Now start east on the White Trail, with a
detour onto the Yellow Trail, then take the North Rim to Rim Job (the
northern limb of the Windmill Loop).
