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Moenkopi Trail
plus La Verkin Creek
Here are two very different riding options, just up the hill from La
Verkin (north of Hurricane). One option is a fun and fast cruiser, 6.8
miles round trip, on fast ATV trail. The trail is fairly easy technically,
with up-and-down riding, and only about 300 feet of total climbing round
trip.
Typical hard-dirt riding surface on
the Moenkopi Trail. In the background, the skirted slopes of the Moenkopi
formation are constantly by your side. Photos March 20, 2008 by Bruce. |
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You'll see lovely views of mesas and colorful red badland slopes.
The second option is for tougher and adventurous riders: you'll do part of
the cruiser, then descend down to La Verkin Creek. Fighting uphill on
sandy ATV-track, you'll cross the creek several times, then hike directly
up the stream-bed through the gorge. |
| First, the Cruiser: From the trailhead, you head
north. The ATV-track follows the break where the steeper soft red slopes
of Moenkopi clay meet the harder pale dirt on top of the Kaibab Limestone.
To navigate, just keep going north, and never take any track that will
send you far away from those red slopes.
To lengthen the ride, consider
riding up either of two washes you'll cross on the way. At mile 2.5, the
main track turns abruptly left and drops steeply to the creek. Instead,
fork right on fainter ATV track. When you reach cliff-edge with no more
trail at mile 3.4, that's the turn-around.
Hurricane Mesa looms over the trail as
we head back southward on the return leg. |
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For the river option, conditions may vary wildly depending
on time of year, cattle, and motorized visitors. The track here tends to
be very soft. I found it semi-tough uphill but only bogged down a couple
of times. The track crosses the creek several times. In late summer you
might be able to ride through some crossings. I had to hike them.
Jackie checks out the water. Some
crossings were too swift and deep for her to swim, and she had to be
carried across. |
| After
about 2 miles, the gorge closes in and you'll find yourself in the river
bed. In March, river flow was high enough that I had to wade knee-deep,
holding the dog under one arm and the bike with the other.
You can head upstream in the creek channel. I suggest packing hiking
shoes. Don't do sandals - the rocks will bloody your toes. (Note: a
back-country permit is required if you cross the Zion Park border at
around N37 22.39 W113 11.33.) Later in summer, you may find the water has
lowered to allow riding along the creekbed. |
| About a mile upstream from the spot where
the trail ends in the creek, the gorge opens up, and you'll again find
ATV-track along the creek. If you head southwest on the ATV-track, it
connects into Toquerville if you need to bail.
The track along the creek is lush with cactus. These
are huge healthy cholla. |
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| If you double back the way you came, you'll reach that T
intersection by the river, eyeball the big ugly climb back out of the
gorge, then notice the ATV track heading downstream along the creek.
You'll think "Hey, I bet this ATV track along the river goes to La
Verkin!" Well, yes it does. But until somebody builds a better trail,
you don't want to go there. The surface is very loose and sandy. You'll
hike across the creek half-dozen times, dragging your bike up slopes of
steep soft sand. |
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Eventually, you can connect with the paved trail in the
Trail Ridge Estates subdivision. So far, it's 2.6 miles just to hit
Highway 17. Next you take 17 south to Highway 9 and go uphill and back
north, for 2.7 highway miles back to the trailhead. That's 5.3 crappy
miles and 650 vertical feet, to avoid 2.8 miles (the ugly steep is only
1/3 mile) and 450 vertical. Just suck up and climb that hill. |
River Rat adventure:
0.0 At parking, trail is doubletrack on left, heading north
0.3 Keep straight (R) N37 13.891 W113 15.211
0.4 Keep straight (L) N37 13.992 W113 15.207
Right climbs up into wash (nice
out-and-back)
0.6 Drop L into wash, downhill, then out on R
1.1 Keep right at fork N37 14.449 W113 15.398
1.6 Drop L into wash, downhill, then out on R
2.5 Left steep downhill N37 15.042 W113 15.268
2.8 R just before creek N37 15.093 W113 15.525
3.0 1st of several creek-crossings
4.6 Enter creek channel, canyon narrows
N37 16.315 W113 14.983
6.3 Canyon opens; jeep road on L N37 17.268 W113 15.034
Options: bail to Toquerville, go up
canyon, back down
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Out-and-back Moenkopi cruiser:
0.0 At parking, trail is doubletrack on left,
heading north
0.3 Keep straight (R) N37 13.891 W113 15.211
0.4 Keep straight (L) N37 13.992 W113 15.207
Right climbs up into wash (nice
out-and-back)
0.6 Drop L into wash, downhill, then out on R
1.1 Keep right at fork N37 14.449 W113 15.398
1.6 Drop L into wash, downhill, then out on R
2.5 R on fainter ATV-track N37 15.042 W113 15.268
(L = down to creek)
3.4 At viewpoint, turn around N37 15.532 W113 15.241
6.8 Back at car |
| Getting there: From I-15, take either the
Toquerville (if southbound) or Hurricane (if coming up from St George)
exits. Go to La Verkin. At the traffic light where Highway 9 meets Highway
17, head east (toward Zion National Park). Exactly 1.7 miles after
the light, you'll crest the top of the bluff. Immediately look for the
dirt road on the left. Drive 0.1 mile to a broad dirt area. (In 3/08,
there was a shooting club sign and a dumpster.) Park here, N37 13.663 W113 15.145.
The trailhead is the dirt doubletrack heading straight north (on the left
side of the parking area).
Riding resources for this trail:
Single-page riding guide: View
GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."):
Garmin
GPX Map
datum WGS 84
Large-format topo map (700K): View
Lodging, camping, shops:
Links to St.
George area resources
Copyright 2008 Mad Scientist Software Inc
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