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Red Hollow Trail
Cedar City North riding area
There are a confusing number of Red Canyons, Red Hollows and Red Mountains in Utah.
This one is in the Cedar City northern mountain bike trail system, located
in the
hills east of Cedar City and north of Highway 14. The Red Hollow trail
itself is fairly short (less than a mile), but connects to the Thor's
Hideout trail at the top, and has options for loop rides around The
Red Hill using the Red Mountain trail.
Looking down the Red Hollow Trail
towards highway 14. Photos and ride review by Bruce
on April 3, 2016.
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| The bottom of the trail is on Highway 14, 1.5 miles from
Main Street. There's unimproved trailhead parking to the left of the
canyon. (It's across from the nature trail, where a bridge connects across
Coal Creek to the paved trail.) This is where you'd park for an
up-and-back ride, or if you're leaving a shuttle vehicle on a
point-to-point ride -- with a plan to start pedaling at Thunderbird
Gardens using Thor's as the uphill.
Looking across Highway 14 at the
trailhead, with The Red Hill on the left. The trail climbs the slot
between the two hills.
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The Uphill
The pitch of the trail averages 10% (400 vertical in 0.8 miles), so
it's a stiff climb from the bottom. The riding is intermediate technical
except for a couple of rock plays that non-experts can step over. The new
trail is very solid and flat, but with a bit of rock litter that can
affect traction.
Just getting started. The pitch is
tolerable, and the wide smooth track makes it easy to take your time and
crawl up. |
| There are a couple of short steeper pitches where traction
comes into play. If you can hold the tread on the trail, you can grind
your way up. The new trail-cut is pretty wide for singletrack, so there's
room to bobble if you're struggling with the climb.
About mid-way up. The trail is
surrounded by pinion pine, which occasionally gives a bit of shade.
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To your left as you climb, The Red Hill looms above you. The
salmon colored sandstone is pretty. And on weekends, you'll pass hikers
who are there to enjoy the scenery.
Looking west up the face of The Red
Hill. |
| The canyon faces south. And with plenty of rock to absorb the sunshine,
it will get toasty hot on a summer's afternoon. Not a problem if you're
doing the combo Thor's Hideout and Red Hollow
north to south, so Red Hollow is on the downhill.
Getting closer to the top. You can see
a bit of the ridgeline on the far right between the trees.
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The Downhill
Red Hollow is a fun descent, with a broad track featuring gentle curves
as it plunges down the draw. Sight lines are good, but keep your head up
so you can spot hikers and climbing bikers with plenty of time.
A fun way to ride this trail is a 5-mile loop starting at
the Thor's Hideout trailhead at Thunderbird Gardens. The loop will climb Thors, descend Red
Hollow, link to
Red Mountain, then connect back to the
trailhead.
Flags show a new and longer route --
yet to come. |
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After climbing Thor's to the ridgeline, drop down Red Hollow to Highway
14. Resist the temptation to cross the creek and jump on the paved trail
-- it doesn't cross the river again until you're back in town. Head 1/2
mile down the road and turn right into the small primitive and unmarked
parking spot for Red Mountain. Climb the wash.
About half-way down. Yeah, it all
looks pretty much like this.
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Take the Red Mountain trail to the ridgeline. My
recommendation is the western route, staying on Red Mountain until you're
almost to the golf course then heading northeast up the white wash to the
gravel road. (There's a push-a-bike when riding south-to-north on the
eastern side.) See the map.
Now just turn right on the gravel road and pedal back to the trailhead.
Almost to the trailhead. |
Loop ride, Thors and the Reds from
Thunderbird:
0.0 East through opening in fence
N37 41.413 W113 02.591
0.3 R uphill (still DT) out of wash
N37 41.423 W113 02.346
(follow ST designators, see
Thors page
for more details on the climb)
1.55 Fork R uphill N37 40.891 W113 02.275
(L = unfinished future trail)
1.65 Top of ridge N37 40.867 W113 02.257
Descend ST south
1.7 Connect to new Red Hollow
2.3 Bottom of canyon, R to parking
R on SR 14 N37 40.332 W113 02.233 |
2.8 R to Red Mountain Trail
N37 40.450 W113 02.731
3.3 Veer L on ridge, pass E route on R
N37 40.799 W113 02.721
3.4 R on traversing trail northwest
N37 40.730 W113 02.788
Descend, work north on ATV
track
Keep generally R
4.2 Veer R (don't approach golf course)
N37 41.210 W113 03.013
4.3 Enter wash going northeast
N37 41.224 W113 02.965
4.4 R up gravel road N37 41.284 W113 02.935
4.8 Back at parking |
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Getting there, Highway 14 Trailhead:
On Cedar City's Main Street, turn east
(towards the mountains) on Center Street, Highway 14. As you pass The Red
Hill at 1.5 miles from Main Street, turn left into primitive parking. Hug
the mountain edge as you pedal toward the entrance to the canyon and begin
climbing.
Thunderbird Gardens TH:
When southbound on I-15, take the first Cedar City exit (the same one
you'd use to head for Three Peaks) and turn left towards the mountains.
The road will make a broad turn to the south to become Main Street in
Cedar City. Turn left at 900 North (it will be just as you reach the
cemetery on the right-hand side). When you reach the golf course
buildings, the pavement ends. Keep straight ahead onto gravel road. Pass a
couple of flood-control basins, driving 1.2 miles from Main Street. Park in the fenced white-gravel trailhead
area and start your ride eastbound by the trail kiosk.
Camping: none
Water: none
Bathroom: none
Bike services: Cedar Cycles |
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