The Three Peaks Loop is a classic route near Cedar City at the Three Peaks recreation area. The loop itself is 7.5 miles in length, but you need to pedal a couple of miles from the mountain bike trailhead to reach the loop. This brings the typical ride to about 11 miles with 1200 vertical feet of climbing. The route is appropriate for upper-intermediate to advanced riders.

View south as I ride clockwise on the Three Peaks Loop. Rough granite outcrops mix with pinion pine and juniper. Original review June 11, 2003 by Bruce. GPS tracks and topo map updated 2016.

The system has a dedicated mountain bike trailhead located just off the main road as you enter the Three Peaks area. The trailhead altitude is 5800 feet. 

This is the new mountain bike trailhead (photo 2016). There's a bathroom, water, picnic table, and map kiosk. Just northwest of the mountain bike parking lot are group camping, picnic and camp spots, a playground, and group pavilion.

 Kristen Argyle hits some rock on the Race Loop as she works through the picnic and camping area, heading towards the east side of the Three Peaks Loop in 2004.

But instead of closing the loop back at the race course, my ride continues on to Big Hole and returns back to the picnic area via Lost World. There are many other options. See the main Three Peaks page for individual trail distances.

Going northwest on the race loop, about 1/2 mile from the junction with the Three Peaks Loop. The ladder bridges are nice!

From the trailhead, take the Practice Loop clockwise 1/2 mile to the Outlaw Trail, just after you turn the corner of the fence. Go westbound on Outlaw. (The Outlaw Trail avoids the confusing route of the Race Loop through the picnic and camping area.)

When the Outlaw Trail ends on the Race Loop, turn right. Stay left on Race Loop at the junction with Shortcut (aka Sunnyside). You'll meet the Three Peaks Loop at mile 1.9 from parking.

The riding gets tough as we reach the technical rock near the Whale Trails. (We're looking south.)

The rock is igneous, not sandstone. It's large-grained and gives excellent traction, but some areas here must be considered expert-level technical. It you love this spot, consider a detour on Petrified Whales before continuing.

The rock is getting easier as we roll into the southern end of the loop.

Just after passing the west end of the Iron Creek Cutoff, you'll drop down to a dougletrack. Crossing the road to go north puts you on the classic ride, with some new singletrack bypassing part of the old dirt road. Dropping west and downhill on the dirt road will get you to an alternate route, called "Three Peaks Technical" on the map. 

View southwest as the singletrack curves around the south side of the Three Peaks.

Granite and limestone alternate on the western side of the loop.

Counterclockwise Ride:

This route takes the Big Hole Loop counterclockwise around the northernmost mountain to reach the Three Peaks Loop trail. From the trailhead, keep to the right at every trail fork. Practice Loop, Outer Limits, Orange Forks, then Big Hole. And then at mile 3.4, you'll keep right to start Three Peaks.

Leaving Big Hole, we drop downhill and west through juniper and low sage..

Just over 1/10th mile later, you'll reach a fork. The doubletrack to the left is the classic route. (It will turn into singletrack. It's much faster and easier than the alternate.)

At the top of Double Take Drop, marked by the exercycle.

The alternate, labeled Three Peaks Technical on the trail map, has steeper and rougher terrain and is about 1/2 mile longer. But it's do-able by a good intermediate rider.

View down Double Take Drop. There's a ride-around, but seriously it's not that tricky.

When the Tech route crosses a dirt road, it will turn uphill and get rougher. And the trail signs no longer say "Three Peaks." You may think you've lost your way, but keep heading uphill as the trail merges onto the very rough rocky road. When you reach a dirt road junction, you'll see the classic (main) trail joining from the left.

Keep heading uphill. Find southbound Three Peaks on your right a little further up the doubletrack. (I have a track file in the links below that uses the tech route. If you're unsure of the terrain, following the track is good insurance.)

Rolling along on the technical alternate.

From the doubletrack the trail climbs uphill. The Iron Creek Cutoff trail on your left offers a quick return back to the trailhead.

We've rejoined the main Three Peaks trail southbound. If you're aiming to shortcut the loop via the Iron Creek Cutoff trail, it's a bit hard to see. If it weren't for the bucket, I wouldn't have spotted it, and I'd ridden it only two months before.

Now comes a couple of miles of uncomplicated southbound riding on the western slope of the Three Peaks. The granite spires of the peaks are uphill to your left, with views of the Great Basin to your right.

Looking southeast from the trail, as the afternoon sun highlights the rock outcrops.

At the southwestern corner of the loop, you'll have views of the iron mines to the south. Enjoy a little bit of cruising -- there's techy stuff coming up.

Almost to the southern end of the loop. The scar on the hill is part of the iron mining complex.

As you round the southern tip of the loop, you'll hit a mile and a half of the most technical riding of the trip. Heaps of igneous rock force the trail up and down. There are a couple of well-marked dicey alternate lines for experts.

Looking southwest. Very pretty terrain.

Intermediates will find a few spots that they'll choose to walk. If wooden structures spook you, there are some black-diamond bridges here.

Little Rocky rests on a granite heap as the trail climbs up and over. Just in front of my wheel is a wooden ramp, eight feet in the air, which will deliver you between a couple of junipers before touching earth.

After the (unmarked as of June 2016) intersection with Four Loco at the southeast corner, there's a stretch of easier trail, but with some cruising up and down. A couple of narrow black-diamond bridges cross wide flow areas.

Ladder bridges cross broad sandy wash areas. The decks here are 18 inches, but with bends and tilts they are rated "expert."

As you approach the Whale Trail area, you're back onto slickrock. It's a bit bumpy here, and tougher in the counterclockwise direction because it's slightly uphill. (One ride option at this point is to detour onto Petrified Whales, then take Twilight Zone back to the trailhead.)

The trail climbs gently up and over the ridge before beginning a long downhill into the main trail complex.

Northbound through the raspy open rock.

Fossil Cyclosaurus Rex along the trailside.

My track takes the Race Loop to Outlaw, then the practice loop back to the trailhead, for 11.7 miles with 1200 vertical feet of climbing. Experts should allow 2 hours; intermediates around 4 hours with a lunch break.

Rolling southeast downhill after leaving the combined Big Hole and Race Loop trail.

Note: Click on this topo map link for specific trail names and accurate alignments.

Camping:  On site, option group or individual sites, option developed vs primitive
Water:  Trailhead, pavilion, and campground
Bathrooms:  Trailhead, campground, picnic area, pavilion
Bike services:  Cedar Cycle in Cedar City

Copyright 2003 Mad Scientist Software Inc
High-res topo trail map and GPS file updated 2016.

See also:  Three Peaks page
Big Hole Loop page
 Twilight Zone and Petrified Whales