The Virgin River Trail is a paved bike and roller blade trail.
The original section (on which these photos were taken) ran 2.5
miles along the banks of the Virgin River from the Dixie Center in St. George to
Bloomington,
but has been extended and is about 7 miles in length. It now continues northeast into Washington (two
miles past River Road). On the south, the trail continues past Bloomington
to Sun River (but on the east side of the river). A portion of the section near Sun River is hard-pack
roadbase but isn't paved yet.
Diane, Alex, and Kristen cruise the VRT. This review and photos Octover
10, 1998.
The trail sees
heavy use from runners, walkers, roller bladers, and bikers. There are no steep sections. The ride is easy for even the smallest
children. Tiny guys riding with training wheels and young moms pushing strollers with
their roller blades are common.
Kristen
rides the trail. October 10, 1998
There is water at the Bloomington end of the
trail and occasional fountains in the middle. Benches are found periodically.
There's a bathroom south of the Dixie Center in St. George.
The trail has extensions into St. George along I-15, Web
Hill and Bloomington east of I-15, the Santa Clara River, Virgin River
South, River Road, and Middleton Wash.
Alex shows his biking skills, with the muddy Virgin
River in the background. October 10, 1998
Alex and Jackie on the
Virgin River Trail...
If the above video does not appear on your
browser/device, you can watch it on YouTube by clicking
here.
Getting there: Bloomington. Take the Bluff Street I-15 exit in St.
George and turn west. Immediately turn south (right) and drive on Tonaquint Drive until it
forks onto Bloomington Drive after the hill. Spot the parking area on your left just
before the river bridge. (Or, take the Bloomington exit and drive west through town. As
you cross the Virgin River, you'll see a parking area on your right.)
St. George. Take the
Dixie Drive I-15 exit and turn east.
Immediately to the east of I-15, pull into the parking area south of the
Dixie Center. The trail is on the south side of the road. Cross the bridge
to find the southbound Virgin River trail. (Westbound under the freeway is
the Santa Clara River trail.) Under the freeway then north takes you to
the city center. Eastbound (along the road you took as you exited the
freeweay) is the eastbound Virgin River trail.
