 |
Warner Valley Loop
Includes Honeymoon Loop - Temple Trail
This route is located in Warner Valley, south of
Hurricane and east of St. George. There are two separate loops: Loop 1 ("Honeymoon
Loop") is six miles of fast
roller-coaster terrain. Loop 2 (Warner Valley Loop) is eleven miles of singletrack full of
whoops and wash crossings. At an altitude of 3100 feet, this area is only marginally
cooler than St. George. In mid-summer, we recommend an early morning start
time.
Gary cruises by a cholla cactus
on the Honeymoon Trail, at the south end of the trail system. Photos March
28, 2003. |
| The Honeymoon Loop is a fast ride, with only 200 feet of
elevation change. There's about 2 miles of singletrack, 4 miles on
ATV-width trail, and 1/2 of tougher riding in a wash-bottom. Technically,
this ride is fairly easy, and could qualify as a family ride with older
children and teens.
Outward bound on the larger Warner
Valley Loop, Bruce heads towards multicolored cliffs. The trail will run
along the base of the red mountain.
|
|
 |
The "Honeymoon Trail" is the old Arizona Road. It
became known as the Honeymoon Trail because LDS (Mormon) couples would
come from Arizona and New Mexico to be married in the St. George temple.
The honeymoon would take place during the two-week wagon ride home.
Here's a cholla, a multi-branched
"tree" cactus. Blossoms are large pastel green.
|
|
The Warner Valley Loop is almost all singletrack. There are
a few short connector-type links on doubletrack. This trail is
significantly more technical than the Honeymoon Loop. There's one spooky
steep plunge into a deep wash, and several whoop-it type wash crossings.
There are a couple of ledge-drops, and a few rougher spots. Overall, this
loop would be mid- to upper-intermediate technical. Elevation gain is 300
feet.
Two racers fly towards the finish
line. We're looking northward.
|
|
 |
The trailhead area, and a sand dune area 3 miles west along
the Warner Valley Road, are open to on-site primitive camping. There's no water or plumbing.
It's bring-yer-own and pack it back out.
Gary pauses in the late evening
sunshine to take in the view.
|
Honeymoon Trail (Loop 1) Riding Notes:
0.0 Through gate, trail is DT, 2nd trail from L
GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113°
21.430' Alt=3150
0.5 Fork R on DT
100 feet, then L on ST
1.0 Cross DT
1.3 Keep straight (L)
2.4 Veer R (don't drop into wash)
GPS N 37° 00.611' W 113°
19.685' Alt=3300
2.5 R on DT
3.3 Continue past stock tank |
3.7 Fork R at 4-way
GPS N 36° 59.692' W 113° 20.206'
3.8, 3.9 Keep straight
4.6 Pass Honeymoon/Temple Trail marker
5.4 Fork R (north) towards trail kiosk
Trail kiosk GPS N 37° 00.031' W 113°
22.015'
5.8 R off DT into wash bottom
6.0 L fork of wash GPS N 37° 00.328' W 113° 21.876'
6.4 Climb out of wash
6.6 Back at trail head |
Warner Valley Loop 2 Riding Notes:
0.0 Passing through gate, trail is leftmost, ST
GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113°
21.430' Alt=3150
1.9 Pass through wash, then L on DT
Through fence
GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113°
21.430' Alt=3300
2.3 Fork R on DT
2.7 Keep straight (L)
2.8 Veer R onto ST as DT meets road
GPS N 37° 01.286' W 113° 19.460'
Turn back E into wash
3.0 Leave wash on R
3.1 Turn L uphill on DT
4.1 Turn R on road
GPS N 37° 00.922' W 113° 18.306'
4.4 L on ST just before cattleguard
5.2 Cross DT, steep plunge into wash
5.4 Exit wash on R |
6.5 L on road N 37° 01.766' W 113°
18.405'
100 yards, then L on DT before
cattleguard
7.0 Drop into wash
7.3 Out of wash on R
7.5 Cross road N 37° 01.816' W 113° 19.172'
7.6 R on DT 100 feet, then wide U-turn
Head west down wash
7.7 Stay R (in wash bottom)
8.4 Out of wash on R
N 37° 01.500' W 113° 19.902'
9.0 L and down into wash at water trough
N 37° 01.263' W 113° 20.442'
Head down wash bottom
9.8 L out of wash on ST
N 37° 01.184' W 113° 21.067'
10.2 Cross road onto DT
10.6 Back at trailhead |
Getting there (Southbound, through Hurricane): Get off I-15 at the
Toquerville/ La
Verkin exit and head south to Hurricane. Turn south at the Chevron Station in
Hurricane (700 West). Go south 2 miles and turn right at 2060 South. (If you
arrive at a T-intersection, with a right turn going into the airport, you went
too far.) Follow the road west of the airport and past the Sky Ranch to end of the
pavement at a cattleguard. (About 6 miles, GPS N 37° 05.425' W 113° 18.696'.)
Keep straight on the biggest and leftmost of 3 roads that fork after the
cattleguard. RESET your odometer. Continue another
2.2 miles on gravel to a junction at GPS N 37° 03.501' W 113° 18.375' and turn right.
At mile 5.0 (2.8 from the right turn at GPS N 37° 01.266' W 113° 18.478') the
road veers right. Ignore the smaller roads that go straight and left! At mile
7.1, spot an open area on the left at GPS N 37° 00.728' W 113° 21.472'.
See the gate in the fence about 100 yards from the road? That's the trailhead, GPS N 37°
00.650' W 113° 21.430'.
 |
Getting there (East from St. George): Caution: this
route uses dirt road with some areas of deep sand. 4WD recommended. Head south on River Road in St.
George. (River Road is reached by turning left at the St. George Blvd exit
from I-15, then right at the light. Or from the Bluff Street exit, turn left
and drive about 1/2 mile on Riverside Dr, turning right at the light where
it intersects River Road.) Immediately after crossing the Virgin River, at
1450 South on River Road, turn left (east). |
About 2 miles later, the road
turns 90 degrees right onto 3000 East. Turn left again immediately (there
should be a "Warner Valley" sign here, but it's missing - summer
2001) on 3650 South. Head east almost to the hills. Turn right on KD-JO
Lane (830 E). After 1/2 mile the road will turn left, then right again to head south. At mile 5.4 from River
Road, turn left on the gravel Warner Valley Road. Zero your odometer here!
From this turn drive eastward over the ridge. At mile 5.4 on the dirt Warner
Valley Road, keep straight. At 5.8, keep straight (R goes to Ft. Pierce). At
mile 7.3, turn right at GPS N 37° 00.832' W 113° 22.632' (straight takes you
to the dino tracks). At mile 9.2, spot an open area on the right at GPS N 37°
00.728' W 113° 21.472'. See the gate in the fence about 100 yards from
the road? That's the trailhead, GPS N 37° 00.650' W 113° 21.430'.
Getting there (Southbound, through Hurricane = recommended route): Get off I-15 at the
Toquerville/ La
Verkin exit and head south to Hurricane. Turn south at the Chevron Station in
Hurricane (700 West). Go south 2 miles and turn right at 2060 South. (If you
arrive at a T-intersection, with a right turn going into the airport, you went
too far.) Follow the road west of the airport and past the Sky Ranch to end of the
pavement at a cattleguard. (About 6 miles, GPS N 37° 05.425' W 113° 18.696'.)
Keep straight on the biggest and leftmost of 3 roads that fork after the
cattleguard. Continue another
2.2 miles on gravel to a junction at GPS N 37° 03.501' W 113° 18.375' and turn right.
Continue on this road, keeping right at major intersections, until you intersect
the trail at the GPS above.
|
