Zen TrailRegion
Urban
Biking Difficulty
Very Difficult
Length
5.70 mi
Trail Traffic
Light
Route Type
Loop
Highlights
Trail Surface
Native
Accessibility
Bathrooms Available
Suitability
Dogs
Recommended Use
Biking
Directions
From the I-15 take Dixie Drive west, following the curve until you reach Canyon View Road about 2 miles. From there follow the road for another 1.5 or so miles until you see dirt at the end of the road. From there, turn right at the top of the mesa and immediately left into the deep valley. Look for the road that heads up the right side of canyon (called The Gap), but before you hit the incline, park and then start riding up the doubletrack (a fire road) and stay LEFT, following the north side of the ridge. The road will turn into a trail about a quarter mile in.
Description
As most locals will tell you, the Zen Trail is “A must ride!” if you’re in the St. George area. Likely the most technical trail around, the Zen Trail will remind you of Gooseberry Mesa, but shorter and on a slant. With 95% singletrack over lots of slickrock and steep ascents, it’s not for the faint of heart and best if you’re an adventurous intermediate, or advanced rider. However, if you do need to walk or hike, it’s usually for very short sections at a time. Besides the challenging step ups and steep rollovers, you’ll catch some great flow in between the climbs and you’ll have a blast on the descent!
Add to it some truly amazing vistas, and the fact that it’s pretty close to town, and you can see why the locals love it. Zen can be ridden in either direction, but most prefer to do it in a counterclockwise loop. Also, while you can ride it at any time of year, the summer time can get really hot as there is no shade.
Pictures
