Enjoy the wonderful Southern Utah weather year-round with Biking. These trails below are a just a handful of the best trails for kids and families. Make your next biking adventure for the family a memorable one. Pack a lunch and the camera, cause you're not gonna want to leave, and there'll be SO MANY oportunities to capture the incredible vistas and wonders of the St. George Area while cruzing on your bike with your family. If your looking for something closer or a shorter Bike Ride, then visit our Trails Page, explore our Interactive Trails Map, or download a PDF of the St. George Trails Map.
Gooseberry Mesa Trail
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The Gooseberry Mesa "White Trail" is the jeep road that travels east-west on Gooseberry Mesa. This trail is suitable for beginning riders, even those who aren't in great shape. The trail is 3.5 miles in length. Up-and-down riding is minimal, with short gentle climbs. The road gains about 150 vertical feet of elevation as you travel westward, so the return trip is fast and easy. For the most part, the track of the trail is fairly firm dirt, with an occasional slickrock area. Here and there, there are occasional not-too-rough outcrops. Kids can pick their way through without too much trouble.
Getting there: As you pass through Hurricane on Highway 9, turn south at the Highway 59 sign. One block later, turn left and drive out of town. About 15 minutes later, you'll pass a gas station on the left-hand side, then some fields. Watch for a "Scenic Byway" sign, and turn left onto a dirt road (14.8 miles from the turnoff in Hurricane). Two miles later, just as you reach the mountain, the Gooseberry Mesa road turns off on your left. Another 3.6 miles after the turnoff, take the left fork at the bathroom. Now stay on the bigger road, ignoring any forks. 1.1 miles later, you'll cross a cattle guard. Park there. The White Trail is the continuation of the road you were traveling.
GPS: N 37° 08.491' W 113° 10.299'
Good family ride. Easy technical, tiny bit of climbing on double-track (jeep road) that runs the length of Gooseberry Mesa. Around three miles, with options for longer rides, including combination with short sections of singletrack trail. Great views. Season February through mid-December.
West Canyon Trail
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The West Canyon Trail is a double-track trail in beautiful Snow Canyon west of St. George. You'll share this trail with hikers and horses. The trail surface isn't exciting, but -- let's get right to the point -- if you like sandstone, this is the most beautiful trail you'll ever ride. The trail is fairly straight, wide, and easy to ride. Altitude change is gradual. The trail is actually a hard-packed gravel service road -- the small buildings you see every half-mile are water pumping stations. It's fairly easy to tow a bike trailer, but youngsters with training wheels won't be able to ride here.
Getting there: Heading south, take the Bluff Street exit in St. George. Turn right onto Bluff Street. Keep going straight until Bluff Street starts to leave the city (although the city is rapidly growing out in this direction).
When Bluff Street becomes Highway 18 towards Snow Canyon and Veyo, watch for the intersection with Skyline Drive and Snow Canyon Parkway about a mile later. Turn left onto Snow Canyon Parkway. Continue a couple of miles until you see the sign for Snow Canyon and Tuacahn. Turn right here. A half-mile later, you'll reach the fee station for Snow Canyon ($5 per car). About a half mile after the fee station, you'll see sand dunes on your left, then a parking area for the trail.GPS: N 37° 11.601' W 113° 38.896'
Graded roadway climbs up West Canyon from the bottom of Snow Canyon, north of Ivins. Easy technical, light climb. Season year-round.
Snow Canyon Loop
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The Snow Canyon Loop Trail is a paved double-track bike, hiking, and rollerblading trail that loops through Snow Canyon from the outskirts of St. George. Although the trail is smooth and paved, there are some steep spots that will spook (or injure) youngsters who are just learning to ride.
For a shorter and very easy ride, we recommend you ride up Snow Canyon from the bottom, have lunch at the picnic area where the trail ends at Galoot Hill, then cruise back down. The scenery in Snow Canyon is awesome, whatever way you ride it.
Getting there: Heading south, take the Bluff Street exit in St. George. Turn right onto Bluff Street. Keep going straight until Bluff Street starts to leave the city (although the city is rapidly growing out in this direction). You can park here (see the trail the right side of the road?) and ride to the loop, or drive on to another parking area on the loop.
Top of Snow Canyon: Keep driving straight out of town on Highway 18. When the road turns left into snow canyon, park at the small lot on the south side of the road. Take the road down 1.5 mile to mile marker 11 -- the paved trail begins on your right, across the street from a parking/picnic area on your left.GPS: N 37° 12.794' W 113° 38.896'
Paved bike trail that loops from the northwest corner of St. George, through Ivins, and Snow Canyon. (A short stretch in upper Snow Canyon requires use of the road.) Easy technical, but a moderate climb. Season year-round.
Zion Canyon and Pa'rus Trail
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Here's an awesome day for you: Bike up Zion Canyon with the kids. The kids will see squirrels, lizards, birds, and probably a mule deer or two, as you cruise underneath large cottonwood trees along the river. Going up the canyon to the end of the road (Temple of Sinewava), you'll find 2 miles of the paved Pa'rus Trail, which starts alongside the river. Then if you want, 6 miles on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive road.
Depending on your energy level, you can take the kids on a few side hikes as a break from biking. These range from a quick break (Court of the Patriarchs, about 150 feet) to tough major climbs (Angel's Landing, 5 miles and about 1500 vertical feet). The riverside walk at the Temple of Sinewava is a paved 1-mile stroll to the mouth of the Virgin Narrows, a nice end-of-ride hike for your youngsters.
Getting there: Heading south on I-15, take the exit for Highway 17 to Toquerville and La Verkin. In La Verkin, watch for Highway 9 to Zion. It will turn off on your left. Continue east to Springdale. Just past the Zion Amphitheaters (on your right), you'll see the entrance station to Zion National Park. Pull into the parking lot on your right, just before the fee stations.
Bike trail in lower Zion Canyon connects to road up Zion Canyon to the mouth of the narrows. Light but steady climb, easy technical. Cars can be a problem when the shuttle buses aren't running. Season mid-February through mid-December.
Paved Trails
The City of St. George and its surrounding area has more than 25 miles of paved trails for biking or hiking. With little change in elevations, they're a fun way to get out and ride with the whole family. You can find more information and pictures of the various paved trails on our Trails Page, explore our Interactive Trails Map, or download a PDF of the St. George Trails Map.
There's also a whole plethora (yes, jefe, ay know what a plethora eeez) of Bike Shops are Mountain Biking Guides in the area who can set you up with all the gear you need to get biking and show you the way. Be sure to visit some of them by following their links below.
