Bearclaw Poppy is one of the most popular MTB trail systems in the St. George area for good reason. It is loaded with multiple flowy, undulating lines. Most of the trails themselves are adaptive friendly, but a non-accessible gate warrants an aMTB3 rating for the entire area.
Mammoth Bike Park is a challenge for adaptive riders but there some trails that totally work and it is important to know which ones they are. Knowing where you can go will change your entire experience.
June Lake is beautiful and a great destination, but mountain biking is very limited in the area. I attempted the June Lake Loop Trail, which links to the Yost Trail, from the east trailhead and was turned around. There are endless fire roads, which offer a great opportunity to earn your beers at June Lake Brewery, but fat tires and a power assist are highly recommended. Lots of deep, soft sand. There is one extremely steep hill in the area, which is fun to go down but is an aMTB-3 (support rider needed) to go up (see map & videos). I have been advised of some trails in the area and will be adding more information soon.
Bell Rock Trail is a tourist hiking path so please employ extreme courtesy with all foot traffic. The main trail will not be much of a challenge, but is actually pretty fun in spots. For me, i like to mix things up with wide open terrain for cranking with both hands and getting my heart rate up and with technical single track for being challenged. This area provides just that. If you want to ride solo, stick to the main path. If you have support and want to get rowdy, there is plenty of that on that off-shoots. The views are petty sweet too!
From my experience, this is an adaptive rider’s Wonderland! I have not had one issue, nor needed any help whatsoever here. If you are alone, there are endless fire roads and it’s beautiful, especially in the Spring with the rolling green hills. Every trail I have ridden here is aMTB1 and I assume most of the trails are the same.
The rating does not reflect difficulty level. This is an expert only DH course with features. The rating indicates that the course is plenty wide enough and no obstacles exist.
I know this place has MUCH more to offer, but I had limited time and was only able to ride three trails the day i was there. I am sure there are others that are adaptive friendly, but I just have not ridden them yet. Hopefully i will get back there soon and be able to add more.
PQ Canyon is my home turf and where i ride most of the time. I know it very well and am working on documenting ALL the trails that i have ridden.
Silver Canyon is a ten mile long fire road that descends from the Ancient Bristle Cone Pine Forest in the White Mountains down to Bishop, CA. The vertical drop is 6000 vertical feet. Thats 6000ft in ten miles and all aMTB1 fire road!
This is a super fun area and I can’t wait to go back! Its rocky and I like that. The one thing that causes a problem for adaptive riders is all the big ruts. I had to get help in a couple spots so it needs to be rated aMTB2. If you are by yourself, you should be fine if you stick the main trails and fire roads though. The route provided here is what we did. There is a section of single track called Crest Trail that would add a significant distance, but we opted out until further recon can be performed.
There are just a couple rock gardens that are questionable (see videos) so hesitantly i am rating this route aMTB2. It is almost all aMTB1 though. I rode the rock gardens by myself BUT they are definitely tricky. Support rider highly recommended.
This is a DH area. Advanced riders only! I have ridden Otter and Berm Trail both by myself but needed some help on Berm Trail the first time.
This route would be rated aMTB1, but the first section is single track and gets pretty tight. I have ridden it solo, but had to work for it and caught some cactus. Lots of cactus.
Encinitas has some really cool community pathways that make for a fun ride. They boast some incredible easterly and ocean views. While most of this loop is wide open and easy, there unfortunately is a significant amount of road time. Exercise caution. Wear a helmet and observe traffic laws. Be sure to consult the POIs because there are a couple problem spots (see below). The route takes you onto a golf course in order to access a pedestrian bridge that otherwise only has stair access, through a steep rutted section where adaptive riders might need a spot and onto a brief section of private property.
This route is mostly fire road and double track and would be rated aMTB1 if it weren’t for two potential problem spots. Be sure to consult the POIs. There is a section of singltrack that was pretty tight with a ton of cactus last time i road it. Its been a while though and I highly recommend a support rider, at least for the first attempt. The second potential problem is a narrow bridge. My bike fits no problem, but its definitely tight.
This is my favorite loop (until we can work on some more trails) in PQ Canyon. It incorporates the famous Tunnels, Cobbles and some cool bridges. I have done all this on my own, but there are some really sketchy spots and i highly recommend a support rider on your first try.
This route is designed for solo adaptive riders to ride confidently in an unfamiliar area. It is comprised mostly of fire road and double track and you will miss a lot of what this area has to offer, BUT you will be able to ride alone safely, regardless of ability level. I will add more advanced loops for this area in future blogs. Happy riding!
