Friday, November 12, 2010

Church Rocks Bike Riding Trail

Church Rocks Trail - Loop west of I-15 between Washington and Quail Creek. Slickrock and some singletrack. Mild climb, intermediate technical. Season year-round.
The Church Rocks Loop is an intermediate trail just north of Washington (about 10 miles north of St. George). The loop itself is 3.1 miles of 90% slickrock. It's a fairly rapid ride, with little elevation change (about 150 feet), so you may want to do the loop section a couple of times.

Getting there, via Coral Canyon Trail: Take the UT-9 exit from I-15 (highway 9 goes to Hurricane, Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon) about 15 miles north of St. George. Turn towards Hurricane, but immediately turn right in 0.2 miles onto Coral Canyon Blvd. (If you pass the golf course, you missed it.) Go south through the roundabout and continue 0.6 miles, then right on Territory Canyon Drive. Immediately turn left on Grasslands Parkway. Heritage Park is 0.1 miles. Find a spot to park. On your bike, head north uphill on Grasslands (toward the freeway). Find the cement trail on your right, just before the road turns left and becomes North Bend Drive. Keep straight as you pass two paved trails that fork off. The paved trail will take you to the top of the water tank hill.
Alternate trailhead, Slick Rock Road in Coral Canyon: Go to Heritage Park as above, but as you climb up Grasslands Parkway, turn left on Slick Rock Road. Keep going south until the road turns north toward the freeway. Watch for the cement trail between two homes just before Slick Rock Road turns back east and becomes Sprint Canyon Drive. Once on the trail, fork right uphill, then take the next fork left to climb up Black Ridge toward the water tank.
Alternate trailhead, Grapevine via Washington Parkway: Go to the north end of Washington Parkway (at the new exit 13 off I-15). Keep straight into the dirt road through a two fences, then park. Head east (to your right as you drive through the second fence). Follow the Grapevine Trail to the Prospector connector, then grab Bracken's for 0.1 mile, then fork R to head for Church Rocks. See the Dino Cliffs trail page for specific instructions.

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