Gooseberry Mesa

Apple Valley, Utah, USA

Gooseberry Mesa is well known world over for its sweet singletrack and slickrock mountain bike trails. An awesome place to play on your mountain bike, especially in the spring and fall. Located west of Zion National Park and east of Hurricane on a tabletop mesa above 1,500 metres; one can expect to run into snow during the winter months. Gooseberry Mesa is the place to ride if you’re visiting southern Utah. There are no major climbs here, just a lot of short and steep ups, with brief downs, winding turns and a few drop offs near the trail. The trails vary in technical degree, from the beginner (White Trail) to the expert (South Rim Trail), making this area a great place to ride for all abilities.

Boasting some of the area’s most spectacular singletrack trails, Gooseberry offers a number of loop options varying in ability. If you’re new to riding slickrock check out the Practice Trail to get acquainted with the riding in this area and if you’re up for a challenge, the South Rim (expert trail) will not disappoint. One can easily spend a few days riding here; connecting the trails based on their ability.

Make sure you ride out to The Point, west end of the mesa. The Point offers some incredible 360 degree views of the surrounding area. Access The Point from the junction of South Rim Trail and White Trail, when riding west.

bikepirate rating:

Trail Stats

Distance: Up to 40 km
Time: 1 - 6 hrs
Elevation Gain: N/A
Elevation Loss: N/A
Min Elevation: 1,533 m
Max Elevation: 1,644 m
Technical Rating: Beginner - Expert
Physical Rating: Moderate
Season: Year round
Permit Required: No

Trail Location

Trailhead: Take Hwy 59 south, located at the east end of Hurricane. You will drive up and out of Hurricane, following 59 past Little Plain (Chevron Gas Station). Drive 3.4 km past Little Plain and look for a dirt road to your left. There is a Gooseberry Mesa sign on the 59 indicating the turn off. Drive up the dirt road for 4.6 km and turn left at the first turn off. Another 5.8 km or so will get you to the outhouse; Gooseberry Trailhead.

GPS:
N37 08.498 W113 09.216 (Gooseberry TH)
N37 08.504 W113 10.310 (White TH)

Downloads

Map: click here
GPS Map (GPX): click here
Loop (GPX): click here
Google Earth: click here
Dixie MTB Trail Association: click here
Bureau of Land Management: click here

Google Earth trail view only works if you have the program; download it here (free)

Trail information

One great thing about these trails is that it’s almost impossible to get lost. If you find yourself confused, jump on the White Trail (dirt road) and follow it east back to the White Trailhead or all the way to the Gooseberry Mesa Trailhead. The White Trail will be to the north or south of the trail you are on.

Gooseberry Mesa Trails

  • Windmill Trail (intermediate): 2.4 km
  • Bowls and Ledges Trail (intermediate): 1.8 km
  • Practice Trail (intermediate): 2.1 km
  • White Trail (beginner): 5.0 km
  • Connector Trail (beginner): 0.1 km
  • North Rim Trail (intermediate): 3.4 km
  • Hidden Canyon Trail (advanced): 3.1 km
  • South Rim Trail (expert): 9.5 km
  • Yellow Trail (advanced): 0.8 km

Warning: accessing Gooseberry Mesa

Word of caution. Do not try and attempt to shuttle the road to Gooseberry Mesa after heavy rains. The road becomes extremely slick and muddy, making it impassable even for 4WD drive vehicles/trucks. We ran into a number of trucks and cars stuck just 500 metres from the Hwy 59 turnoff, two days after it rained. Check with the local shops for an update on the road before heading out.

The road up to Gooseberry is best driven using a truck or SUV, but is doable in a sedan when the road has dried out.

 

 


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