The 25th annual San Rafael Swell Spring Mt. Bike Festival is happening from May 20th through May 22nd, and it’s a opportune chance to experience a part of Utah that doesn’t get a lot of recognition from the mountain biking crowd. MECCA, a mountain bike club based in Emery County, is responsible for this shindig, and they have a host of fun times planned.
So why bike the San Rafael Swell? Well, there’s nothing quite like the fun of desert mountain biking in the spring, so it’s the perfect time of year to take your fat tires to the singletrack of Castle Country. The San Rafael Swell has a lot of fun trails, and the locals living in towns like Green River and Huntington are keen on showing it off.
All trips are guided by mountain bikers who are familiar with the network of trails in the San Rafael Swell, and they will take groups of riders all over the area, including a traverse of the San Rafael Reef.
The event is more than riding through central Utah’s spectacular scenery, however. Pancake breakfasts, dutch oven and spaghetti dinners, free t-shirts and a raffle for prizes are all included in the deal.
Registration starts on Friday at 1pm with a warmup ride at 3. Then Friday night is spaghetti dinner time at the Tamarisk Restaurant in Green River.
Saturday will begin with a pancake breakfast before a full day of guided rides that are supported with sag wagons and staff. Plus, there will be a dutch oven dinner on Saturday night, cooked up by the local Search and Rescue Team.
Then on Sunday, a continental breakfast will be served before everyone heads into the desert for more mountain biking in the Swell.
For more information about the Spring San Rafael Mountain Bike Festival, or to register, call 435-637-0086 or check out their website at biketheswell.org