The good folks at Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association (DMBTA) have developed a new trail that circumnavigates the Wire Mesa and is now open to the riding public. This trail is not far from the Gooseberry/Grafton Mesa complex and offers up an intermediate slick rock and single track experience. The 7.5 mile loop can be ridden either direction and feels like two different trails either way you choose.
Getting there is relatively straight forward using the same dirt road that takes you to Gooseberry and Grafton. The parking lot is a few hundred yards from a turn off that is 5.1 miles from the pavement of Highway 59 just outside of Apple Valley. Look for the small brown fiberglass BLM stake that indicates “Wire Mesa”. The road can be rutted and is not recommended to cars with low clearance. If it has been raining, you should try some of the lower trails closer to Hurricane and St. George as the roads become nearly impassible due to clay mud.
Pulling into the small parking lot just off the dirt road you will see the twin trailheads just across from each other. You now can select your intended direction for your first loop.
Clockwise:
Riders are given a brief winding climb to a split in the trail at about .75 miles in. Take the right fork towards Wire Mesa. The next 2 miles are relatively fast and flowing single track along the west rim of the mesa. There is one “More Difficult” turn-off with a steep rock slab that requires a little speed to clean. Continuing on, you will be treated to incredible vistas out across the valley of the Virgin River and out towards Zion National Park. The latter half of the trail consists of more slick rock features as you approach the east rim. These features require a bit more speed to tackle going up and over. There are two additional “More Difficult” turn-offs that allow riders to test their skills on rock stairs en route to a few brief portions of single track.
Counter-Clockwise:
Starting this way gives riders the chance to encounter a variety of semi-technical slick rock features on more of a descent. The short, punchy moves that you do find are during the “More Difficult” turn-offs. This direction also greets peddlers with a stunning view of Smithsonian Butte and Eagle Crags West. These monolithic rock features are part of a geologic ripple that continues on into Zion National Park just to the north. The perspective this trail provides of Mt. Kinesava and Johnson Mountain are inspiring and you have to be wary of letting yourself drift. Cruising across the mesa to the west rim is flowy and speed is welcome. Wrapping around back towards the lot you will find a few bits of slick rock and some winding single track that cap off the ride nicely.
Doing the loop in both directions is a great way to spend the morning and knock out 15 miles before heading over to the more technical features of Grafton Mesa and the South Rim of Gooseberry. Don’t forget to stop by Over The Edge Sports in Hurricane for ride essentials or to demo that burly full-suspension bike you have had your eye on all winter.