Desert Canyon Trails: Beginner Mountain Biking in St. George, UT

Our friend, Randy, had come to visit for the weekend and Keith planned two locations for us to ride. St. George, Utah is famous for mountain biking and Keith was able to find trails that would be a good fit for all of us. Our plan was to start out the morning at The Desert Canyon Trail System, have a packed lunch, head over to the Bearclaw Poppy Trail System to ride in the afternoon, and then find food and drinks to complete the day.

*This ride took place on October 19, 2019

Check out our video

Telling this story from Lindsey’s point of view

I was super excited about this day, but also very nervous!! This was only the third time I'd ever been on a mountain bike. I knew it would be physically difficult as well as mentally challenging.

We started with a couple of trails to warm up and give me a good introduction to practicing some basic skills. The guys could then go off and do some harder trails while I rested. At the time of actually riding these trails, I did think it was a bit hard for me. Mainly the elevation climb is what I found hard. I was physically exhausted and not very confident in my skill level. I did get overly scared and frustrated.

Thinking back now, two years later, it really wasn’t that out of reach for me and I do feel pushing my comfort level a bit has helped me gain the skills I currently have. Mountain biking has definitely taught me that you have to push yourself just past your comfort zone to improve. I guess it’s like that with anything though!

Quick facts about the Desert Canyons Trail System

• Desert Canyons Trail System is located just off the Southern Parkway by the Desert Canyons subdivision and the airport
• Open to mountain bikers and hikers- trail etiquette is bikers yield to hikers
• 21 mountain bike trails- 1 road, 7 green, 6 blue, 6 black, and 1 double black
• 24 hiking trails
• Over 450 feet of climbing
• About 23 miles of riding/hiking
• Popular Trails: Pushing Tin, Secret Sauce, Claim Jumper

Visiting local bike shops in St. George, UT

Rapid Cycling

On this particular day, I rented a Scott Spark Contessa from Rapid Cycling Bikes in St. George. I was extremely happy with the bike they recommended and set up for me. The staff was also helpful in giving us lots of tips for the trails we planned to ride and recommendations for other trails in the area. You could immediately tell everyone there enjoyed their job and wanted to help in any way possible.

This was only the third bike I had ever been on and immediately it felt more natural than the bikes I’d been on before. I eventually ended up buying a used Scott Genius Contessa once I was ready to commit to more mountain biking.

Red Rock Bicycle Co

While on this trip we also visited the Red Rock Bicycle Co. This shop was quite large and probably had everything you could possibly need for mountain biking. Keith needed to buy a replacement tire for his bike because he ripped the sidewall on another ride. The staff was very knowledgeable about the tires and gave Keith some good information about which tires were best for certain types of terrain in the area.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series

Next week I’ll post a blog/vlog for part 2 for this day of riding! We will ride over at The Bearclaw Poppy Trail System, the guys will find a tarantula and we’ll end the day with beer and food!