Mountain Biking on Gooseberry Mesa—October 2019 Edition

It was mid-October and that made it a good time to head to southwest Utah for some autumn mountain biking.

We left Flagstaff around 8:30 a.m. and arrived at the Wire Mesa Trailhead on Gooseberry Mesa about 4 hours later. After a quick lunch, we jumped on the Wire Mesa trail. Good news! They are upgrading the parking lot with a fence and possibly other amenities.

Riding the Wire Mesa Trail. That's Zion N.P. in the distance.
Riding the Wire Mesa Trail. That’s Zion N.P. in the distance.
The view towards the southeast from Wire Mesa Trail.
The view towards the southeast from Wire Mesa Trail.

This was our first time on Wire Mesa Trail. It’s a nice loop with some great views of Zion National Park and the cliffs of Gooseberry Mesa.

View over the edge of Gooseberry Mesa.
View over the edge of Gooseberry Mesa.

The next day we visited the Gooseberry Mesa trails, starting on Windmill, then North Rim and out to the west end of the mesa. This route wanders between the edge and then through ramps, chutes, small hills, all on a high-traction surface. The geologic name for this rock is Shinarump Conglomerate.

North Rim Trail, Gooseberry Mesa.
North Rim Trail, Gooseberry Mesa.
Just follow the dots!
Just follow the dots!
Practice Trail, Gooseberry Mesa.
Practice Trail, Gooseberry Mesa.

The return to the trail head included a quick jaunt on Yellow Trail. Great fun! We then returned to North Rim and connected with Practice Trail. The photos shown here are very similar to photos taken on earlier trips to this mountain biking area. See, for example, the trip reports for April 2015 and October 2016.

Amazing terrain on Gooseberry Mesa with Zion NP in the distance
Amazing terrain on Gooseberry Mesa with Zion NP in the distance

We had planned on a third day of riding but instead opted to do some hiking in Zion National Park.

Zion National Park.
Zion National Park.

Nice!