Enjoying the Bike Paths of St. George

Greater Zion is a Cyclist’s Dream

There’s something really captivating about cycling, something unexplainable. And for those that do love it, you probably find it difficult to explain it to others as well. In the simplest terms, there’s a sense of empowerment and freedom that riding a bike gives you that you can’t find in other ways. For those reasons, St. George is a cyclist’s dream with it’s perfect weather and amazing bike paths.

There are some great on-road routes that you can bike here in the beautiful red-rock country. But if you don’t subscribe to the speed and traffic of a road for your biking pleasure, St. George is for you. Currently, we have over 60 miles of bike paths, with more in the works. You can get a wide variety of desert scenery while touring these paths. But here is an indepth look at a 23-mile loop that circles the city of St. George.

There are many entry points on the trail, so you can start wherever you’d like, but for this loop we’ll start in the middle of Snow Canyon and immediately hop on the bike path there. The biggest challenge of descending Snow Canyon can be following the posted speed limit.

Beyond that amazing State Park, you’ll ride past some half a dozen city parks, taking in their rare greenery in the desert. With so many incredible parks, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and take a break when needed.

Along the lowest point of elevation on the loop, you’ll come across the Virgin River and take its beauty of its river bottom. There’s so much contrast between seeing the lush river bottom with sand hill cranes and then climbing back to the desert with its lizards and tarantulas.

The end of the ride features a fast, beautiful descent through a red rock landscape that could be mistaken for Mars. It’s so satisfying feeling the wind blasting past you while you let gravity do all the work, after all, that’s what makes the climbs worth it.

Whether you’re in a club of race-kit-wearing cycle junkies or taking an afternoon ride in cargo shorts on a beach cruiser, there’s really no better place than the paved trails of St. George. It’s a fantastic set of trails that lets you see most of the city and is open year round thanks to the awesome weather here. On your next trip to St. George, try seeing things from the seat of bicycle. You’ll be glad you did.