Home
Stories to Inspire Your Travel
The Hidden Trails of Richfield: A Mountain Biker's Paradise

The Hidden Trails of Richfield: A Mountain Biker's Paradise

Written By Travis Reill

Spinal Tap Trail | Paul McPherson

Richfield, Utah, has long been synonymous with the quintessential Utah adventure. Located about two hours south of Salt Lake City, it's an outdoor paradise: an undisputed hub for hunting, fishing, and, most famously, its massive, year-round OHV network, all set against a stunning mountain backdrop.

But a new kind of adrenaline is pumping through the air, one that hasn't made it into the typical Richfield travel guide yet. I'm talking about mountain biking, and it's quickly emerging as the area’s next big draw.

Richfield gives riders of all levels access to over 50 miles of trails along the Pahvant Trail System.

Photo: Paul McPherson

The Pahvant Trail System

Until a few years ago, Richfield mountain biking simply wasn’t a thing. For mountain bikers, Central Utah’s largest town was merely a place to be driven through on the way to more well-known mountain biking destinations like Park City, St. George or Moab.

Many of the state’s well-known mountain bike trails tend to fall on either end of the state. But Richfield is putting Central Utah trails on the map with the Pahvant Trail System.

If you haven’t heard of the Pahvant, you haven’t been out of the loop for too long. This trail system is only a handful of years old, first built in 2019, and was constructed entirely by volunteers and high school students.

Best of all, the trailhead for the Pahvant Trail System is just blocks from downtown Richfield. On a recent trip, riding our bikes from the hotel to the trailhead took less than five minutes. Returning was equally easy; we pedaled off the trail, passed under the I-70 bridge, and coasted the several blocks back to our accommodations. Once we got to Richfield, where to ride and where to eat was often just a short walk or pedal away.

For our signature Richfield ride, we opted for the trail that will be making all the headlines: Spinal Tap.

Richfield’s Gem: Spinal Tap

At the trailhead, we met our shuttle for the day, Ride Richfield. We opted for a shuttle because the Spinal Tap trail is massive. For reference, our shuttle ride took nearly an hour to reach the top. Almost 20 miles and nearly 5,000 feet of descending awaited us. We were about to drop into the trail that puts Richfield on every mountain biker's radar.

Spinal Tap was truly a spectacular trail. I am fortunate to ride all over the country, including places deemed "popular mountain bike destinations." I can, without a doubt, say that Spinal Tap is one of the best — if not the best — trails I have ever ridden.

First and foremost, Spinal Tap is a trail that prioritizes descending, and I’m talking fast descending. The nearly 5,000 feet of elevation lost is managed incredibly well because of how expertly the trail was built.

In areas where the grade mellows, the trail becomes more flowy, with incredibly well-maintained berms to carry speed. In other, more technical spots, the grade drops, so a significant amount of speed is carried even when braking is needed more often. Yes, there are a couple of manageable climbs and traverse sections that offer opportunities to rest. Over the nearly 20 miles, we climbed only about 300 feet — not a bad ratio.

The Spinal Tap is a challenging, 18-mile trail with a gradual climb and a thrilling descent of nearly 5,000 feet.

Photo: Paul McPherson

While Spinal Tap is divided into upper, middle and lower sections, the ride experience features three distinct zones and styles that blend across those sections.

The Aspen Grove

Spinal Tap starts at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level in a truly spectacular aspen grove. We were there in late September when the trees were beginning to change, and it was one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever been on.

The High Desert Zone

The aspens are over before you know it, and you enter into Spinal Tap’s high desert zone. Here, the trail, lined with sagebrush and juniper trees, continues for miles.

The Red Rock Zone

As you begin to encounter the occasional trail-side cactus, you know you are entering Spinal Tap’s third and final zone. This last zone is reminiscent of the red rocks of Southern Utah, with mesas stretching far and wide as you descend closer to Richfield.

Each of these three distinct zones also has a corresponding trail characteristic, although that characteristic isn’t confined to the exact zone.

Ride Richfield's Mountain Bike Shuttle is the fastest way to reach the trailhead and get the most out of the Pahvant Trail System.

Photo: Paul McPherson

Spinal Tap offers riders a thrilling mix of fast, flowy sections and technical challenges.

Photo: Paul McPherson

The trail passes through three distinct landscapes, from the aspen groves to sagebrush deserts and red rock.

Photo: Paul McPherson

At the very top, as you pass through the aspen groves and into the high desert zone, the trail is what I can only describe as flow/tech. Never fully flowy, but never fully technical, this small-chunk zone was perhaps my favorite. It was fast and chattery, with fun line choices and optional gaps throughout.

Once we were solidly in the high desert zone, surrounded by juniper and sage, the trail turned to fast-flow. The corners were perfect, and the jumps were long but relatively easy given the amount of speed carried. And, just before you were lulled into a "flow state," the trail turned technical again, with optional rock drop or rock roll sections.

The high desert zone was also where the roughly 300 feet of climbing and traversing happened on Spinal Tap. However, I’ll state again that those sections were insignificant and easy considering the entirety of the descent.

After the high desert flow zone, the trail turns distinctly technical. The last handful of miles down Spinal Tap is through a Moab- or St. George-like zone, over blue-dashed-line rock and down difficult, technical descents. However, unlike much of the riding in Moab or Southern Utah, this was true, unbroken descending.

Spinal Tap’s final five or so miles descend over some fairly technical rock rolls and drops, including the infamous double drop. While the entirety of the trail is tailored for intermediate to advanced riders, the last few miles lean heavily into the advanced category.

At the very top, as you pass through the aspen groves and into the high desert zone, the trail becomes more flow/tech.

Photo: Paul McPherson

The fast-flow stretch of the high desert zone continues for miles surrounded by wild sagebrush and juniper trees.

Photo: Paul McPherson

Pahvant’s Other Trails

Spinal Tap is a must-ride. But the rest of the Pahvant Trail System is top riding as well and can be accessed from Spinal Tap via the One-in-a-Pinion and Faulty trails. From there, you can access the rest of the Pahvant mountain bike trails and choose your own adventure depending on the difficulty level.

Other than Spinal Tap, two popular advanced trails are Juniper Drop and Telegraph.

Juniper Drop

Juniper Drop is short, fast and flowy, with big jumps and quick drops. The trail comes at you fast, so it is best to look before you leap. Lower Faulty is an easy green climb back to the top of Juniper Drop.

Telegraph

Telegraph is a longer, two-mile trail that drops nearly 900 feet. This trail is more technical and includes some fun, but larger drops. These drops do have go-arounds, allowing a “pre-ride” first run before sending it on the next run.

Juniper Drop and Telegraph, along with Spinal Tap, are descending only trails, meaning you can let loose, trusting there won’t be someone climbing around a corner. Other popular DH trails are Cairn-Age and Snake Bite, both of which are a bit tamer and fall into the intermediate category.

However, don’t be fooled, these are still proper downhill trails. But, Richfield has beginner trails, too, with Kiln-It as a massive out-and-back, Lower Faulty, and the Cottonwood Kid’s Loop. These green trails round out the Pahvant as a trail system for all ability levels of mountain biking.

With Spinal Tap and the rest of the trails in the Pahvant Trail System, Richfield should be on your Utah mountain bike destination list. You can easily spend a long weekend in Richfield, only riding the trails. Truth be told, I would have shuttled Spinal Tap as many times as I could have in the days I was there.

But that isn’t all Richfield has to offer.

More than Mountain Biking

The mountain biking was phenomenal in Richfield, and that is genuinely what I came for. However, when we climbed off our bikes, the city offered plenty of other activities.

We couldn’t come to Richfield without hitting the OHV trails. While I was terrified, our friends at Jorgensen Powersports put me at ease. They set us up in side-by-sides and took us on a guided trip that pushed me outside of my comfort zone and was an absolute blast. The off-roading was spectacular and the scenery was breathtaking.

We also had the opportunity to travel to Fishlake National Forest and fish at, well, Fish Lake. At nearly 10,000 feet, the scenery was truly phenomenal. While my angling skills were less than subpar, others caught fish that made me jealous. (Read: The Insider’s Guide to Fish Lake)

And to cap every day, we enjoyed a spectacular meal at one of the local restaurants. Restaurants like Steve’s Steakhouse, Severo, Little Wonder Cafe and Sagebrush Grill are places where you can just ask the waitstaff for their recommendations. We found outstanding food and great drinks for less than you'd typically pay at home.

New Utah trails are a real thing; the Pahvant Trail System offers some truly world-class mountain biking. Richfield, Utah, is easily becoming the state’s next mountain bike destination.

Without a doubt, I’ll be heading back.

Brian-Head_Mountain-Biking_Overlook_Dash-Jay_2020

Top 5 Rules of the Ride: How to Mountain Bike Responsibly on Utah Trails

Written By Paula Colman

3 minute read

Mountain biking is one of Utah’s most popular activities enjoyed by riders of all ages and skill levels. Be able to fly down that flow trail by, first, understanding and respecting the rules of the ride.

Explore

3 Days

Slickrock Adventure

Discover how close Salt Lake City is to Arches and Canyonlands national parks in this three-day weekend filled with adventure options.

Hiking, Cycling, Adventure, Mountain Biking

Highlights

Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Moab Area Adventures
White Rim Trail or Colorado River

See Itinerary

3 Days

Denver to Moab: A High-Octane Weekend Road Trip

Start planning your road trip from Denver to Moab with three days of mountain biking, hiking, skydiving, rafting and experiencing the best of Moab.

Hiking, Adventure, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Mountain Biking, Watersports and Rafting

Highlights

Colorado River Rafting
Moab Mountain Biking
Skydive Moab
World-Renowned Mountain Biking

See Itinerary

About the Author – Travis Reill

Travis Reill is an Oregon-based outdoor and mountain bike journalist who combines his passion for storytelling with the outdoors, often bringing his two kids along for the adventure. You can regularly find his work on the homepages of popular mountain bike publications like Singletracks and The Loam Wolf, with features in Freehub Magazine, Mountain Bike Action Magazine, Trail Builder Magazine and more.